Suggested Itinerary
HIGHLIGHTS
- Get involved in innovative development projects, including the Ikhaya Community Garden in Cape Town’s townships.
- Welcome a Rock Girl, an under-served youth working to become an adventure travel guide, on your Cape Town touring as a part of her training.
- Visit a secluded beach on Cape Point, where only the locals know to find penguins.
- Indulge in epicurean delights in South Africa’s food and wine capitals in the wine lands.
- Find yourself in a remote private game reserve, where you can track the “Big 5” with the help of an expert local guide.
Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town
Vineyard Hotel
Be greeted by warm, South African hospitality upon arrival in Cape Town! Affectionately known as the “Mother City,” Cape Town is touted not only for its unbeatable natural beauty but also for its rich, contemporary culture.
Transfer to the slopes of Table Mountain, where the Vineyard Hotel is situated on 6-acres of lush, leafy land. This Fair-Trade Tourism Certified hotel boasts spectacular views, a variety of dining options, and options to keep you active. Take a stroll around the gardens, swim in one of the indoor or outdoor heated pools, or hit the state-of-the-art gym.
Overnight Vineyard Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 2: Community volunteering in Cape Town
Vineyard Hotel
At 9am, your private guide from Uthando (Love) South Africa, an internationally award winning and Fair-Trade Tourism certified nonprofit organization, will meet you. Uthando links tourism and development by allowing guests to authentically assist with innovative community projects in Cape Town.
You will visit a number of unique projects, including the Ikhaya Community Garden. Ikhaya means home in Xhosa, and this important garden is part of the Abalimi Bezekhaya, an extensive urban agricultural program that works with over 5,000 Cape Town township residents. It is also part of the Slow Food International movement, as well as the Salon del Gusto Tera Mandre, a global network of farmers, producers, artists, and chefs working to promote clean and healthy food.
Overnight Vineyard Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Cape Town Tour
Vineyard Hotel
Set off this morning on a full-day tour of Cape Town. You’ll hit the city’s highlights, hearing the fascinating stories of Cape Town’s past from your local guide along the way.
In typical Capetonian culture, blend urban exploration and jaunts into nature. Visit the city center, vibrant urban art projects, and the colorful Cape-Malay Bo Kaap area as well taking the Table Mountain Cable Way to the top for spectacular views, and hiking in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Your tour will be accompanied by a Rock Girl – a female youth training to be an adventure guide. This innovative program helps under-served girls reach their full potential. Rock Girls is training the next generation of female South Africa adventure-guides, and having a Rock Girl join for your journey helps support their efforts.
Overnight Vineyard Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Exploring the Cape Peninsula
Oude Werf
Accompanied by your guide and Rock Girl, spend the day exploring the stunning Cape Peninsula. In a car fitted with all the adventure equipment one could need, stop first at Living Hope to see the community work being done by this small organization before heading onwards to the peninsula.
Wind along one of the world’s most scenic coastal roads, Chapman’s Peak and explore the shipwrecks and white-sand beaches of Cape Point. Keep an eye out for dolphins and whales swimming off shore! Later, check out Simon’s Town, where you’ll visit a secret beach away from the crowded boardwalks and known only by locals for the splinter colony of penguins that live here before driving to Stellenbosch to find your new hotel, Oude Werf.
Oude Werf is centrally located in the heart of Stellenbosch, a picturesque and historic town that hums with the activity of the local university students. The oak-lined trees are dotted with quaint cafés, bars, and restaurants, and the entire town is surrounded by exquisite vineyards and mountains.
Overnight Oude Werf Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Winelands tour
Oude Werf Hotel
Not only are you set in the wine capital of South Africa, but you are also staying at a hotel steeped in history. Oude Werf is South Africa’s oldest continually operating hotel, and for good reason. A heritage that is centuries-old has caused everything at Oude Werf to operate at a refined level of excellence. Indulge in classic Cape flavors in the superb, vine-covered restaurant, relax in the cozy lounge bar, or enjoy the scenery in the shady pool-side gardens.
Today, you will embark on a full-day private tour of the winelands. Start in Stellenbosch, testing out the alfresco cafés and admiring the historic Cape-Dutch architecture. Enjoy a wine tasting at one of the Western Cape’s oldest premiere wineries, Muratie, established in 1685.
Babylonstoren is next on your list! This traditional farm has an award-winning wine selection and specializes in innovative approaches to sustainable and organic agriculture. Move onwards to Franschhoek, the gourmet capital of South Africa to have lunch at the renowned Pierneef a La Motte Restaurant before spending the afternoon touring the cellars at Glenwood Wines and enjoying the sunset from the scenic Franschhoek pass.
Overnight Oude Werf Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 – 8: Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Motswari Private Game Reserve
Transfer from Cape Town to Hoedspruit on a scheduled flight, where a representative from Motswari Private Game Reserve will greet you and assist with your transfer to the lodge.
Motswari is a family-owned, Fair-Trade Tourism certified luxury game lodge nestled deep in the 150-square acre wilderness of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Each of the luxury bungalows are well-appointed and offer exceptional bush views.
The “Big 5” roam the Timbavati, an area that gained fame for the ‘white lions of Timbavati’, two unusually pale lion cubs found in the 1970s. Still, this Kruger concession is excellent for game viewing. It also boasts the densest population of giraffe in the world!
During your time at Motswari, rise early for expertly guided morning game drives, followed by hearty, gourmet bush breakfasts. Spend your day luxuriating in camp before heading back out in the late afternoon to track wildlife and enjoy a sundowner cocktail as the sun slips below the horizon line.
Overnight Motswari Private Game Reserve
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9: Departure
Time permitting, enjoy one last game drive this morning before transferring back to Hoedspruit, and to Johannesburg for your departing flight home.
Inclusions:
Included: All transfers, meals, lodging, volunteering with community, domestic flights, safari on shared basis with maximum of 6 guests in 6-seater safari vehicle, conservancy and park fees.
Not Included: International flights, travel insurance, tips and gratuities, purchases of a personal nature, excursions not mentioned.
Interested in booking this itinerary or customizing a trip to South Africa? Get in touch with a private travel designer!
