Grand Safari Durban and Cape Town

Day Three includes a visit to South Africa’s best-loved marine theme park - Ushaka Marine World. Combining water rides, an oceanarium, shark feeding demonstrations, beach activities, and seal and penguin shows, this is one for animal-lovers and thrill-seekers alike. The park benefits from an accessible beach with adapted wheelchairs, as well as several snorkelling ponds featuring upwards of 5,000 fish.

Today we'll check out out of the hotel, and drive up to the Game Reserve. Here you will have your apartment for a 3 night stay in the middle of the Game Reserve. The Hilltop restaurant allows you to enjoy views of the local elephants, and absorb the sights of the game reserve in its entirety. Watch out for the monkey's though they are known to try and steel your food!

For our first full day of safari, we’ll be driving out to explore the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. Led by an experienced park ranger, who’ll help you spot and identify the various species we encounter, we’ll visit several spectacular locations throughout the park. Keep your eyes peeled for black rhinos, nyalas, hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, reedbucks, red duikers, baboons, monkeys, hyenas, and lions, as the park is renowned for its incredible biodiversity.

Following yesterday’s exciting foray into the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Day Seven sees us return to the park in search of Africa’s ‘Big Five.’ This time we’ll be visiting the Umfolozi side of the reserve, where government conservation efforts have helped protect and secure a future for the region’s Big Five population. These conservation projects have ensured that the park now boasts the largest number of white rhinos anywhere in the world. We’ll also be watching out for wildebeest, wild dogs, giraffes, elephants and buffalo.

Day Seven offers the opportunity to meet some of the largest land mammals on the planet. We’ll visit a sanctuary that specialises in rescuing orphaned elephants and caring for these gentle giants as they grow. The elephants’ morning routine includes a tasty breakfast treat at the viewing platform, so this is probably the closest you’ll ever get to these magnificent beasts! Next, we’ll share our experiences and replenish the energy stores with lunch at a local restaurant. Then, we’ll make our way to the cat and cheetah rehabilitation centre, where you’ll meet some of South Africa’s most beautiful wild cats, including lynx, serval and cheetahs. We’ll also visit Ilala Weavers, where you can experience famous Zulu artistry first-hand and indulge in delicious local cuisine at Ilala’s celebrated restaurant. In the evening we will make our way over to Saint Lucia.

Today, we will explore St Lucia - a picturesque village situated within the enormous iSimangaliso Wetland Park and beside South Africa’s largest estuarine system. This makes it the ideal place to spot hippos, crocodiles, and exotic birds, so we’ll be hitting the water on a fully accessible safari boat trip. Lunch can be enjoyed at one of the village’s delightfully quirky restaurants and, towards the end of the day, there’s also a good chance you’ll get to see hippos grazing in the village gardens!

Also a part of the UNESCO-recognised iSimangaliso Water Park, Cape Vidal is famous for its wild, crescent beaches, stunning landscapes and local wildlife. Today, you’ll have the chance to explore the region’s local markets, discover the coastline and tour the Cape Vidal Game Reserve in search of rhino, waterbuck, and kudu, to name just a few.

Today we will meet the local Zulu tribe. You will be welcomed and educated in their way of life. You will have chance to try on the clothes they wear, and experience their local music and dancing.

Today, we’ll make our way back to Durban, and we'll take a short flight to the crystal waters, white sandy beaches and vibrant streets of Cape Town. On arrival, we’ll check into your luxury four-star hotel, which will serve as our base for the remainder of the tour. Your accommodation is situated in the beautiful V&A Waterfront neighbourhood, which benefits from beautiful sea views and a picture-perfect backdrop.

Today, we'll visit the Bay of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Just a short journey down the coast, we’ll stop along the way at False Bay’s remarkable penguin colony. Home to somewhere between 2,000-3,000 African penguins, you’ll enjoy watching the birds waddle, paddle and splash around under the South African sun. After, we’ll drive to Cape Point and take the funicular up to the Old Lighthouse. Cape Point is one of the places at which the cold Atlantic meets the warmer Indian Ocean, causing the dangerous swells and currents that made this such a risky area for boats in the past. On the way back to the hotel, we’ll drive the breathtaking Hout road, which runs along the coast and takes in some of the local area’s most incredible scenery.

On your penultimate day on holiday, we’ll visit Stellenbosch - one of the world’s most famous wine regions. Also a famous university town, Stellenbosch boasts a vibrant, easy-going atmosphere that makes it a particularly enjoyable destination. While in town, we'll take you to a local vineyard for a delicious wine tasting session, after which we’ll sit down together to indulge in a fantastic, traditional South African lunch.