South Africa

Departing from Montreal to Cape Town.

Arriving in the evening at Cape Town airport and welcome by your local guide

Transfering to the hotel.

Check-in for 3 nights at your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and free morning

Visit of Robben Island. (4 hours)

Free time for lunch ($)

Visit of the Malay district, or ” Bo-Kaap “, distinguising itself with its mosque and original houses mixing Georgian, Dutch and Oriental architecture.

Departure for the ascent by cable railway of the Table Mountainto discover one of the most spectacular panoramas of the world: If the weather allows. If not, the excursion is postponed to the next day or two days later.

City tour of Le Cap:Founded in 1652, Le Cap is the historical and cultural center of South Africa

Visit of Kirstenbosch Gardens; South Africa’s national botanical centre is a magnificent mix of species, colors and textures almost exclusively dedicated to the culture of native flora.

Dinner at GOLD at 7 pm.

Returning to the hotel.

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Breakfast at the hotel

Departing for a visit of Le Cap peninsula

Departing along the Atlantic ocean’s beaches to Hout Bay, this fishing port and its fjord are postcard perfect. Possibility of getting on a boat to observe Duiker Island where live colonies of sea lions. The landscape has a wild quality with its rocks beaten by the wind. Stoping at Boulders beach to see a colony of penguins.

Returning via Simonstown, South Africa’s marine city, andMuizenberg beaches – from Boye’s Drive you’ll have a panoramic view of False Bay. Lunch eat fish by the sea. Continuing to Cap de Bonne Espérance, dreaded by sailors who made it popular. Going through Réserve du Cap de Bonne Espérance.  This natural park is very big with 7,750 ha of wildlife and native flora.

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront: This new development project restores the port to its original feel. Entertainment, shops, restaurants and museums are all within walking distance.

Dinner in a restaurant by the sea in Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district

Returning at the hotel

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Breakfast

Departing to the wine route, famous South African vineyard area where tall mountains overlook the valleys where magnificent houses and manors of Dutch architecture – Cape Dutch – abound. Visit of Stellenbosch. This major city overlooks the vineyards and its 100,000 hectares of  vineyard. Wine from Le cap have a solid reputation around the world. Wine tasting and lunch at a vineyard.

Going to Franschhoek, the French District. It’s in this beautiful valley that  French Huguenots and Dutch settlers start vineyards in the 17th century. City tour including the Huguenots Museumsand the surrounding area.

Continuing to Montagu, at the hearth of Little Karoo. Montagu is part of Road 62, the world’s longest wine route.

Check-in at The Montagu Hotel 3* [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast

Departing to Oudtshoorn, located in the middle of nowhere on the south coast, it is nowned as an ostrich farm.

Arriving in the afternoon, visit of an ostrich farm where you will learn about this industry. Lunch and visit of an ostrich farm. The ostrich industry is now the main source of income of the city.

Visit of Cango Wildlife Ranch. Located 3 km north of Oudtshoorn, the Ranch was founded in 1977 and is renowned as being one of the area’s main attraction. Visitors will live an incredible experience as the facility gives each species a voice and enlighten the public about animal and environmental issues.

Check in for one night at Protea Hotel by Marriott The Riempie 4* [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast at the hotel

Departing for Knysna, capital of precious wood and a large city with a summer atmosphere.

Visit of the private natural reserve of Featherbed, part of South Africa’s heritage natural sites. Only accessible by boat, you’ll navigate on Knysna lagoon, which is an excellent way to discover the cliffs and have an overview of the lagoon. A 4×4 guided tour is the perfect opportunity to have an ecological experience as you’ll go through 2.2 km of forest, cliffs, caves and rocky coast.

Lunch at a restaurant. Return by boat to Knysna Waterfront.

Free time to shop

Check-in at Premier Hotel Knysna 4★[or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast

Continuing on the  Gardens Roadthrough South Africa’s Eden Garden, a mix of desert beaches, peaceful lagoons, tropical forests and mountains. Big Tree is located between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. This yellowwood tree is more than a thousand years old, is about fourthy meters high and has a circumference of over 7 meters.

Lunch on the way. Stopping at Addo National Park. The park is nowned for its elephants, buffalos and black rhinoceros… You are sure to love this 4×4 safari

Check in at The Kelway Hotel 4★ [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Port Elizabeth airport to Durban early in the morning.

Visit of Durban, located by the Indian ocean and formerly named Port Natal (Christmas) by Portuguese sailor Vasco de Gama who saw the coast on Christmas of 1497. Durban is home to an important Indian population (near 1 million), the Hare Krishna population built the Understanding Temple – the continent’s biggest temple! –  Next to it, the Jumah mosque, the largest of the southern hemisphere, la plus vaste de tout l’hémisphère sud qui is located next to a cathedral!!  We’ll discover the Golden Mile.

Free time to the beach or shopping in the afternoon.

Check in at the Holiday Inn Express Umhlanga (or similar).

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Breakfast

Departing to SANTA LUCIA Park. The park (2,600 km²) includes 10 reserves classified by UNESCO.

At Santa Lucia Estuary. Over 100 millions years ago, Zululand, Tongoland and Mozambique where under the sea. Discover magnificent beaches born millions of years ago when the Indian Ocean retreated from Lubombo Mountains.

2-hour cruise: The flat bottom boat will give you ample opportunity to take pictures. You will observe hippopotamuses, crocodiles, birds and fish.

Light lunch during the cruise.

Departing to Zoulouland, located between Transkei (south) and Swaziland (north) borders.

Visit of the reconstruction of a Zulu village.

Check in at the ANEW Hluhluwe & Safaris 3* (or similar) for 1 night. Buffet dinner.

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Breakfast.

Leaving for Hluhluwe reserve, famous for its high concentration of white rhinoceros. The easiest way to recognize a white rhinoceros from a black rhinoceros is by observing what they eat. White rhinoceros are herbivore (they eat grass) and black rhinoceros mostly eat leaves. 4×4 safari in the reserve.

LUNCH AT THE HEART OF THE WILDLIFE
This lunch is the opportunity to see animal wake up or maybe see the end of a hunt.

Leaving by bus for Eswatini, a small independent kingdom. With over 17 363 km², the Swaziland is the smallest country of the southern hemisphere. The land is marked in the West by high veld and small mountains and in the East by the Lobombo range. The actual king, H.M. King Mswati III has been on the throne since April 1986. Eswatini has been keeping its traditions, ceremonies, political institutions and habitat, speaking English as well as Siswati. It’s pure traditional Africa. Most inhabitants still consult the “Inyanga”, a medicine man and the “sangoma”, a traditional healer.

You’ll go through formalities at the borders of South Africa and Eswatini.

At the border, a Swazi in a traditional outfit, will guide you and will tell you about his country and his culture. Your guide will translate.

Visit of a traditional Swazi market if time allows.

Checking in at the Mountain Inn or Matenga Lodge [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast.

Ngwenya glass factory. Ngwenya glass factory opened its doors in 1987 and is the opportunity to see glass-blowers as they create table wear, vases and jugs. This business brings a great social and environmental contribution as they recycle used glass and part of its sales profits are being given to an elephant and rhinoceros refuge (closed on Saturday and Sunday, with access only to the shop).

Back to South Africa.

Formalities at the border of Eswatini and South Africa.

Cultural village of Matsamo
Discover this village with Swazi language and practices showing a strong Zulu influence. The passion with which this community passes on their knowledge and native practices will move you.

Lunch on the way.

Continuing to White River.

Checking in at Premier Hotel The Winkler 4*  [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast

BUS SAFARI IN KRUGER PARK. Here lives the largest variety of animals on the African territory. 450 species of rare birds share their space with impalas, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, hippopotamus, lions and leopard.

End of the tour and continuing to Hoedspruit.

Lunch and check in at Kapama River Lodge for 2 nights.

First 4×4 safariin the park early in the morning, the best time to see animals.

Returning to the Kapama River Lodge and dinner.

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Early waking call | 4:45 am

Snack including tea, coffee and “Rusk” (local cracker) in the  lobby | 5:15 am

4×4 safari| 5:30 am

Back to the Lodge and breakfast | 8:30 am

Free time

Buffet lunch at the Lodge’s restaurant | 1:00 pm

Free time

Tea, coffee and cookies at the Lodge | 4:00 pm

Second 4×4 safari until sun down| 4:30 pm

Buffet dinner at Boma | 7:30 pm

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Kapama River Lodge or similar

Wake up call | 4:45 am

Snack including tea, coffee and “Rusk” (local cracker) in the  lobby | 5:15 am

4×4 safari | 5:30 am

Back to the Lodge and breakfast | 8:00 am

Check out | 8:30 am

Departure to the discovery of this magnificent region that is the Drakensberg: after the mountainous region of Mpumalanga where the Drakensberg range begins and where you will find many natural treasures, you will cross the plateaus of the Western Transvaal. You will drive through the rugged landscape and stop to admire the many sites.

Then, you will reach the most spectacular point of the route when you arrive at Blyde River Canyon: 800 meters below, the Blyde River forces its way through hard rock formations. The canyon is superbly dominated by three tower-like peaks, nicknamed the “three rondavels”. The spectacle is striking of beauty

Buffet lunch at Blydepoort [or similar] with a panoramic view on the Canyon

You’ll see God’s Window offering an incredible viewpoint of the valley and mountains.

Continuing to PILGRIM’S REST, a small city with a western vibe.

Visit of this city-museumwith its wooden houses dating the end of the 19th century.

Check in at Mount Sheba 4* [or similar] and dinner.

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Breakfast

Departure for the visit of Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country (5 hours drive)

Lunch at a restaurant in town**.

TOUR of this city which became the capital of the Boer Republic of Transvaal in 1855
PRETORIA takes its name from A. PRETORIUS, victorious over the Zulus at the Battle of the Blood River.

At that time, it was only a few farms far from each other.
Urban development was very rapid after the discovery of gold in the vicinity of Johannesburg in 1886, then of a rich diamond deposit to the east of the city.

VISIT THE VOORTREKKER MONUMENT. This monument synthesizes in itself a part of the history of South Africa and the different battles where the different tribes fought.

DISCOVER UNION BUILDINGS: built in a hemicycle and overlooking the city, the Union Buildings offer a breathtaking view of Pretoria and its surroundings.
This neo-classical building is the seat of government for six months of the year.

PASSING IN FRONT OF NELSON MANDELA’S STATUTE Smiling, wearing a suit, arms wide open, South Africa’s first black president seems to be greeting the crowd.
The pose evokes that of the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

Continuation to Johannesburg

Check-in at the Misty Hills Country Hotel (or similar)

**LUNCH at the “CARNIVORE” restaurant This restaurant is renowned for its selection of exotic meats in a traditional setting such as Zebra, Kudu, Crocodile, Impala and other specimens, accompanied by various sauces

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Breakfast

Visit Constitution Hill instead of the Apartheid Museum. HIGHLIGHTS tour duration: 1 hour.
This national heritage site is the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. It was the place where Mahatma Ghandi, Robert Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela were imprisoned as well as other students of the 1976 revolt. It houses the “Number Four”:
– the old fort (one of the oldest monuments in Johannesburg)
– the old white men’s prison (Nelson Mandela was the only black man to be incarcerated there)
– the old women’s prison (where Winnie Mandela, Albertina Sisulu, Fatima Meer were detained),
– the new Constitutional Court

Departure to SOWETO. The history of this famous township of Johannesburg has made the tour of the world. It testifies more strongly than all the speeches to the upheaval that South Africa has experienced since the end of Apartheid. The “Great Soweto” (southwestern township) is composed of three different large cities: Soweto, Diep Meadows and Dobsonville. Dinner in a shebeen, an underground café from the time of Apartheid. Panoramic tour of SOWETO and stop in front of Pietersen Square, named after the 12 year old schoolboy killed by the police during the repression of the high school uprising in 1976
Dinner in a shebeen (an underground café from the apartheid era).

Panoramic tour of SOWETO and stop in front of Pietersen Square, named after the 12 year old schoolboy killed by the police during the repression of the high school uprising in 1976. PASS BY THE FAMOUS VILIKAZI STREET, in the heart of Soweto’s historic and cultural center. The only street in the world where two noble peace prize winners live, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the first black president Nelson Mandela.

Depending on flight schedules, transfer to Johannesburg airport. Return flights to Canada.

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Arriving in Montreal.