India :: South Africa :: Florida
    St Petersburg

Join us on this wonderful holiday which features four nights in Cape Town, three safari parks, and two nights relaxing in the winelands. Accommodation is in excellent, typically styled, mainly four-star hotels. All travel is in Malaria-free areas. Home return transfers available. Fully escorted.

ITINERARY

MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY: We depart from Manchester or London Heathrow airport in the morning, flying via Amsterdam, to Cape Town, arriving in the evening local time (2 hours time difference). We are met at the airport and transferred to our accommodation.

Our hotel is the 4-star Winchester Mansions, perfectly situated close to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. All classic rooms have en-suite facilities, mini-bar, air-conditioning, safes, satellite television and internet connection. Upgrades to sea-facing suites at extra cost subject to availability.

Harveys Restaurant provides both contemporary and traditional cuisine, while the colonnaded courtyard, encircled by palm trees and fountains, offers romantic dining under the stars.

There is a small pool and sun-deck, and a Gingko spa.

TUESDAY 3 TO THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY: On Tuesday morning we start with an introductory tour to the wonders of Cape Town, voted by BBC viewers as one of the top 5 leisure destinations in the world. The tour will introduce us to the V&A Waterfront, before continuing with a panoramic cityscape including picturesque Bo-Kaap and a stroll through the Company Gardens past Parliament and associated buildings linked to Britain's Imperial history.

After the morning tour Tuesday afternoon and Thursday are at leisure for individual exploration of Cape Town.

Created from the old docklands, the V&A Waterfront complex is now South Africa's best visited tourist attraction. It includes a wide range of restaurants, over 250 shopping outlets, the Two Oceans Aquarium, the Maritime Museum and the Telkom Exploratorium. It is the departure point for most boat and yacht excursions. Trips to Robben Island depart from here to visit the prison complex, which housed the world's most famous ex-political prisoner for 18 years. Tours are led by former political prisoners. Besides the prison you will visit the ex-leper church and graveyard and see the African penguins and other marine bird life that resides in the peace of the island.

The other unmissable highlight is Table Mountain. Although you can walk to its 1086m summit, or drive there, most people enjoy the spectacular views from the revolving cable car.

There is much else to see: the Castle of Good Hope, dating from 1679 and restored to its Regency splendour; the South African Museum and Planetarium; the Houses of Parliament; Bo-Kaap, or Malay Quarter, with its picturesque cobbled streets and brightly coloured terraces; the townships, on a township tour.

On Wednesday we will be taken for a tour of the Cape Peninsula, stopping first at the pretty little seaside resort of Llandudno then driving to Cape Point, the wild, spectacular promontory with its historic lighthouse claimed, inaccurately, to be the southern-most point in Africa and the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The area is a protected nature reserve, both for its wild animals (you'll see baboon, cape zebra, ostriches and a range of antelope and birds) and for its plant life. Known as 'fynbos', the Cape contains the greatest diversity of plants in the world. Over 8,000 plant species are found here (5,800 unique to the area), compared to only around 1,500 different species in the whole of Great Britain.

On our return we'll stop at Simonstown and at the penguin colony of Boulders Bay. Lastly we'll stop for tea (not included) and for a stroll in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY: We fly this morning to Port Elizabeth where we enjoy a short tour of this historic city before driving to the first of our three game park visits, the Pumba Game Reserve, stretching over 6,000 acres, home to the Big Five, 22 breeds of antelope, giraffe, white lion, leopard and over 200 bird species.

Afterwards we head to the Addo Elephant Park. Addo was launched as a protected area in the 1920's when only 15 elephants remained in the Addo region due to hunting and an increasingly bitter struggle for survival between the elephants and encroaching farmers. Today there are over 400 elephants in the national park and it is planned to increase this number to 7,500 by 2045. Besides the herds of elephant all the Big Five are now present. You will hope to see black rhino, cape buffalo, lion, eland, hartebeest, zebra, bushbuck, black backed jackal, warthog and kudu. We will be staying within the park (evening meal included), which will allow us to enjoy a late evening jeep safari with park rangers. Another unique, if much smaller, inhabitant of the park is the flightless dung beetle, who can be seen in large numbers rolling away rounded dung balls to be used as food and hatcheries for their eggs. All game reserves visited are malaria free.

SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY: After breakfast we drive to the Garden Route and the Tsitsikamma National Park, where our coach will leave us by the spectacular Indian Ocean seashore, under 180m high cliffs coated with ever-green forests and fynbos. From here we can explore the glorious coastline either on a relaxing cruise up the narrow Storms River gorge or by crossing the suspension bridge swaying across the river mouth which offers breathtaking views over rocks and caves and the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean.

We overnight in the Tsitsikamma Lodge set in close proximity to the national park. These award-winning country style cabins are built entirely of timber-logs and each has its own deck. The setting within lush gardens against a backdrop of mountains and forests, is spectacular. Traditional home-cooked meals are served in the Lodge's restaurant.

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY: This morning we continue our exploration of the Tsitsikamma National Park with a stroll through the forest to view the famous 800 year-old Big Tree before continuing to Buffalo Hill Reserve for our final game drive. In contrast to the two earlier reserves, Buffalo Hills provides open grass-land, where we can view rhino and herds of zebra, giraffe and antelope species.

Later we continue along the Garden Route, past Plettenberg, to the Knysna River Club, a collection of thirty-five luxury log chalets located beside the Knysna lagoon. This unique complex includes the River Club Cafe, set in a charming 1890's building and considered one of Knysna's finest restaurant.

MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY: Knysna is set on a beautiful tidal lagoon at the heart of the Garden Route. It has a Georgian and Victorian core, around which coffee shops, craft galleries and a modest nightlife have been built. Besides relaxing, you can take a lagoon cruise to the 'Heads', the sandstone cliffs guarding the entrance to the lagoon and optionally disembark to stroll through the 'Featherbeds Nature Reserve'. Or take a longer cruise out to sea to view the seals and dolphins that abound in the rich waters, and maybe glimpse a whale or shark. Visit the oyster farm or the local brewery and sample the local produce.

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY: Today we leave the lush scenery of the Garden Route and after driving through the wetlands of the Wilderness National Park and the town of George we climb over the spectacular Outeniqua pass and into the hotter and more arid region of the Klein Karoo. We arrive in Oudtshoorn, known as the ostrich capital of the world. Its fortune was made in the late 1800's when ostrich feathers were a fashion must. Many fortunes were made at that time and you can visit the 'ostrich palaces' of the 'feather millionaires'. Today the ostrich is kept less for its feathers than for its meat. We will be given a tour of one of the largest ostrich farms (where they also rear crocodiles) and, on a lighter note witness an 'ostrich derby race' and even have a chance to ride an ostrich. In the afternoon we will cool down in the Cango Caves, considered one of Africa's most remarkable natural wonders. The largest of the caverns measures 57ft by 350ft across, and the formations bear the evocative names of 'Organ Pipes', Cleopatra's Needle', and the 'Frozen Waterfall'.

Our exploration of South Africa's wildlife is completed by a visit to the Cargo Wildlife Ranch where we are provided a guided tour by a wildlife warden.

We overnight in the local-style thatched rondavels and chalets of the Hotel Riempie Estate and will be treated to a special typical barbeque dinner (included). All rooms are air-conditioned with en-suite facilities.

WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY: We set off from Oudtshoorn along Route 62, said to be the longest wine route in the world. Flanked by the Swartenberg mountains we visit South Africa's port capital, Calitzberg, and continue for lunch in Montagu. Hemmed-in by mountains, Montagu is a spa town with bubbling hot springs and attractive Victorian architecture set-off against a backdrop of steep cliffs.

In the afternoon we reach South Africa's prime winelands and drive to the 'Village at Spiers' for our final 2-night stay.

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY: The 'Village at Spiers' has 146 rooms located in traditional Cape Malay buildings centred around private courtyards. It is a place to relax in a luxury countryside setting. Within the Spier estate there is much to do. You can enjoy wine tasting in the oldest dated wine cellar in South Africa. A visit to the Spiers Manor House will show life as lived on a wealthy 18th century wine-estate.

Take a horse and carriage ride through the Spiers Estate, go horse-riding, play golf, swim, visit their cheetah rescue centre (cheetah stroking available), or see their birds of prey display. Choose to eat in one of five quality restaurants or indulge in a picnic by the lake.

Our coach will take us today to another typical wine estate for included wine-tasting, and then to a brandy-cellar where we follow the ancient family tradition of brandy distilling on a guided tour. Lastly we visit the historic town of Stellenbosch, a living museum, whose streets are flanked by 300-year-old oaks and by frontages of the same vintage.

On our final evening we enjoy a high quality Cape Malay buffet with entertainment at one of the estate restaurants.

FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY: Free time to enjoy the vast facilities of the Spiers Estate before our evening departure from Cape Town.

SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY: We arrive back into Manchester or Heathrow airport.

COSTS & MISCELLANEOUS

Per Person
Twin/Double Sharing £2,270
Single Supplement £390
Deposit on Booking £190

Departure times are based on current KLM Airlines timetables and are subject to change. Grosvenor Travel reserves the right to substitute alternative, equivalent category hotels for those listed above. All breakfasts and three dinners, as described above are included in the tour price.

Travel is based on economy class flights. Flights from U.K. to Cape Town may alternatively be taken in Business Class subject to availability and at additional cost.

End of tour extensions are possible such as in Cape Town and Victoria Falls.

Check-in time at the hotels is usually around 14.00 and check-out by 12 noon. Where we are arriving at a destination in the morning we will request early availability of rooms, but this is not guaranteed.

Adequate insurance cover is mandatory for everybody participating on this tour. Grosvenor Travel can provide cover at £40 per person (policy excess can be waived for an additional payment of £15). Premium of 2 x adult rate applies for adults aged 66 to 75, premium of 2.5 aged 76 to 79, and 3.5 aged 80 to 86, at time of booking. Conditions do apply. Extending the duration of the holiday will increase the insurance premium.

Everybody booking this holiday is bound by Grosvenor Travel's booking conditions, which are governed by British Law.

Grosvenor Travel is a member of ABTA with membership number W5838. We also hold an ATOL with number 5886. As such we are fully bonded according to ABTA's rules and abide by ABTA's Code of Conduct. In order to ensure that the monies you pay for your holiday are protected we will issue a confirmation invoice showing the details of the services that you have booked including the price and the amount of money paid by you. You should check these details carefully and advise us or your agent immediately if there are any discrepancies. Please go to www.abta.com for a copy of the Guide to ABTA's Scheme of Financial Protection.