• 13 Breakfast (B)

• Marrakesh: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Cape Town: Generally, the tap water in most of the locations we visit is safe to drink (and readily available too!) We don’t provide bottled water due to our sustainability promise, but your Trip Manager will sort you out for anything you might need during the trip.
• Cape Town: The question should be – when is it not the best time to travel to South Africa?In the summer (October to April), you’ll find perfect beach weather at our coastal destinations, and lush green landscapes everywhere. It also tends to be the birthing season (baby animals!!!). Winter (May to August) in South Africa is probably the best time for safaris since you’ll find wildlife gathering around waterholes.Luckily, the chances of spotting the Big 5 is equally good throughout the year. And if you’re here for the whales, visiting between June to November would be your best bet.
• Cape Town: You can book your flights with departure times after 7pm on our last day. We’ll arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at around 4pm.
• Cape Town: We recommend that you book an Uber from the airport. It’s the easiest and most convenient way to get to the start locations on our trips.
• Chobe National Park: As the name suggests, a Special Stay ain’t your ordinary accommodation – it’s much more than that. Think of it as an experience in its own right. On this trip, you’ll be able to camp under the stars (all while being surrounded by wildlife) at your Special Stay.
• Amboseli: Nope, you’re all good! All equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc) will be provided for you.
• Amboseli: You don’t have to. Your road crew will set up camp, cook meals, and clean up afterwards – but you’re always welcome to help!
• Amboseli: You’ll have access to proper bathrooms with real toilets, hot showers and everything you need – just shared with the crew.

• Cango Caves: Tour Africa’s largest limestone caves system. At over 20 million years old, it makes our nan look like a spring chicken.  
• Addo Elephant National Park: See these gentle giants in their natural habitat as you cruise in our Contiki coach through this scenic National park. Also be on the lookout for giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, warthogs and all of Africa’s incredible wildlife.
• Jeffreys Bay: Known for its waves, its calamari and its natural beauty, there’s no beach quite like Jeffreys Bay Beach. Don’t forget your sunscreen!
• Knysna: If you’re looking for dramatic scenery, a trek through Tsitsikamma National Park will give you plenty of ops to fill up your memories and Insta feed. 
• Knysna: Stretch out on the golden sands and enjoy some sea air at one of South Africa’s best beaches.  
   
• Hermanus: Sensational scenery plus your favourite seabird, is this the detour of your dreams or is this the detour of your dreams?
• Stellenbosch: Get to know the photogenic wine town of Stellenbosch. Rich in vineyards, but even richer in history.
• Cape Town: Bo-Kaap. The City Centre. V&A Waterfront. This tour takes in all the historical sites & attractions of the Mother City.  
• Cape Town: Stroll around the scenic harbour and enjoy some Insta-worthy views, at South Africa’s most-visited attraction. 
• Mbabane: We’ll cross the border to Eswatini and travel to a local village where we’ll meet some locals, spend time with them and find out all about their culture and everyday life.
• Kruger: Our Special Stay is located right inside one of Africa’s most famous National Parks and is also within one of its most popular Main Camps – Lower Sabie. The fenced-in camp is perched on the banks of the Sabie River with a shop, swimming pool and riverside restaurant (to look out for wildlife coming down to drink!). Our exclusive camp comprises of canvas dome tents with stretchers, mattresses, linen and towels plus charging outlets and a communal firepit to sit around late into the night gazing at the stars and listening to the calls of nocturnal animals.
• Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary: Traverse through Mlilwane on your own two feet, keeping your eyes peeled for antelope, wildebeest and more as you go. With a local guide on hand to make sure everyone is going the right way.
• Kruger National Park: We’ll go on an adventure in the world famous Kruger National Park, keep your eyes peeled for animal sightings!
• Kruger National Park: Wanna know how K9 Dogs protect wildlife? Come meet one of our Rangers who’ll tell you all about the K9 Watchdog Project, their fight against poachers, and how your donations from the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps them save Africa’s wildlife from extinction.
• Kruger National Park: Keep your eyes peeled and those binoculars close. We’re heading out to spot more magnificent wildlife (cross those fingers for rhino’s!) and stunning scenery with our last game drive as we say goodbye to Kruger.

Spend time on Jeffreys Bay’s broad sandy beach, where the Indian Ocean meets one of South Africa’s best-known surf towns. Watch surfers read the swells and take in the open coastline that gives J-Bay its easygoing character.

The town’s long, powerful right-hand waves have earned it an international surfing reputation. This included beach visit lets you experience that setting from shore; a surfing lesson is available separately for those who want to enter the water.

Visit Stony Point Nature Reserve near Betty’s Bay and follow boardwalks overlooking a breeding colony of African penguins. Watch the birds move between nests, rocky ground and the sea from designated viewing areas.

Stony Point protects one of the few mainland African penguin colonies in southern Africa. The boardwalks bring you close to their daily activity while limiting disturbance to a species whose conservation depends on protected habitat.

Explore the Cango Caves on an included guided tour near Oudtshoorn. Walk through vast chambers and see limestone formations shaped over immense stretches of geological time.

These Klein Karoo caves also contain evidence of human use, including artefacts and rock art. A guide brings their natural and cultural history into focus while you experience the cool, echoing spaces beneath the Swartberg foothills.

Search for elephants on an included wildlife drive through Addo Elephant National Park aboard the tour coach. Its elevated windows offer views across bushveld inhabited by a substantial elephant population.

Established to protect the region’s elephants, Addo has become an important conservation landscape in the Eastern Cape. Watch for buffalo, antelope and other wildlife among the thickets, remembering that every sighting depends on where the animals choose to roam.

Join two game drives in Eastern Cape private reserves, exploring a landscape of plains, valleys and river corridors. Scan the bush for elephants, buffalo, antelope and, with luck, some of the region’s less easily spotted predators.

The drives offer two opportunities to observe wildlife behaviour in its natural setting. Your guides’ knowledge of tracks, habitats and animal movements adds depth to the search, while sightings remain a matter of nature rather than a promise.

Walk through Tsitsikamma National Park towards the Storms River mouth, taking in forest, rugged coastline and views around the famous suspension bridge. The trail offers a close look at the meeting point of river gorge and ocean.

Part of the Garden Route’s protected coastal landscape, Tsitsikamma is known for its indigenous forest and wave-battered shore. Bring a camera for the bridge and surrounding cliffs; kayaking at the river mouth is a separate optional activity.

Spend time on Plettenberg Bay’s main beach, where golden sand and Indian Ocean views invite a swim, a shoreline walk or a quiet pause by the water. The beach visit is included, with room to enjoy it at your own pace.

Plettenberg Bay is a Garden Route coastal town known for its long beaches and marine life. Its open horizon makes a striking contrast to the forested gorges and wildlife reserves elsewhere on the journey.

Explore Stellenbosch, the Cape’s historic wine town, and stop at a local food market where regional produce offers plenty to browse. The town’s oak-lined streets and mountain backdrop give a sense of the setting behind its celebrated vineyards.

Founded in the seventeenth century, Stellenbosch has long been connected to Cape agriculture and winemaking. The town and market visit is included; sampling wines at the region’s farms is a separate optional experience.

Ride the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for a sweeping perspective on Cape Town. From the summit, look across the city bowl, Atlantic shoreline and surrounding mountains when conditions are clear.

The mountain’s flat-topped silhouette is Cape Town’s defining natural landmark and forms part of Table Mountain National Park. Weather can shape the view dramatically, from crisp coastal panoramas to the cloud cover locals call the tablecloth.

Join a short guided tour of Cape Town taking in the city centre, Bo-Kaap and the V&A Waterfront. See how working harbour spaces, colourful neighbourhood streets and civic landmarks sit within the city’s mountain-framed setting.

Bo-Kaap’s history is closely tied to Cape Muslim communities, while the waterfront remains an active harbour as well as a place to explore on foot. Time at the waterfront lets you take in its views and atmosphere.

Visit a local village in Eswatini and spend time with residents learning about their language, customs and everyday life. This included MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience centres the people sharing their own perspectives.

Eswatini has a distinct cultural identity shaped by living traditions as well as contemporary community life. The visit offers an opportunity to listen, ask respectful questions and form a more personal understanding of the country beyond its scenery.

Explore Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary on foot with a guide, scanning the grassland and woodland for antelope, wildebeest and warthogs. Walking puts you closer to the textures and sounds of the habitat than a vehicle-based drive.

Mlilwane is one of Eswatini’s best-known protected areas. With no Big Five on this walk, the emphasis is on observing smaller details of the landscape and learning to notice wildlife at a slower pace.

Stay inside Kruger National Park at an exclusive safari camp in the fenced Lower Sabie area. Canvas tents come equipped with stretchers, mattresses and linen, while a communal firepit gives the group a place to gather beneath the night sky.

Lower Sabie sits beside the Sabie River, a valuable water source for wildlife. Listen for nocturnal calls from within the safety of camp, or watch the river from the main camp’s riverside facilities.

Meet a Kruger ranger to learn about the K9 Watchdog Project and the role trained dogs play in protecting wildlife. Hear how rangers use their skills in anti-poaching work and what that work demands on the ground.

This included MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience connects safari sightings with the conservation effort behind them. It offers a direct perspective on the people working to safeguard threatened animals and the ways visitor support can contribute.

Travel through Kruger National Park on an included wildlife drive, keeping watch as bushveld and riverine landscapes pass by. Look for elephants, antelope and other animals, with the possibility of more elusive sightings along the way.

Kruger is one of Africa’s major protected wildlife areas, supporting a remarkable range of habitats and species. This drive is part of the journey through the park, but the wildlife search makes it an experience in its own right.

Take an optional scenic ride or drive on the Swartberg Pass near Oudtshoorn, paired with a Karoo braai on a local farm. Choose the cycling option for a more active encounter with the mountain scenery, or enjoy the route by vehicle.

The Swartberg mountains form part of a UNESCO World Heritage-listed protected landscape. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the farm barbecue brings a local food tradition into the evening.

Try an optional surfing lesson in Jeffreys Bay, getting into the water at a town famous for its waves. Learn the basics and practise reading the surf rather than watching it solely from the sand.

J-Bay’s long right-hand breaks have made it a fixture of international surf culture. The lesson offers an active way to experience that coastal identity. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Paddle on an optional kayaking experience at the Storms River mouth in Tsitsikamma National Park. See the river gorge and coastal cliffs from water level for a different perspective on this rugged stretch of the Garden Route.

The sheltered river mouth sits where forested terrain meets the Indian Ocean. Kayaking adds an active element to the park visit and is at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Head onto the water on an optional marine safari from Plettenberg Bay, looking for dolphins, seals, whales and other sea life. The boat outing offers a view of the Garden Route coast from offshore as you scan the surface for movement.

Which animals appear depends on season and conditions, making every trip a genuine wildlife search. This marine safari is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional community visit in Knysna to meet local residents and learn about life beyond the town’s waterfront. The experience includes an opportunity to support children in the community.

Meeting people where they live adds a human perspective to a destination often known chiefly for its lagoon and coastal scenery. This visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour; approach it with curiosity and respect for your hosts.

Take an optional sunset cruise on Knysna Lagoon, watching the light shift across the water and surrounding shoreline. The boat offers a relaxed vantage point on one of the Garden Route’s most recognisable coastal settings.

Knysna’s estuary opens towards the sea between the rocky Knysna Heads, giving the lagoon its distinctive sense of enclosure and space. This cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

See Cape Town from above on an optional scenic helicopter flight over its coastline and mountains. The aerial view reveals the close relationship between the city, the Atlantic Ocean and the peaks that frame it.

From this height, Cape Town’s geography becomes especially clear: dense urban neighbourhoods sit beside beaches and steep mountain slopes. The flight is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to operating conditions.

Visit Stellenbosch wine farms for an optional tasting of Cape wines. Sample regional styles in the vineyard landscape that has made this part of South Africa closely associated with winemaking.

The area’s long growing history, varied terrain and surrounding mountains give its wines a strong sense of place. Tasting is separate from the included visit to Stellenbosch town, is at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Join an optional cooking class in Cape Town and prepare food you can sit down to sample. Music and drinks accompany the hands-on session, making it a social way to spend an evening.

Cape Town’s food culture reflects many communities and culinary influences. Rather than only ordering from a menu, this experience invites you to take part in the preparation. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the waters near St Lucia in search of hippos, observing from a boat rather than the shoreline. Keep watch for the animals surfacing and moving through the water in the wetland landscape.

St Lucia borders iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its varied coastal and freshwater habitats. Hippos are wild animals, so sightings vary. The cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a local Zulu village near St Lucia to meet residents and learn about their customs, traditions and daily life. The MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience offers a chance to hear directly from people in the community.

KwaZulu-Natal is a centre of Zulu cultural heritage, with traditions that remain part of contemporary life. This visit is an optional experience at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional walking safari in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, looking for signs of animals such as antelope, buffalo, rhinos or elephants. Exploring on foot brings the plants, tracks and sounds of the landscape into sharper focus.

The UNESCO-listed park protects a mosaic of wetland and coastal ecosystems. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed, particularly on foot. This guided experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional marine safari off the St Lucia coast, watching for whales, dolphins, sharks and other ocean wildlife. A boat-based search reveals a different side of the Elephant Coast from its inland wetlands.

Season, sea conditions and animal movements shape what can be seen on any outing. For travellers drawn to marine life, this is a chance to explore the waters adjoining iSimangaliso’s protected coastal environment. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Head out on an optional sunset game drive near St Lucia, watching the landscape change as daylight fades. The experience also includes a traditional South African buffet dinner, bringing wildlife viewing and a shared meal together.

The low evening light can give a different character to the bush and its animal activity, though sightings remain unpredictable. This combined experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take an optional half-day game drive in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, searching its hills and valleys for the Big Five and other wildlife. An early outing offers a chance to experience the reserve as the bush comes to life.

This KwaZulu-Natal reserve played a pivotal role in bringing southern white rhinos back from the brink of extinction. Its conservation history makes the search for wildlife especially meaningful. The drive is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cycle through Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary on an optional guided mountain bike ride, watching for antelope and warthogs as you travel through the Eswatini landscape. The ride offers a more energetic alternative to observing the sanctuary from a vehicle.

Mlilwane’s wildlife and open scenery make it a distinctive place to explore on two wheels. This activity is separate from the included safari walk, is at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Set out on an optional sunrise game drive in Kruger National Park, scanning the bush in the early light. The outing offers a chance to look for predators and other animals while temperatures are cooler.

Kruger’s wildlife follows its own rhythms, and a dawn departure cannot guarantee any particular sighting. Sunrise drives are offered during the park stay and may also be available on the final morning. They are at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional sunset game drive in Kruger National Park to search for the Big Five and other wildlife as the light softens. Watch the bush shift towards evening from a safari vehicle.

The changing light and cooler hours offer a different perspective from a daytime drive, but wild animals appear on their own terms. This experience is separate from the included park drive, is at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Gather at the Kruger safari camp for an optional traditional South African braai, with grilled food, local sides and desserts. The shared meal offers a taste of a social tradition that extends well beyond the national park.

A braai is as much about conversation around the fire as it is about cooking. In the camp setting, the evening is accompanied by the sounds of the surrounding bush. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.