Best of Southern Africa

Itinerary

• South Africa

  South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa, and features one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town. A sublime location, great beaches, nearby vineyards, great food, and cheap diamonds - there is a lot of love about the city. The Garden Route is a short drive away, passing through the quaint towns of Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley. It is best experienced with an overnight in Knysna.  Kruger National Park is another top draw, and boasts some of the finest lodges on the continent.

• Cape Town

  Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa, famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Popular day activities include; Robben Island (Nelson Mandela's prison), Cape Point, Stellenbosch winery tour, diamond buying shops, and great white shark diving.

• Johannesburg

  Johannesburg or Jo'burg, as the locals call the city of the gold, is the biggest metropolis in South Africa. With its 3.2 million citizens the city on the Witwatersrand is the predominant commercial centre and the economic motor of the Republic of South Africa. It is the international flight gateway for most of southern Africa.

• Sabi Sands

  The Sabi Sands Game Reserve is undoubtedly the most exclusive private game reserve in South Africa. The 65,000-hectare Sabi Sands Game Reserve is located on the south-western corner of the Kruger National Park. There are no restricting fences between the Kruger Park and Sabi Sands Reserve and the wildlife roams freely between the two game reserves. Some of the best and most exclusive private game lodges in the country are in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and the chances of seeing the Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) are excellent.

• Zambia

  Zambia is has a relatively young tourist industry, growing with the volume of people visiting Victoria Falls on its southern border. With the troubles in Zimbabwe, Livinstone is the new gateway to the falls and its unexpectedly wide array of adrenaline activities, game parks, and scenic beauty. With the attention has come the discovery of pristine parks of Lower Zambezi. For the purists, this is one of the last untouched safari experiences on the continent.

• Livingstone

  Victoria Falls, the world's largest falls cascade across a sheer rock face over 1km wide, mere meters away from visitors. The falls form the border between Livingstone (Zambia) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). Livingstone features fine hotels and a broad array of adrenaline activities from ultra light and helicopter flights, white water rafting, river cruises, bungee, elephant-back safaris, and much more - it is a great spot to visit. Flight connections are limited to Lusaka.

• Botswana

  Formerly known as Bechaunaland, a British protectorate, Botswana gained independence in September 1966. Botswana is most famous for its two sublime game parks, the Okavango Delta and Chobe reserve. The Okavango is the world's largest inland delta and has no outlet to the sea - baffling early explorers. It turns out that the massive volume of waters simply disappear into the Kalahari Desert, which covers 70% of Botswana's land surface. This unexpectedly lush swamp in the midst of scorching desert is a magnet for wild game and birds. Nearby Chobe reserve is famous for its elephants, the world's largest.

  Maun is the tourism hub of the country, with the capitol of Gaborone located on the southern border. Botswana is a rare country in Africa, with no civil unrest, balanced budgets, working democracy, and one of the world's fastest growing economies. It is also the world's largest producer of diamonds and is twice the size of the United Kingdom - yet only has a population of 1.9 million people. Since independence it has had one of the fastest growth rates in per capita income in the world. Botswana's people, truly unique landscapes and game are hugely impressive, it is well worth a visit.

• Okavango

  The Okavango is a labyrinth of lagoons, lakes and hidden channels covering an area of over 17,000 square km and the largest inland delta in the world. Trapped in the parched Kalahari sands it is a magnet for the wildlife who depend on the permanent waters of this unique feature. Sometimes called a 'swamp', the Okavango is anything but. Moving, mysterious, placid, gentle and beautiful, from a wide and winding channel it spreads through tiny, almost unnoticeable channels that creep away behind a wall of papyrus reed, into an ever expanding network of increasingly smaller passages.

• • Cape Town
  • Ellerman House

  Day 1: Cape Town

  Upon arrival into South Africa you will be met at the door of the plane and escorted through Customs and Immigration avoiding any queues. You will also receive all of your necessary documents for your trip which contains a detailed personalized itinerary, maps, restaurant suggestions, top tips for exploring each city or region and a 24 hour concierge service (for restaurant reservations, spa treatments, child minders, day tours etc.)

  Enjoy a private luxury transfer between the airport and your hotel.

  Accommodation: Ellerman House

  Ellerman House enjoys the finest views of the Atlantic, just 10 minutes away from the V&A Waterfront, in Bantry Bay. With only 11 bedrooms, a Villa and spa, this intimate and romantic boutique hotel epitomizes the best in South African hospitality coupled with an art & wine collection which will leave you breathless. Ellerman House has nine luxurious rooms and two spacious suites with adjoining lounges, while Ellerman Villa offers a self-contained home of exceptional exclusivity and unrivalled privacy. The on property Spa invites pure indulgence, with sea views and ultra-modern facilities.
  
  

• • Cape Town Helicopter

  Day 2: Cape Town

  This morning your private guide will collect you from your hotel and take you on a brief city tour orientating yourself with the city’s highlights before heading to the Cable way at Table Mountain for a spectacular view over the city and ocean. You will then descend and head to the V&A Waterfront where you will board your helicopter for a private tour of the city and surrounding beaches and coastline, Cape Point and Peninsula(approx 20 mins). You will get to view such highlights as the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton, the Twelve Apostles mountain range and Table Mountain as well as the city itself.

  You will be dropped off at the Twelve Apostles for lunch to be enjoyed at the Azure Restaurant (excl. drinks). After your leisurely lunch you will have a chance to hike the 12 Apostles Mountains behind the hotel on one of the trails which should take around 40 mins, before heading back to your hotel with your driver/guide. (B,L)

  Accommodation: Ellerman House
• • Penguins

  Day 3: Cape Town

  Today we embark on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. We take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. From here we drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well as have spectacular views over False Bay. We enjoy lunch near here (not included – own account) before continuing to Simonstown, the naval base, and visiting the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. En route back we stop at the world renowned Kirstenbosch Gardens before returning back to your hotel.

  Accommodation: Ellerman House
• • Winelands

  Day 4: Cape Town

  You will be met this morning by your guide and set off for the Winelands, a delightful drive which winds its way through superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads. Our first stop is Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, with canal lined avenues, and magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture where we enjoy our first wine tasting, coupled with a chocolate and dessert tasting. Onward over the scenic Helshoogte Pass, to Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenots over 350 years ago, and widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Africa. Its beautiful setting and café lined streets will charm you and a further wine tasting is included at one of the renowned estates here. Our final stop is at the town of Paarl, at the foot of a cluster of remarkable granite domes where we enjoy our final wine tasting before heading back to Cape Town.

  Accommodation: Ellerman House
• • Sabi Sands
  • Varty Camp

  Day 5: Cape Town - Nelspruit (KMIA) - Sabi Sands

  Enjoy a private luxury transfer between the airport and your hotel.

  Take your flight from Cape Town to Kruger (KMIA) today. The flight duration is approximately 1.5 hrs.

  Travel today between your lodge in Kruger National Park and the international airport by charter. 

  This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

  Accommodation: Londolozi Varty Camp

  Seated in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Londolozi is a lush safari getaway for those who want to be pampered in the wild. Londolozi is one of the original pioneering lodges of the ecotourism industry in South Africa and an unashamedly family run, stand alone operation. The root of the word Londolozi is in the Zulu word for protect and means “protector of all living things” – an ambitious conservation ethic that Londolozi embraces in its sensitivity to the natural world. The reserve is internationally recognised for its far-sighted and progressive management of land and wildlife rehabilitation as well as productive community involvement.. World renowned as one of Africa’s finest game lodges, Londolozi was the first game reserve in the world to be accorded Relais & Chateaux status, reinforcing its commitment to luxurious accommodation, fine cuisine and exceptional service.

• • Morning Game Drive

  Day 6: Sabi Sands

  Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

  This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

  Accommodation: Londolozi Varty Camp
• • Sabi

  Day 7: Sabi Sands

  Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

  This afternoon you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your afternoon game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge to freshen up for dinner. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost dependant on availability.

  Accommodation: Londolozi Varty Camp
• • Livingstone
  • Sussi & Chuma

  Day 8: Sabi Sands - Nelspruit (KMIA) - Livingstone

  Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

  Travel today between your lodge in Sabi Sands and Kruger Mupumalanga International Airport. 

  Take your flight from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Livingstone today.

  Meet your driver who will transfer you to your lodge.

  Activities include a guided tour of Victoria Falls from the Zambian Side and a visit to the Semonga Village. You'll also have the opportunity to do a morning/evening gamedrive in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park where Zambia's only white rhino can be spotted, full range of game drives in the National Park using an open 4X4 vehicle driven by a professional guide. You'll also enjoy motorised boat Safaris Early morning or sunset river cruise, or try your hand at fishing on the great Zambezi River. You can choose two activities per day.

  Accommodation: Sussi & Chuma

  Sussi & Chuma is named after David Livingstone’s faithful companions and consist of an intimate lodge and two exclusive houses, both of which are situated to make the most of the amazing views that the sweeping Zambezi River provides.

• • Victoria Falls

  Day 9: Livingstone

  Today you can enjoy two of the included activities offered by Sussi & Chuma (falls visit, game viewing, boat safari, village tour) or sign up for extra activities on location. You can sign up for spa treatments, tour the  Zimbabwean side of the falls, flights over the falls, white water rafting, elephant back safari or the Livingstone Island visit. These extras are not included in the hotel cost.

  Sign up for optional activities at your hotel (not included in tour price); helicopter, ultra-light, Gypsy Moth flights, elephant-back or horseback safari, white-water rafting, bungee jumping, Chobe game park day trip, jet boat, cultural tours, and more.

  Accommodation: Sussi & Chuma
• • Okavango
  • Baines Camp

  Day 10: Livingstone - Chobe - Okavango

  Transfer between Livingstone and Chobe lodges. 

  Take your flight from Chobe to Okavango on Mack Air (light aircraft from Kasane) today. Includes departure tax.

  Here in the Okavango Delta lives some of the most spectacular and varied wildlife on Earth. Famed for its big cat and bird population, the delta is a peaceful haven where animals have been protected for decades and know they will not be disturbed. You'll have the opportunity to see animals up close when expert guides accompany you on morning and evening game drives in open 4 x 4 vehicles. A night game drive is the perfect means to see some of the nocturnal animals one wouldn’t see during the day time. The park also boasts a diversity of landscape with desert, dry savannah, lagoon and swamps in close proximity – cheetah, crocodile and elephant can also be seen on a game drive.

  Accommodation: Baines Camp

  With an ideal spot on the Okavango Delta, Baine's Camp is small and intimate, offering high quality service to those who visit. The 5 well-appointed, exclusive suites promise privacy and stunning views of the Boro River and its wildlife. Rich fabrics and furnishings add color and texture to the rooms. Savor cuisine prepared by a talented chef, with sumptuous offerings. The untamed environment provides opportunity for water and land safaris with knowledgable guides. Interact with elephants, or simply take a dip in the camp swimming pool to cool off.

• • 
  • Mokoro Safari

  Day 11: Okavango

  The Okavango Delta features some of the best game viewing in all of Africa. Drives are typically done very early and lasting for a few hours then returning to the lodge for breakfast. (shared with other guests at the lodge).

  The Okavango Delta is of course flooded for much of the year and when it is, you can experience serene silence at the gentle pace of a poled mokoro excursion along the narrow Delta channels. Just sit back and relax as they glide through lily ponds on local dugout canoes while they get eye to eye with a buffalo as it laps water from the river, watch crocodiles sunbathe on the banks or cruise past a pod of hippos as they lie in a pool. Fish eagles, frogs and fabulous lilies form much of this experience, but more frequently it is the quietness and gentle pace that makes its impression on you after a mokoro morning.

  Accommodation: Baines Camp
• • Johannesburg

  Day 12: Okavango - Maun - Johannesburg

  This flight travels from the Okavango airstrip to Maun.

  Take your flight from Maun to Johannesburg today via Gaborone. The flight duration is approximately 1 and a half hour.

  Accommodation: Depart

  Depart from Johannesburg international airport - End of itinerary.

Accommodation

• Culinary Moments

  Imagine settling in after a thrilling evening game-drive, to enjoy a delicious alfresco banquet of Pan-African cuisine in the boma illuminated by dozens of candles and lanterns.

• Natural Wonders

  In a country, which is approximately 80% arid, the Okavango Delta is a permanent life giving water source. It is a rather bizarre phenomenon in which a major mountain fed river reaches the vast tracts of the Kalahari and disperses into the floodplain in a maze of delta channels which are eventually consumed by the desert. Within the desert, the channels of the delta attract an abundance of animal and bird life.

• Wildlife Encounters

  Did you know? Elephants live in a highly organized social structure referred to as a matriarchal herd. The herd is typically composed of up to ten females and their young. Males beyond the age of maturity are with the herd only during mating. In Botswana, there is an estimated elephant population of over 120,000 - we are sure to see a few along the way!

• • Ellerman House

  Ellerman House

  Ellerman House enjoys the finest views of the Atlantic, just 10 minutes away from the V&A Waterfront, in Bantry Bay. With only 11 bedrooms, a Villa and spa, this intimate and romantic boutique hotel epitomizes the best in South African hospitality coupled with an art & wine collection which will leave you breathless. Ellerman House has nine luxurious rooms and two spacious suites with adjoining lounges, while Ellerman Villa offers a self-contained home of exceptional exclusivity and unrivalled privacy. The on property Spa invites pure indulgence, with sea views and ultra-modern facilities.
  
  

  • More information
• • Varty Camp
  • Room

  Londolozi Varty Camp

  Seated in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Londolozi is a lush safari getaway for those who want to be pampered in the wild. Londolozi is one of the original pioneering lodges of the ecotourism industry in South Africa and an unashamedly family run, stand alone operation. The root of the word Londolozi is in the Zulu word for protect and means “protector of all living things” – an ambitious conservation ethic that Londolozi embraces in its sensitivity to the natural world. The reserve is internationally recognised for its far-sighted and progressive management of land and wildlife rehabilitation as well as productive community involvement.. World renowned as one of Africa’s finest game lodges, Londolozi was the first game reserve in the world to be accorded Relais & Chateaux status, reinforcing its commitment to luxurious accommodation, fine cuisine and exceptional service.

  • More information
• • Sussi & Chuma

  Sussi & Chuma

  Sussi & Chuma is named after David Livingstone’s faithful companions and consist of an intimate lodge and two exclusive houses, both of which are situated to make the most of the amazing views that the sweeping Zambezi River provides.

  • More information
• • Baines Camp

  Baines Camp

  With an ideal spot on the Okavango Delta, Baine's Camp is small and intimate, offering high quality service to those who visit. The 5 well-appointed, exclusive suites promise privacy and stunning views of the Boro River and its wildlife. Rich fabrics and furnishings add color and texture to the rooms. Savor cuisine prepared by a talented chef, with sumptuous offerings. The untamed environment provides opportunity for water and land safaris with knowledgable guides. Interact with elephants, or simply take a dip in the camp swimming pool to cool off.

  • More information

The Fine Print

• Trip Operator

  Horizon & Co. (founded in 1963), is a privately-owned leading boutique travel company. Horizon designs and stages authentic and deeply personal travel experiences that are carefully choreographed to induce a life-long memory. In addition to offering published trips on seven continents, Horizon builds private custom trips for discerning individuals and small groups.

• Contact Information

  Horizon & Co.
  Tel: 1-800-387-2977
  Email: admin@horizon-co.com
  Web: www.horizon-co.com

• What's Included:

  • Guaranteed departure - Accommodation, Activities, Transfers, Meals, Fees where indicated as per the itinerary - Local and international traveler assistance during your tour - Specialised and personalised services

• What's not Included:

  • Tips - Laundry - Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages unless explicitly noted - Optional activities/extras – Visas (unless noted) - Vacation insurance

• Trip Terms & Conditions

  • Your deposit is due immediately on booking (30% of program price, minimum $250). The balance is due 90 days prior to departure. We accept payment via credit card, certified check, wire transfer or money order.
  • Tour quotes do not include airfare to/from the trip start point unless noted on the itinerary
  • Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
  • Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. We will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
  • Cancellations of confirmed bookings 90 days or more prior to departure will receive full refund minus a $350 (per person) administrative fee and any non-refundable paid fees (e.g. non-refundable airfare, cruise or hotel deposits). 60-89 days will be subject to loss of deposit. 30-59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price. 29 days or less will be subject to 100% of program price.
  • Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.horizon-co.com/terms-and-conditions
  • Living Standards and practices at destination may differ from those in North America with respect to provisions of utilities, services and accommodation.

• Request a Quote