OVL03 - 17 Day South African Rainbow Route Cabin Tour

An accommodated South African safari, trekking, cultural visits and wonderful game viewing in the Rainbow Nation.

           
Lion with cub in the Kruger National Park.

The Route
Johannesburg - Pilgrims Rest - Kruger National Park - Swaziland - Zululand - Drakensberg Mountains - Wild Coast - Addo Elephant National Park - Tsitsikamma - Hermanus - Stellenbosch - Cape Town

Departures
Tours depart Johannesburg on Saturday at 06:30. Tour ends in Cape Town on Monday at 18:00. Scheduled departure dates can be found below.

Guests
Minimum 4 - Maximum 12 

Day 1 of the tour
Departing from Johannesburg at 06:30 we head towards Mpumalanga where mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls & forests characterise the landscape. Few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of the lowveld escarpment. We visit Pilgrims Rest, Bourkes Luck Potholes and God's Window, before staying in a lodge on the edge of the escarpment near Graskop.

Distance/ Time:     380km, +/- 5½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing, breakfast and lunch

Overnight:     Lodge - Graskop (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 2-3 of the tour
The Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa, boasts the world's greatest concentration of species, and has an amazing 16 different ecosystems. Exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot the “Big 5” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) and many other animals in this true African safari.

Distance/ Time:     150km, +/- 2 hours and 3 x 3 hour game drives

Overnight:     Tented Lodge or Chalet - Kruger National Park (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 4 of the tour
Malolotja Nature Reserve in the mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland is our next attraction. Renowned for a great variety of habitats from short grassland, to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and moist forest, we explore the reserve on foot to enjoy the fantastic mountain views, relax around a campfire dinner and stay in mountain cabins for the night.

Distance/ Time:     200km, +/- 4 hours, excluding 2-3 hour morning drive out of Kruger, shopping stop at Malelane, Jeppe's
                              Reef border formalities and stops for sightseeing etc  

Overnight:     Cabins - Swaziland (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 5-6 of the tour
We visit craft markets near Mbabane that have a fascinating range of handmade crafts and the local witchdoctor stall is not to be missed! We re-enter South Africa and head to Mkuzi Game Reserve, which is a safe haven for the endangered black rhino. We visit a waterhole hide and watch game come down to drink. An early morning game drive is followed by a cultural afternoon where we visit a Zulu village on the border of the game reserve and learn about the Zulu culture.

Distance/ Time:     300km, +/- 4 hours, inclusing border formalities and game drives in Mkuzi

Overnight:     Tented Lodge or Chalet - Zululand (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 7-8 of the tour
The Drakensberg Mountains or “uKhahlamba” - the Barrier of Spears, is a 200-kilometre-long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site. From Mkuzi we move further south to the base of these mountains where we overnight for two nights in a quaint cottage. We will spend time walking along beautiful mountain stream paths or just enjoying spectacular views.

Distance/ Time:     500km, +/- 7 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch. The last 50km is a slow gravel road

Overnight:     Cottage - Drakensberg Mountains (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 9-10 of the tour
The Wild Coast remains a relatively untouched paradise in South Africa. There are unspoiled stretches of dramatic and savagely beautiful coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas. We stay overnight within walking distance of the beach and the next day is free to explore the area, meet local villagers or relax on the beach.

Distance/ Time:     600km, +/- 8½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch - a long day!

Overnight:     Chalet - Wild Coast (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)



Day 11 of the tour
The Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 to protect the last 11 wild elephants from extermination. Today more than 350 elephants roam through the area. The park also offers excellent viewing of black rhino, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard, as well as a host of other large and small mammals and over 400 species of birds in the greater park area.

Distance/ Time:     500km, +/- 7½ hours - a long day! Excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch and game drives

Overnight:     Chalet - Addo Elephant National Park (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)



Days 12-13 of the tour
For two nights we will stay in a lodge in Knysna, which is nestled on a tranquil lagoon. We will take a day trip to the Storms River mouth where there are walks up the gorge and along the rocky coast. The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys, coastal forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea. There is also an option of the world’s highest bungi jump. Sample seafood at one of Knysna's great restaurants (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     300km, 4½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Lodge - Knysna/Tsitsikamma (Bed & Breakfast)



Day 14 of the tour
Hermanus offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. From May to December Southern Right whales come up from the southern oceans to the coast to calve and mate in the shallows. In the afternoon we will take a walk along this beautiful coastline before having a meal out at local restaurant (own expense). 

Distance/ Time:     500km, +/- 7 hours, exclusing stops for sightseeing and lunch 

Overnight:     Guest House - Hermanus (Lunch, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 15-16 of the tour
Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. On our way into Cape Town, we visit Stellenbosch, South Africa’s renowned wine region, for wine tasting and a cellar tour. The “mother city” has many attractions, we will visit Cape Point, the harbour at Hout Bay, enjoy the famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). We sample the local fare at a variety of local restaurants (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     150km, +/- 2 hours, exclusing stops for sightseeing + 150km full day Cape Peninsula Tour on day 16

Overnight:     Guest House - Cape Town (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 17 of the tour
In the morning we climb Table Mountain, offering panoramic views over Cape Town reaching out into the bay and Robben Island.  Having explored the highlights of the Rainbow Nation we take a last look at Cape Town and catch up on last minute curio shopping in the afternoon, before your tour ends at 18:00. 

Distance/ Time:     N/A

• This tour is operated as a Scheduled Tour. Departure dates can be found below.
• All cabin tours are on a twin share basis. There is a single supplement available. If a single client does not request a single supplement we will then room two single clients together and then not charge a single supplement.
• Please feel free to add on to this tour with any of the other possible African tours we offer in the area.
• The accommodation specified in the itinerary is a guide only and subject to availability. Alternatives will be of a similar standard if required.
• The Euro rate is just an indication of the price at the current exchange rate, it cannot be guaranteed until a confirmed booking is made.

Scheduled Departure Dates 2012