Travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Experiencing the Best That Each Area Has to Offer
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Palace Tours - Luxury Tours Collection 20 Wall Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA Telephone: +1-800-724- 5120 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 The South African Explorer Soutbound Travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, experiencing the best that each area has to offer. Johannesburg city sites, open vehicle safaris, Swazi culture, ostrich interaction, Cape Winelands and peninsula sites are some of the highlights of this tour. Itinerary Day 1 - Johannesburg On arrival in Johannesburg, your expert guide will meet and transfer you to your hotel (private basis).Embark on a half day city tour of Johannesburg. Highlights of this half day tour include: Johannesburg city sightseeing, Nelson Mandela Bridge, Newtown and Constitution Hill. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon. (B) Day 2 - Historical Towns Depart Johannesburg and travel via the historic towns of Dullstroom, Lydenburg and over the Abel Erasmus Pass. After passing through the J.G. Strijdom Tunnel, marvel at the mountainous scenery whilst passing through a homeland, formerly known as Lebowa. Continue to your private game lodge, near the Kruger National Park. Arrive in time for afternoon tea, followed by your evening game drive in an open safari vehicle. Return to the lodge for a diverse array of eclectic cuisine. (B,D) Day 3 - Game Drive and Panoramic Route Early morning bush walk or game drive, where you will have the opportunity to learn about the smaller species of Africas animal kingdom. After breakfast explore the breathtaking Panorama Route, featuring the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondawels, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Gods Window and various waterfalls. Arrive at your overnight destination late afternoon. (B,D) Day 4 - Kruger National Park and Ngwenya Glass Factory Early start to your day, by entering the world famous Kruger National Park, unrivalled for its diversity of flora, fauna and bird life, seeking the Big Five. Exit the park and travel to the Kingdom of Swaziland. Visit the Ngwenya glass factory en route to your hideaway in the Mlilwane Wildlife sanctuary. (B) Day 5 - Wildlife Sanctuary Enjoy a first-hand glimpse into Swazilands rich cultural heritage by visiting the Esitjeni Umphakatsi bordering Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, and experience this original interaction with the local people of this vibrant community, (weather depending). Leave the wonderful country of Swaziland and re-enter South Africa, making your way to the town of Hluhluwe. Day 6 - Game Drive and iSimangaliso Wetland Park Early morning breakfast followed by a game drive in your closed vehicle in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. Visit iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site(previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park). Enjoy a river cruise on the estuary. Highlights include prolific wetlands bird life, fish eagles, hippo and crocodiles. Continue south along Indian Ocean coastline, arriving in the bustling city of Durban during the late afternoon. Drop off at your hotel in Umhlanga Rocks. (B) Day 7 - King Shaka Airport Morning at leisure. Semi-private transfer to King Shaka International Airport for your flight to Port Elizabeth (flight not included, can be booked by TDM Air). On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, semi-private transfer to your beachfront hotel. (B) Day 8 - Garden Route Departing Port Elizabeth, enter the Garden Route via the high forests of the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Bloukrans and Groot River Passes. Attractions visited in the Tsitsikamma Forest area include the Big Tree. Remember to keep an eye out for the rare Knysna Loerie. Gaze in awe at the scenery whilst crossing the bridge over the Storms River, where photographic opportunities abound. After lunch (not included) continue via the millionaires playground of Plettenberg Bay to South Africas oyster capital, Knysna. Enjoy a superb dinner (not included) at one of the nearby restaurants. (B) Day 9 - Ranch Visits and Cango Caves Start the day with a scenic drive through Wildeness via Dolphin Point to George. Continue over the Outinequa Pass to Oudtshoorn. Here we visit the Safari Ostrich Ranch for a guided tour and traditional ostrich lunch (not included). After lunch, visit the Cango Caves, where a guided tour allows us to explore the ancient stalagmites and stalactites. En route back, visit The South African Explorer Soutbound(© www.palacetours.com) 1/9 endangered animals at the Cango Wildlife Ranch (optional and time permitting). After returning to the hotel, enjoy a hearty dinner(not included). (B) Day 10 - Route 62 to Cape Town After an early breakfast, our journey to Cape Town begins. Leave the Klein Karoo; pass through the towns of Calitzdrop and Barrydale as the true diversity of landscapes is highlighted through the ever changing semi-desert areas. Over the folded sandstone mountains of the Huis River and Tradouw Passes on Route 62, arrive at the charming town of Swellendam. After travelling the plateau of expansive apple orchards in and around Grabouw, our day draws to an end with the first glimpse of Table Mountain from the top of Sir Lowrys Pass. Drop off at your hotel in Cape Town. (B) Day 11 - City Tour and Wine Tasting Full day Cape Highlights tour (English only). This full day tour includes Camps Bay; Hout Bay; Chapmans Peak (subject to the road being open); the Cape of Good Hope Reserve; Simonstown; Muizenberg; one wine tasting of South African wines at a local wine estate; the University town of Stellenbosch. (B) Day 12 - Cape Town and Transfer Private transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your homebound flight. Destination Information Cape Town Cape Town is the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in South Africa due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively well-developed infrastructure. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located. Also famous for its harbor as well as, its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Many tourists visit Cape Town's beaches, which are popular with local residents. Durban The second most populous city in South Africa, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal, and it is famous as the busiest port in Africa. It is also a major centre of tourism due to the city's warm subtropical climate and beaches. The Golden Mile, developed as a welcoming tourist destination in the 1970s, as well as Durban at large, provides ample tourist attractions, particularly for people on holiday from Johannesburg. It lost its international holiday pre- eminence to Cape Town in the 1990s, but remains more popular among domestic tourists. Hluhluwe Hoedspruit Hoedspruit is a town situated at the foot of the Klein Drakensberg, in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town, while still small, has grown in recent years due to its proximity to the private game reserves to the West of the Kruger National Park. The general area is renowned for the game reserves that surround it, as well as the residential wildlife estates that have been recently developed, and the environmentally oriented school called Southern Cross Schools. Known for its amazing lodges, wildlife and private reserves, Hoedspruit is South Africa's undiscovered gem! Hoedspruit is also home to the Timbavati which is where the White Lions reintroduction program was introduced. Johannesburg Known as eGoli (place of gold),it is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa. The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Africa's only officially designated global city. It houses the South African Constitutional Court - South Africa's highest court. It has the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. The city is considered as a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. It has many attractions places such as the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City- a large amusement park, and The Johannesburg Zoo. Also have several art museums, such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery and the Mandela Museum. The South African Explorer Soutbound(© www.palacetours.com) 2/9 Knysna Knysna is a town in the Western Cape Province, and one of the Garden Route's best known travel destinations. The town nestles between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean. It was primarily built on the northern shore of a large warm-water estuary, fed by the Knysna River. The estuary opens to the ocean after passing between two large headlands known as the "The Heads". Also it is famous to be the the end point of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam railway, and as home to the fabled Knysna forest elephant. Knysna offer visitors an unforgettable holiday, from the very adventurous holidaymakers, to those who prefer relaxing in the sun, strolling through the cool forests or taking scenic day drives. Mpumalanga Mpumalanga, which means "land of the rising sun" in the local SiSwati language, has it all -- from exhilarating wildlife, to secluded mountain retreats, ancient ruined cities, wild water sports, and some of South Africa's most diverse and vibrant African cultures. The Panorama, which abounds with breathtaking views from natural wonders along the eastern slopes of the escarpment. View God's Window and the world's third largest canyon and biggest green canyon, the Blyde River Canyon. You will see the astonishing Bourke's Luck Potholes and three rondawels. Passing through the quaint town of Pilgrim's Rest, a living museum dating back to the hey days of the gold rush. Oudtshoorn The largest town in the Little Karoo region of South Africa, it is also home to the world's largest Ostrich population with a number of specialized ostrich breeding farms such as the Safari Show Farm and the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm.