Extraordinary Southern African Wine Tour & Safari

Day 1
You will be met on arrival at Cape Town International Airport and transferred to your hotel.  The Radisson Blu Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is conveniently situated near the V&A, it is also a heartbeat away from Cape Town’s city center and a short hop to the most beautiful beaches.
Overnight: Radisson Blu, V&A Waterfront

Day 2
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before you will be met by your tour guide at the hotel and depart on a full day tour of Cape Town.  First visit will be a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting).  Table Mountain soars 1 0 85m (3 559ft) above Cape Town and offers the most exquisite views and photo opportunities.


After descending the mountain, you will head into Gugulethu, a township just outside Cape Town, which is a colorful combination of vibrant life and a local example of the problems associated with poverty.  You will enjoy lunch at Mzoli’s, a gem of a place.  You will visit the local butcher and select your own meat, which will then be made perfectly for you with Mzoli’s secret sauce.


You will meet the wine guru to Mzoli and try two of his wines (one of which is the Mandisi Merlot, named after Mzoli’s late son).  If time permits after this unique experience, you will visit the District Six Museum and partake in a walking tour through the colorful Bo-Kaap.  Finish off the day with sundowners on Signal Hill before transferring back to the hotel in the early evening.
Overnight: Radisson Blu, V&A Waterfront


Day 3
You will be met at your hotel and depart on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula and Constantia Winelands.  Enjoy the breathtaking views from Camps Bay, Victoria Drive to Llandudno and onto Hout Bay for your optional cruise to Seal Island (weather permitting).  Continue onto the magnificent Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where you will take the Flying Dutchman cable car to the lighthouse for more incredible views.


Continue on to Simons Town for a visit to Boulders Beach Penguin Colony.  Enjoy lunch at a top restaurant on the beach, before you will be guided over the beautiful Silvermine Road into the Constantia Valley.  You will visit Groot Constantia, the first wine estate in South Africa, with a magnificent and historical Manor House with elegant gables that houses a cultural history museum.  This estate covers 170 hectares of which 90 hectares comprise of vineyards offering world-class wines.  Next tasting will be at Constantia Uitsig, where you will taste their Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Red and White Bordeaux blends whilst enjoying the lovely view of the Constantia Valley.


You will end off this incredible day with a visit to Steenberg Estate, the oldest farm in the Cape Peninsula, where wines were first produced way back in 1695.  You will enjoy their Sensory Tasting Experience, this innovative tasting is a vinous journey that stimulates and engages all five senses in a beautiful setting.  Return to your hotel after sunset.
Overnight: Radisson Blu, V&A Waterfront


Day 4
You will be met at the hotel and transferred to the Stellenbosch airstrip.  Depart on a Flying Wine Tour, enjoying a flight around the stunning Cape Peninsula.  During the flight, you will taste some of the top 12 wines made in South Africa, selected and explained by our sommelier.  He will also give you historical and geological information for better understanding of the influence of the soils and the position of the vines, and consequently, on the difference between wines.  The flight continues along the Wine Route, which stretches toward the East of the Western Cape region.


The Paarl Mountains, the Franschhoek Valley and the lovely village of Robertson will reveal their secrets.  We will land one hour later on a private airstrip in a magnificent Nature Reserve, a kind of hidden paradise of the Western Cape.  The group will do their second wine tasting during a delicious “food & wine pairing”.  The third and last wine tasting will take place during the afternoon flight, when they will taste the Best “Cap Classique” and Dessert Wines.


The return flight takes you over the Wine Route again, but specifically over its southern part, where you will be able to see different vineyards in the Elgin and Hermanus regions.  A soft landing at Stellenbosch in the late afternoon will complete an exceptional and rewarding day.  Evening at your leisure.
Overnight: Radisson Blu, V&A Waterfront

Day 5
This morning after a leisurely breakfast you will be met and transferred into the heart of the Cape Winelands.  Enjoy a wine tasting and meet the wine maker and some of the staff in the vineyards before visiting a top sparkling wine producer outside Stellenbosch.


After a very interesting sparkling wine tasting, you will enjoy a walking tour through Stellenbosch, and then you will tuck into a traditional Afrikaans lunch on a wine farm in Franschhoek.  Explore the little village of Franschhoek before visiting a top wine estate, followed by a cellar tour and a visit to their unique art gallery.


End of this fabulous day in the Cape winelands with a cheese and wine tasting at a great estate outside Paarl, before returning to your hotel, with the evening at leisure to experience the nightlife of Cape Town.
Overnight: Radisson Blu, V&A Waterfront.

Day 6
You will be met at your hotel after breakfast and transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg.
Flight from Johannesburg to Maun.


You will be met on arrival at Maun Airport and assisted onto your short charter flight to Camp Moremi.  Peering out beneath giant ebony trees, Camp Moremi brings true meaning to the word safari in the Xaxanaka area of the Moremi Game Reserve.  Your accommodation is in Africa-style safari tents, each individually sited on a raised teak platform with private adjacent facilities and viewing deck, offering unsurpassed views of the Xaxanaxa Lagoon.
Overnight: Camp Moremi


Day 7

Camp Moremi offers a broad range of safari activities on both land and water.  For many the highlight of their stay comes during the morning and afternoon game drives.


Conducted in 4×4 safari vehicles, the exhilarating game drives provide the chance to track wildlife in the beautiful surroundings of Moremi Game Reserve, a protected area renowned for frequent sightings of lion, leopard and cheetah.  African Wild Dog sightings are also regularly reported, an endangered species whose numbers are rapidly dwindling in other areas.  Water activities involve the exploration of the water lily-ringed Xakanaxa Lagoon and surrounding Okavango Delta channels by motorboat.


The birdlife – which ranges from water birds to shy forest dwellers – is prolific and varied, and each boat trip affords guests exceptional bird-watching opportunities.  Other sightings include hippos enjoying the clear cool water, and the chance to watch big game making their way through the reeds to drink or bathe at the water’s edge.
Overnight: Camp Moremi


Day 8

You will be met at your lodge and transferred to the airstrip for your charter flight to Camp Okavango.  This enchanting camp sits at the heart of the Okavango Delta on Nxaragha Island.  Botswana’s magnificent Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, is a maze of deep lagoons, large lakes and hidden, meandering channels.

During the annual flood season the Delta covers a vast area of over 16 000km before shrinking to less than 9 000km in the dry season.  Trapped in a basin of parched Kalahari Desert sand, the fresh water oasis attracts wildlife that depends on the permanent waters of this unique environment.
Overnight: Camp Okavango


Day 9

Water-based game-viewing activities are conducted by experienced professional guides who will expertly navigate you through the many meandering, reed-lined waterways.  Roam the vast expanses of water from the comfort of a modern motorboat or explore the intricacies of the Okavango Delta the old fashioned way, in the traditional contours of the Mokoro (canoe).


If you are looking to get a little closer to nature, guided bush walks are conducted on a number of the nearby islands, offering an opportunity to track some of the larger land-based species that inhabit this water wilderness.  Bird watching opportunities are outstanding, and fishing for bream and tiger fish is also offered as an activity.
Overnight: Camp Okavango


Day 10

You will be met at your lodge and transferred to the airstrip for your chargter flight to Savute Safari Lodge. Situated on the banks of Botswana’s fabled Stolen River, Savute Safari Lodge is a traditional thatched safari lodge in a setting of singular beauty.


Stretching from the waterways of the Linyanti all the way to Savute Marsh, the winding watertways of Savute Channel have pumped life into the western section of Chobe National Park for many thousands of generations.
Overnight: Savute Safari Lodge


Day 11

Activities are centered around game drives throughout the Savute area in open 4×4 safari vehicles.  Many trips will incorporate a visit to the Sabute Marsh for your chance to see the historic presence of the Savute Channel at the marsh against a teeming backdrop of wildlife.


You will also enjoy a visit to the ancient San rock paintings at Gubatsa Hills – a small hilly outcrop which forms a remarkable landmark in the otherwise flat landscape.
Overnight: Savute Safari Lodge


Day 12

You will be met at your lodge and transferred to airstrip for your charter flight to Kasane.  You will be met on arrival at Kasane Airport and transferred to Chobe Marina.  Uniquely located in the North-Eastern corner of Botswana where the four African nations of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia converge, Chobe Marina Lodge is surrounded by the natural beauty of Africa.  The Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Kasane Forest Reserve, the Caprivi Strip and the mighty Zambezi river each offer their own attractions.
Overnight: Chobe Marina


Day 13

Chobe Marina Lodge’s expansive gardens are home to an abundance of wildlife, including the legendary fish eagle, warthog, squirrel, mongoose, vervet monkeys and fruit bat.  With the world-renowned Chobe National Park so close, an encounter with Africa’s awesome foursome (elephant, leopard, lion and buffalo) is definitely on the cards.


A river boat cruise to the park, will introduce you to a totally different game viewing experience.  Other activities to enhance your experience include a leisurely sightseeing cruise to Sedudu island, or for a more thrilling experience you can try your hand at fishing for the tamed tiger fish, which inhabit the Chobe and Kasai River systems.  And when not out and about visiting the many attractions in the area, the swimming pool is an ideal refuge.  Golfers too are catered for with a golf course in close proximity to the lodge.
Overnight: Chobe Marina


Day 14

You will be met at your lodge and transferred by road to the Victoria Falls Hotel.  Your hotel is popularly known as the “grand old lady of the falls” and situated on a World Heritage site overlooking the magnificent Victoria Falls, one of the wonders of the world.  Established in 1904, and recently redecorated, this gracious colonial style hotel is set in the lush tropical gardens and epitomizes the romance of grand travel.
Overnight: Victoria Falls Hotel

Day 15
The famous Victoria Falls are just a ten minute walk away using the hotel’s private pathway, and the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ or Mosi-O-Tunya in the local dialect, is clearly audible and visible from this luxurious landmark.  The opulent Livingstone Room for fine dining and dancing, the Jungle Junction with its famous breakfast and dinner buffets and ethnic entertainment in the evenings, offer a variety and wide choice.

Stanley’s Terrace, with its clear view of the Victoria Falls Bridge, connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia, is renowned for its cocktails and afternoon teas.  The Terrace has been a rendezvous for adventurers in Africa for over a century.
Overnight: Victoria Falls Hotel


Day 16
You will be met at your hotel and transferred to Victoria Falls Airport for your homebound flight.
**End of Services**

New7Wonders to be revealed at V&A Waterfront bash – tonight we party whether we win or not!

View from West Coast flower fields
Table Mountain’s fate in the battle to be named a New7Wonder of Nature will be revealed today, Friday, November 11.  The public has been invited to attend the announcement of the results at the V&A Waterfront’s Amphitheater.  Festivities will kick off at 19h00 and run until 22h00.  The announcement will be made during that time, followed by an address by Mayor Patricia de Lille.

view from Lions Head
It has been a nail-biting finish for the Table Mountain official organising committee following an announcement by the New7Wonders Foundation in Switzerland on Sunday, November 6 that Table Mountain was not in the Top 10 list and that the site would need to draw maximum votes to wrestle for a top 7 spot.  After almost three years of campaigning, the voting will come to a close on Friday at 13h07.

There are just a few days left to vote for our mountain to be named a New7Wonder, and it’s now or never!  Every person who has ever gazed upon it, hiked up it or seen the Mother City from its great height should vote for it,” said Campaign Manager Fiona Furey.  Master of Ceremonies Soli Philander will kick off the proceedings, followed by entertainment from Chad Saaimon and the Black Ties, and Celeste Williams and The Rudimentals.

view from pebbly beach
No matter what the outcome we will celebrate. We can be extremely proud of what we have achieved and how far we have come,” said Sabine Lehmann, Chairperson of the official organizing committee.  “From an initial list of 440 sites we made it into the top 28.  That in itself is worth celebrating.”  For sure!  Hooray either way!  Road Travel Africa is proud of our iconic Mountain and what we in the tourism industry accomplished already.  Well done everyone 🙂

sunset on Blaauwberg beach