CAPE TOWN, WINELANDS AND SABI SAND PRIVATE SAFARI

CAPE TOWN, WINELAND &

SABI SAND PRIVATE SAFARI 

MAY 05 -18,  2025

Overview:

Interested in more information? This trip is operated by IMVELO Safari Lodges. Please contact Africa Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or (206) 284-2319. Click here to e-mail the Africa Easy Team with any questions or interest.

CAPE TOWN, WINELAND &

SABI SANDS PRIVATE SAFARI 

MAY 05 – 18, 2025

Day-by-day Itinerary:

Day 1 | Arrive in Cape Town

Arrive to Cape Town, South Africa. You will be met on arrival as you disembark the aircraft and once you are through customs and immigration, a private transfer of approx. 40 minutes to The Commodore Hotel, located in the Waterfront, Cape town.

Check in for 5 nights in 2 Single Deluxe Rooms on a Bed and Breakfast basis.

Cape Town

Scenically beautiful, Cape Town is a compelling mix of trendy modern and old-world elegance. Glamorous hotels, world-class dining and stunning vistas merge seamlessly with dynamic student suburbs and vibrant nightlife. Malay and African heritage is evident in the cuisine, traditions and entertainment while the architecture reveals a strong Dutch, German and English flavour and style. Contemporary art is proudly displayed in a variety of galleries and modern boutique hotels, and wine bars and brandy tasting lounges will appeal to the fashionable set. For the well-heeled the finest in opera, ballet, drama and music can be appreciated in style.A short boat cruise to Robben Island, just over seven km’s from Cape Town harbour, you can experience a sense of hopelessness inside the prison cell where South Africa’s most beloved legend, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years hard labour. It is difficult to imagine how anyone could rise above the horror of incarceration to become arguably the most iconic and compassionate leader of our era. An exciting trip up Table Mountain in a cable car provides panoramic views over the “Mother City” and other attractions include the Cultural History Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Greenmarket Square’s local crafts markets and the Bo-Kaap’s colorful Cape Malay buildings add a sense of authenticity to your trip, and Long Street’s vibrant restaurants, bars and clubs come alive after dark. Perhaps wander around the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a working harbour and hub of entertainment and shopping opportunities.

Day 2  | Waterfront Complex

Day at leisure to explore on your own in the Waterfront region. There is a link below to the Waterfront Complex, located in a working harbor surrounded by restaurants, Museums, Aquarium, stores and views of Table Mountain and surrounds. 2^nd overnight at The Commodore. Lunch and dinner on own.

Day 3 | Robben Island Tour & Table Mountain

Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel and depart in a Private vehicle/touring starting with a trip up Table Mountain by Cable Car (weather permitting) or you will be driven up Signal Hill for spectacular views of the city below, Robben Island, city bowl and Table Mountain.

Continue on for a Footsteps to Freedom/Township tour and then head out to Constantia Valley for lunch and to explore the Groot Constantia Winer. Enjoy a Cellar tour & wine tasting.

Return to Waterfront and 3^rd overnight at Commodore Hotel. Lunch and dinner on own.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway opened its doors to its first visitors on 4 October 1929. Since then, it has had many upgrades, bringing it to the point where it can safely welcome an average of 800 000 visitors each year. The round cable cars take about 5 – 10 minutes to carry 65 passengers from Tafelberg Road to the top of Table Mountain and they gently rotate, offering 360 degree views

Robben Island

The Robben Island tour focuses on several key themes that provide a profound understanding of South Africa’s history. It begins with an overview of the apartheid era, explaining the political and social conditions that led to the imprisonment of many anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela. A significant aspect of the tour highlights Mandela’s 18 years on the island, showcasing his role in the fight for freedom and equality. Visitors hear firsthand accounts of life on the island, gaining unique insights into the struggles faced by inmates and the harsh conditions of incarceration. The tour also emphasizes Robben Island as a powerful symbol of resistance, illustrating the resilience of the human spirit in the fight against oppression. Additionally, it touches on the island’s broader history, including its use as a leper colony and military base, contributing to its rich and complex heritage. Overall, the experience is both educational and emotional, taking visitors through a pivotal chapter in South Africa’s journey toward justice and equality.

A Township Tour

This tour allows one to see into the lives of a community on the outskirts of Cape Town –  A tour of one of the big townships in Cape Town is an opportunity to learn more about its history and experience first-hand the way of life of thousands of locals.

Groot Constantia Winery

In 1679, the Dutch East India Company appointed Simon van der Stel to govern the Cape of Good Hope. After years of loyal service, he requested land from the Company and began sending riders to collect soil samples. By 1685, captivated by the area’s potential for viticulture, he selected 891 Morgen (about 763 hectares) behind Table Mountain for its scenic beauty and wine-growing prospects. Over time, the estate’s wines gained international acclaim for their quality, attracting influential figures, including Frederick the Great of Prussia and Louis Philippe of France, who purchased ‘Constantia Wyn’ at European auctions. Groot Constantia’s rich history illustrates how one man’s passion for wine led to the establishment of South Africa’s first wine farm over 330 years ago, laying the foundation for the country’s commercial wine industry. The estate even appears in literary works, such as Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”, as a remedy for heartbreak, and Charles Dickens’ “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, as a source of cheer.

Day 4  | Cape Town City Tour

Another full day of touring with a private guide/vehicle. Starting with a Cape Town City Tour, visit the South African Jewish Museum, Company Gardens, Houses of Parliament, Woodstock for Street Art. Continue to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for lunch and then to the Montebello Art studio.

4th overnight at Commodore Hotel and lunch and dinners on own account.

Cape Town Tour

We wander through the Company’s Garden and visit the South African Museum, before venturing on to the Castle of Good Hope. Built by the Dutch East India Company, between 1666 and 1679, as a maritime replenishment station, the Castle is the oldest surviving colonial building in the country. During our trip through the city, we pass the Houses of Parliament, the Grand Parade and City Hall – where Nelson Mandela first addressed South Africans after his release.

Jewish Museum

Discovering the story of one of the great communities of the Jewish diaspora is one of Cape Town’s not-to-be missed heritage experiences. Situated on perhaps the most historic urban square mile in the country and built as an extension of South Africa’s oldest synagogue, the South African Jewish Museum is a marvel of modern architecture whose contents mirror this fusion of the old world and the new.

Its gleaming interiors house a range of interactive displays, audio-visual presentations and fascinating artefacts, taking visitors on a journey back to South African Jewry’s early roots in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Featuring a life-sized recreation of a shtetl, the museum traces es the cultural history of Jews, Jewish life and Judaism in general. As an added attraction, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Netsuke (Japanese miniature art).  A thrilling combination of the historic and the contemporary, the South African Jewish Museum pays tribute to a community that was extraordinarily influential in developing South Africa as we know it, and that continues to impact South Africa’s economic, political and cultural narrative.

Montebello Design Studio

The Centre is one of Cape Town’s best kept secrets with twenty-five arts and craft studios and workshops, a historic greenhouse and nursery and stunning restaurant. Montebello Design Centre is in Newlands, Cape Town, and is the result of a financial and property bequest by Cecil Michaelis who wished the center to work closely with the University of Cape Town to nurture design, craft and entrepreneurship in South Africa. The project is situated in the farm buildings of the historic site of Montebello. These buildings and land have a colorful history, being the birthplace of Ohlssons Brewery and Continental China. Follow the informative history walk around the center. Montebello Design Centre is a Not-for-Profit Organization.

Kirstenbosch

National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.

Day 5 | Peninsula Tour

Private Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour. Your driver guide will meet you in the lobby and take you out on a full day tour starting with a trip by cable car up Table Mountain (if you could not fit it in day 3) and then around the Cape Peninsular, taking in Chapmans Peak drive and down to the Cape of Good Hope.

Enter the Cape Nature Reserve and visit the SW tip of Africa. After lunch in the Simonstown area, make a stop to see the African Penguins on Boulders Beach.

Lunch and dinners on own account, 5^th Overnight at The Commodore hotel on a Bed & Breakfast basis.

Day 6 | Cape Winelands

Check out of the Commodore Hotel after breakfast this morning and with your guide, depart Cape Town and head for the Cape Winelands. Starting in Paarl and then to Stellenbosch for wine farm visits and tastings ending at Franschhoek Boutique Hotel.

Overnight Franschhoek Boutique Hotel for 3 nights in 2 single luxury rooms B&B.

Cape Winelands

An easy drive from Cape Town, the Winelands dramatic mountains stand guard over a quilt of working vineyards, elegant Cape Dutch estates and quaint towns boasting top restaurants, hotels and spas. Sample some of the regions award-winning wine offerings, stroll through exquisitely maintained gardens or explore art galleries and antique shops in the oak-lined streets of the local towns. The buzzing university village of Stellenbosch was named after the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel and, as the historic hub of the Winelands it is surrounded by around 200 wineries.

Franschhoek, a charming town with French Hugenot heritage is arguably the culinary headquarters of the country and home to the creative genius of a number of resident chefs. Framed by a majestic backdrop of the Helderberg Mountains, Paarl lies peacefully nestled amongst vineyards laden with the harvest’s finest offerings. Enjoy gourmet meals lovingly prepared by experienced chefs and served in lush gardens, or stylish restaurants. Sample local wines and explore the cellars of well-established wine farms. The Winelands is all about stepping back from the hectic pace of modern living, and appreciating the finer things in life in some of the most gorgeous and tranquil locations this country has to offer

2 Days at leisure in Franschhoek, suggest you do a small guided group Wine Tram tour to visit local Franschhoek Wineries and explore on the 2^nd day on your own or visit more Wineries in the area.

Return for 2^nd overnight at Franschhoek Boutique Hotel. Lunch and Dinners on own.

Day 9 | Sabi Sands Private Reserve

Early morning private transfer from Franschhoek Boutique to the Cape Town Airport. Check in for the mid-morning flight from Cape Town to Skukuza, Kruger Airport. On arrival at Skukuza Airport, you will be met by a transfer agent and taken by vehicle to Nottens Camp in Sabi Sand Reserve.

Check in for 4 nights at Nottens Camp in 2 Single Chalet/Suites. Intro briefing and then late afternoon game drive returning for dinner after sunset.

Greater Kruger National Park

As you bump along the park roads, the sun warm upon your face and air dry in the back of your throat, your senses are on high alert. This is the real Africa, cut away from the hectic pace of life, home to Africa’s Big 5.

The Kruger is alive, from the nervously twitching herd of impala after a night of predator action, to the wild dog cavorting like domestic pets alongside the road. Marvel as a herd of elephant simply appear from out the bush, then silently vanish back into the landscape. With over 2 million hectares of pristine wilderness, the Kruger’s biodiversity sustains numerous species of game and birds.

The dry north consists of Baobab trees, scrubland and rocky outcroppings which can be seen for miles and animals tend to gather around water sources. As you come south, the park gets busier, animal numbers increase and the backdrop changes to grassland and acacia woodlands. On the western borders, private reserves such as Sabi Sands and the Timbavati open onto the Kruger, offering an exclusive game experience with the flexibility of night drives and off-road 4 x 4 safaris.

Swaying to the movement of an open vehicle while wrapped warmly against the night chills, is an unforgettable experience. The call of a Nightjar darting overhead and the flash of eyes reflected from the bushes brings an entirely different twist to your safari and as you drop your head back and look up – the crisp night skies go on forever.

Southern Sabi Sands

The Sabi Sands is a private 65,000-hectare reserve known as one of the few places that you can see the Big 5 in one day. It has a diverse habitat with the Sand and Sabi Rivers running through it, a huge range of wildlife and a reputation for big cat sightings. Head out for an early morning game drive in open vehicles, stopping for a refreshing coffee break and a chance to listen to the sounds of the bush whilst admiring the landscape. After some down-time and a siesta back at camp, set off again in the late afternoon when the bush comes alive. Sundowners as night falls, then spotlights come out in search of a new range of creatures. For those needing to expend some energy, a guided walking safari is an ideal way to learn about smaller animals and plants.

Day 10 -12 | On Safari

Full days on safari in open 4×4 Safari game drive vehicles with Ranger guides and exploring in Sabi Sand Private Reserve.

Each day there will be 2 Game Drives, early morning, return for breakfast, a bush walk option and then lunch followed by some time to relax on your verandah or swim, or spa and afternoon game drive returning after the sun goes down for dinner at Nottens. . Maximum of 7 in a 10-seater game drive vehicle, everybody has a ‘window’ seat.

All meals, local beverages and all game drives and bush walks included at Nottens for your 4-night stay.

Day 13 | Transfer to Johannesburg

Morning game drive, brunch and check out and then transfer to the Skukuza Airport, Kruger. Check in for afternoon flight from Skukuza to Johannesburg, which we will book, rate below.

You will be met on arrival as you step of the plane in Johannesburg and assisted to luggage claim and then guided a short walk to the City Lodge Hotel conveniently located at the Johannesburg Int. Airport.

Check in for a 1 night stay in 2 standard rooms on a bed and breakfast basis.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg, often called Jozi or Joburg, is South Africa’s largest city and a vibrant hub of culture and commerce. Key attractions include the Apartheid Museum, which highlights the nation’s history, and Soweto, an iconic township significant in the anti-apartheid movement.

Visitors can explore trendy neighborhoods like Maboneng and Braamfontein, filled with street art, cafes, and local markets. The Johannesburg Zoo and nearby Lion & Safari Park offer wildlife experiences, while the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provides insights into early human history. With its lively arts scene and excellent dining options, Johannesburg is a must-visit destination for those exploring South Africa’s rich culture.

Day 14 | Depart Home

Walk back to the Johannesburg Int. Airport on your own and check in approx. 2.5 hours prior to your Int. flight back to LHR.

*Please note: This itinerary is subject to change. In the spirit of expedition travel, plans may change slightly to take full advantage of encounters with the destination and its people, culture, and wildlife.

CAPE TOWN, WINELAND &

SABI SANDS PRIVATE SAFARI 

MAY 05 -18, 2025

Rates:

Trip Package Rate Per Person Sharing (based on 2 travelers): Approx. $7,985.00

Plus Flights: Approx. $690.00 per person

– Cape Town to Skukuza –  13 May 1035 Depart & 1305 Arrival

– Skukuza to Johannesburg –  17 May 1335 Depart and 1440 Arrival

Included:

– VIP Meet & Greet Cape Town International Airport & Johannesburg Airport
– Transfers as per itinerary above
– Single Accommodations as per itinerary above
– Touring as per itinerary above
– Meals and Beverages as well as all game drives/bush walks are included at Nottens

Not Included:

– All International & Regional Flights
– Gratuities for all properties and guides/rangers/porters
– Laundry services unless specified as included
– Drinks and meals not listed as included in itinerary above
– Optional excursions and activities not detailed in the itinerary
– Travel and health insurance
– Any other items of a personal nature

International Airfare:

Africa Easy does not make international air reservations and international air is not included in your quote. However, please do let us know if you would like assistance with booking your international air. We would be happy to put you in touch with our airline partner, Exito Travel to assist you with your international air reservation.

General Information:

Medical Evacuation insurance is mandatory for travel with Africa Easy and proof of purchase is required. Africa Easy also strongly recommends purchasing a policy that includes trip cancellation / interruption coverage.

Deposit & Payments:

A completed & signed Africa Easy Reservation Form, along with your 25% trip deposit and full regional and/or domestic air payment (if applicable) is required at the time of booking.

Reservations:

This itinerary is subject to the availability of all services at the time of making a reservation. No space is being held at this time. Please contact Africa Easy for the full terms and conditions that apply. We are happy to answer questions and discuss your trip.

To reserve space on a trip on the Africa Easy website, please contact Africa Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or (206) 284-2319. Click here to e-mail the Africa Easy Team.