In assocciation with Kalahari Wildlife Tours

Tour 40: 12-25 Day South Africa Meerkat & Wildlife Tour

This tour covers 1 Trans Frontier Park, 3 National Parks and 10 Reserves/conservation areas

THIS TOUR IS MORE THAN A MEERKAT TOUR. IT IS AN INTRODUCTION TO WHAT OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, SOUTH AFRICA, HAS TO OFFER IN WILDLIFE, LANDSCAPES AND PEOPLE, IN SOME OF THE LESSER TRAVELLED AREAS, AS WELL AS IN THE MORE KNOWN AREAS.

The full tour stretches over 05 of the 09 Provinces of South Africa; Gauteng, North-West, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape and include 14 National Parks and 07 Conservation Areas. Meerkat occur naturally in 07 of these National Parks and 02 Conservation Areas, covering a variety of habitat and climatic zones.

This tour consists of 03 Legs. Clients can book the full tour or only on the leg(s) they prefer.

11 DAYS/11 NIGHTS JOHANNESBURG – KALAHARI
EXTENDED OPTION 01: 09 DAYS/08 NIGHTS KALAHARI – PORT ELIZABETH
EXTENDED OPTION 02: 07 DAYS/06 NIGHTS PORT ELIZABETH – CAPE TOWN

The full tour covers 14 National Parks and 07 Reserves/conservation areas

DETAILED ITINERARY

The tour will be guided by Dantes Liebenberg based in Upington in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. To ensure Dantes is available as guide, bookings have to be made well in advance. Dantes has lived his entire life in the Kalahari and is guiding tours in the Kalahari & the rest of Southern Africa since 1994. If it happens that Dantes is booked, Kalahari Tours and Travel have qualified and highly skilled and respected guides to conduct tours.

This tour can only start on Sundays at City Lodge OR Tambo, Johannesburg to be at the Kalahari Meerkat Project (KMP) on the following Sunday. KMP only conduct tours on Sundays

11 DAY JOHANNESBURG – KALAHARI

PRE-TOUR Johannesburg
DAY 01 Pilanesberg Game Reserve
DAY 02 Pilanesberg Game Reserve
DAY 03 Kimberley
DAY 04 Mokala National Park
DAY 05 Mokala National Park
DAY 06 Kalahari Meerkat Project
DAY 07 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
DAY 08 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
DAY 09 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
DAY 10 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

EXTENDED OPTION 01: 09 DAYS/08 NIGHTS KALAHARI – PORT ELIZABETH

DAY 11 Augrabies Falls National Park
DAY 12 Augrabies Falls National Park
DAY 13 Karoo National Park
DAY 14 Karoo National Park
DAY 15 Mountain Zebra National Park (Camdeboo National Park)
DAY 16 Mountain Zebra National Park
DAY 17 Addo Elephant National Park
DAY 18 Addo Elephant National Park

EXTENDED OPTION 02: 07 DAYS/06 NIGHTS PORT ELIZABETH – CAPE TOWN

DAY 19 Garden Route National Park (Tsitsikamma Section)
DAY 20 Garden Route National Park (Wilderness Section)
DAY 21 Bontebok National Park
DAY 22 Agulhas National Park (De Hoop Nature Reserve)
DAY 23 Winelands
DAY 24 Cape Town (Boulders, Table Mountain National Park, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens)
DAY 25 Departure

This established tour has been running since 2012 as a scheduled departure for friends of the meerkat from mainly the USA. This itinerary has been nearly perfected by upgrades and minor changes from experiences on previous tours. Although the emphasis is to find and observe meerkat in their natural habitat, this Big Five tour offers one of the largest variety of wildlife species and landscapes possible on any tour in South Africa. Add to this the world renowned Garden Route, Coastal Parks, whales in season, Winelands and Cape Town and the result is a tour that is difficult to beat in variety and quality.

PRE-TOUR Johannesburg
Arrive at OR Tambo International in Johannesburg, South Africa. Accommodation is at the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. Follow directions from Arrival Hall to City Lodge OR Tambo 300m away.

It is suggested that clients arrive at least one or two days prior to the tour’s departure. This will give clients a chance to rest after the long flights from overseas and it will circumvent possible flight delays. Bookings prior to 01 Oct 2017 can be made online or additional nights can be added to the tour rate if clients want Kalahari Wildlife Tours to make their additional PRE-TOUR hotel reservations at the City Lodge OR Tambo in Johannesburg.

Meet guide at 19:00 at reception for dinner.

Final briefing and discussion of the tour in general.
Overnight: City Lodge OR Tambo
Meals: B & D (Breakfast & Dinner) Lunch at own cost

DAY 01 Johannesburg – Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Breakfast at 07:00 in the dining room.

Clients must check out of their rooms and pay their bills in time to enable them to meet Dantes at Reception at 08:30 with their luggage. Load luggage. Depart at 09:00 from City Lodge OR Tambo in Johannesburg to Pretoria. Stop at Zambezi Shopping Mall in Montana, Pretoria for last minute emergency shopping of forgotten necessities and after hour drinks. A pharmacy, supermarket, liquor store and ATM are on the premises.

Continue to Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Pilanesberg Game Reserve is 03 hour’s drive from Johannesburg. Although Pilanesberg has no meerkat, a visit to the Park gives clients the opportunity to see some animal species not found in the other Parks which will be visited later on tour.

The crater of a long extinct volcano is the setting of Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world. Its rare rock types and structure make it a unique geological feature.

The vegetation ranges from open grasslands to densely wooded valleys. This “Big Five” park is home to more than 35 large mammal species, including elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra and 19 antelope species. It is sanctuary to the world’s third largest white rhino population. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, brown-hyena and smaller species such as large-and small spotted-genets, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and caracal. More than 350 bird species have been recorded.

Lunch at 13:00 in the restaurant on arrival.

Check in at accommodation after lunch. Time at leisure in chalet. Meet at 15:00 in parking area at chalets. Depart on a 03-hour afternoon game drive in the park. All scheduled game drives in Pilanesberg are in the tour vehicle. The route goes to Mankwe Dam where there are always wildlife as well as a variety of birds, with good quality sightings. Exit the wildlife area at 18:00.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.

Game drives during the day on an open vehicle can be done at own cost. Bookings have to be made in advance at Mankwe Safaris reservation office at reception.
Overnight: Chalet at Manyane Camp
Meals: B, L & D (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) Light lunches or picnic lunches will be served.

DAY 02 Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Breakfast at 07:00 in the restaurant.

Game drive on various routes in the park.

Light lunch at the Pilanesberg Centre at 13:00

Afternoon game drive from 14:00 – 16:30. After arrival at the lodge guests who would like to buy wood carvings or other souvenirs will be transferred by Dantes to the Craft Centre and back to the lodge.

Optional 02-hour sunset/night drive on an open game drive vehicle at own cost, departs at 18:00 from the parking area at reception. Bookings have to be made in advance at Mankwe Safaris reservation office at reception.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant. Persons on the sunset drive have dinner after arrival at 09:00.
Overnight: Chalet at Manyane Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 03 Pilanesberg – Kimberley
Meet at 06:30 with luggage at the parking area at chalets. Load luggage.

Breakfast at 07:00. in the restaurant.

Depart at 08:00. to Kimberley, the Diamond Capital of South Africa and Capital of the Northern Cape Province. It is a long 07-hour drive and guests are requested to prepare well to be as comfortable as possible on the road. The route goes via the Magaliesberg Mountain range, the corn growing areas and the Gold Fields of the North-West Province to the Diamond Fields of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province.

Lunch en route at the Geelhuis Restaurant near Wolmaransstad.

Stop opposite Kampher’s Dam just outside Kimberley, where greater flamingoes and the largest population of lesser flamingoes in Southern Africa, numbering about 25 000, are residents.

Arrive mid-afternoon in Kimberley. Check in at accommodation at Edgerton House next to the historical Halfway House Hotel in the historical suburb of Belgravia. This historical house dates back to 1901 and was favored by the late Pres Nelson Mandela as his overnight spot when visiting Kimberley.

Time at leisure at the Edgerton House.

Meet at 19:00 at reception for transfer to the historical Kimberley Club where we will have dinner.

The Kimberley Club has a tradition all its own with stories not confined to its buildings – stories of its members and of unique associations. It’s seen the “comings and goings” of some of the foremost personalities in the world – has entertained sovereigns, princes & princesses, Governors and high commissioners and has housed legendary figures whose vision and energy have pioneered new territories.

Founded in 1881 by Cecil John Rhodes and the top men in the diamond industry, a visitor once said “the place was stuffed with more millionaires to the square foot than any other place in the world”. Many historic decisions have been made at the club, affecting not only Kimberley, but southern and central Africa and the international diamond industry. History has now been rewritten with the comprehensive renovation and refurbishment of the world-famous club – 120 years of history re-shaping the future.

Return to the accommodation after dinner.
Overnight: Room at Edgerton House****
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 04 Kimberley – Mokala National Park
Put luggage outside room at 07:15 for porters to collect.

Breakfast at 07:30 in the dining room

Depart at 08:15 to the Big Hole Complex. A visit to Kimberley has to include a tour of the Big Hole and recently renovated Kimberley Mine Museum. The Big Hole is the largest hand-dug excavation in the world and the Mine Museum takes one back to a diamond-digging era more than a hundred years ago.

Do a guided tour at 09:00 with a site guide of the Big Hole and Mine Museum. The tour includes a 15 minute film of the history of Kimberley and the Diamond Fields, The Big Hole, a replica of an underground mine tunnel as well as a visit to the largest public display of diamonds in the world. The duration of the tour is about 01 hour.

Time for shopping after the tour. Diamonds, jewellery and various souvenirs are for sale at the Big Hole Complex. Guests are free to walk around in the streets of the mining town. All buildings are original and have been moved to the Big Hole Complex.

Meet at 10:45 at the Coffee Shop in the Complex.

Depart at 11:00 to Mokala National Park 40km south of Kimberley.

The route passes the Anglo Boere War Battlefields of Magersfontein and Modder River, The Battle of Magersfontein was fought on 11 December 1899 on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent Republic of the Orange Free State. British forces under Lieutenant General Lord Methuen were advancing north along the railway line from the Cape in order to relieve the Siege of Kimberley, but their path was blocked at Magersfontein by a Boer force that was entrenched in the surrounding hills. The British had already fought a series of battles with the Boers, most recently at Modder River, where the advance was temporarily halted.

Lord Methuen failed to perform adequate reconnaissance in preparation for the impending battle, and was unaware that Boer Veggeneraal (Combat General) De la Rey had entrenched his forces at the foot of the hills rather than the forward slopes as was the accepted practice. This allowed the Boers to survive the initial British artillery bombardment. When the British troops failed to deploy from a compact formation during their advance, the defenders were able to inflict heavy casualties. The Highland Brigade suffered the worst casualties, while on the Boer side, the Scandinavian Corps was destroyed. The Boers attained a tactical victory and succeeded in holding the British in their advance on Kimberley. The battle was the second of three battles during what became known as the Black Week of the Second Boer War.

Following their defeat, the British delayed at the Modder River for another two months while reinforcements were brought forward. General Lord Roberts was appointed Commander in Chief of the British forces in South Africa and moved to take personal command of this front. He subsequently lifted the Siege of Kimberley and forced Boer General Cronje to surrender with 5 000 men on 27 Feb 1900 at the Battle of Paardeberg after holding out for 11 days, being surrounded and attacked by a British Force of 15 000. This was a serious setback in defending the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal against the advancing British Forces. The war lasted until 31 May 1902 when the Boer forces surrendered.

Continue to nearby Mokala National Park. Mokala is South Africa’s newest park and is situated 80 km south of the diamond city Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province and covers nearly 30 000 ha. The land of the previous Vaalbos National Park near Barkly West was handed back to local people and in a huge operation more than 800 head of game was trans-located from Vaalbos to Mokala. The grassy plains studded with camelthorn trees and isolated dolerite hills give Mokala a typical African feeling.

Mokala is home to many meerkat families and they are easy to spot on the grassy plains. Mokala is also home to many endangered species including black- and white rhino, Cape buffalo, roan antelope, sable antelope and tsessebe. Other species include black & blue wildebeest, giraffe, eland, kudu, gemsbok, red hartebeest, Burchell’s zebra, waterbuck, nyala, springbok, steenbok, duiker and mountain reedbuck.

Various bird species, including a white-backed vulture breeding colony numbering 200 birds and many lizard species can be seen in Mokala and leopard tortoises are common sightings in summer.

Enter the park at Lilydale Gate. Proceed on a game drive on the entrance route through the grassy plains of the Lillydale section to Lilydale Lodge. Black wildebeest & roan antelope are seen regularly in this area. Visit the hide overlooking a waterhole.

Light lunch at 13:00 in Lilydale Restaurant, overlooking the Riet River

Continue at 14:30 on a game drive to Mosu Lodge until 16:30. Check in at accommodation. Relax at accommodation or at the waterhole.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.
Overnight: Chalet at Mosu Lodge
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 05 Mokala National Park
Early morning coffee/tea at chalet

Depart at 18:00 on a 03-hour morning game drive with a Sanparks guide in on open game drive vehicle with the emphasis on finding meerkat.

Breakfast at 09:00 in the restaurant.

Do a short game drive in the tour vehicle in the Mosu Lodge area. Visit the Interpretive Centre. Return to the lodge. Time at leisure before and after lunch.

Lunch at 13:00 in the restaurant.

Depart at 15:00 on a game drive in the tour vehicle to the Lilydale Section until 18:00. Black wildebeest & roan antelope are seen regularly in this area. Visit the hide overlooking a waterhole.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.

Optional activities at own cost include sunset/night drive and San rock art drive with an open vehicle and a Sanparks guide. Activities have to be booked in advance at reception.
Overnight: Chalet at Mosu Lodge
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 06 Mokala – Vanzylsrus (Kalahari Meerkat Project)
Put luggage outside room at 06:45 for porters to collect.

Breakfast at 19:00 in restaurant.

Depart at 07:45 to Kimberley. Continue via Barkly-West and Danielskuil to the Wonderwerk Cave.
Wonderwerk Cave is an ancient solution cavity, exposed at one end by hillside erosion, and running horizontally for 139 m into the base of a low conical foothill on the eastern flank of the Kuruman Hills. Its geological context is stratified dolomitic limestone of the 2.3 billion year-old Ghaap Plateau Dolomite Formation. Permanent water sources in the area are presently limited to a seep some 5 km to the south on Gakorosa Hill and a large sinkhole now known as Boesmans Gat (meaning “Bushman’s waterhole”), about 12 km away where the deepest freshwater dive in the world has been done.

Research has shown that bedrock in the front portion of the cave is overlain by 4 m of deposits consisting of almost horizontal layers of wind-blown dust with a variable admixture of roof-slabs. Initial radiocarbon, Uranium-series and palaeomagnetic readings indicate that the uppermost metre of sediments, 45 m in from the cave mouth, spans the past 300 000 years, while extrapolation, based on that result, suggests that the lower levels range back very much further. Palaeomagnetic evidence recently indicated that the base of the sequence may reach back as far as 1.77 to 1.95 million years. The small irregular stone cores and flakes in those lowest levels could be Oldowan. There is archaeological evidence of human occupation in all layers, making this one of the longest inhabited caves on earth.

Continue to Kuruman. It was at first a mission station of the London Missionary Society founded by Robert Moffat in 1821. Moffat was the first person to tranlate the Bible in an African language, Setswana, spoken by the local Batswana tribe. It was also the place where David Livingstone arrived for his first position as missionary in 1841. He later married Mary, the daughter of Robert Moffat and he set off from Kuruman on his African expeditions. The Eye of Kuruman is the largest known natural spring in the southern hemisphere.

Lunch at 13:00 at a restaurant in Kuruman.

Depart at 14:30 to Vanzylsrus. Travel through the Kalahari via various manganese mines and the mining town Hotazel to the very remote village Vanzylsrus on the bank of the dry Kuruman River near the Botswana Border. Arrive at 17:00 at Vanzylsrus.

Check in at accommodation.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant
Overnight: Room at Gemsbok Hotel
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 07 Vanzylsrus (KMP) – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Early morning coffee/tea at room

Put luggage outside room at 06:15 for porters to collect.

Depart at 06:30 to the Kalahari Meerkat Project (KMP) 30 km from Vanzylsrus.

Departure times may vary according to pre-visit instructions from KMP.

The KMP project was founded in the Kgalagadi National Park (formerly the Gemsbok National Park) in north-west South Africa, but was relocated in 1993 to what became the Kuruman River Reserve (KRR).

The KRR is jointly owned by the Kalahari Research Trust and the University of Cambridge. The project founder, Prof Tim Clutton-Brock, is Professor of Animal Ecology of the University of Cambridge and is project director. Professor Marta Manser co-directs the project and is an Associate Professor in Animal Behavior at Zurich University (Switzerland).

The Kalahari Meerkat Project investigates both ultimate and proximate causes of cooperative breeding in mammals. Long term data from habituated groups of wild meerkats allow for a variety of empirical questions in evolutionary and behavioural ecology to be investigated at both the individual and population level. Currently, research focuses on the following areas:
• costs and benefits of cooperative behaviour
• variation in helping investment amongst individuals
• conflict over reproduction
• hormonal regulation of cooperative behaviour
• population consequences of cooperative breeding
• communication mechanisms and evolution
• anti-predation strategies
• patterns of decision-making in cooperative groups
• social and ecological knowledge
• teaching, learning and skill acquisition

GUIDED MEERKAT TOUR
On arrival at KMP our party will be split in smaller teams of 2-3 people, each team visiting another meerkat group together with a guide (meerkat researcher).

All guests must be prepared to follow the instructions of their guide and will not be permitted to touch or feed the animals. They are welcome to take photos and movies for personal, non-commercial use, but are not allowed to film/photograph commercially.

Packed picnic breakfast after KMP visit.

Proceed along the dry Kuruman River via the small remote village Askham through the Kalahari duneveld (“veld” means natural vegetation), to Kgalagadi Lodge 06 km from the largest camp in Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park, Twee Rivieren.

Lunch at 14:00 at Kgalagadi Lodge

The word Kalahari derives from the word Makgadigadi, meaning salt pans (salt lakes) in the language spoken by the Kgalagadi people living in the Kgalagadi Region in south-western Botswana. The word Kgalagadi means salt pans too in their language. More than 1 000 pans are scattered throughout the park. The Kalahari is the largest area of sand in the world, covering 2.5 million square kilometres from the Orange River in South Africa in the south to slightly north of the equator. The area referred to as the arid Kalahari covers some 900 000 square kilometres in the south and covers parts of South Africa and Namibia and most of Botswana. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is situated in the southern part of the arid Kalahari in South Africa and Botswana and is jointly managed by South Africa National Parks (Sanparks) and Botswana Wildlife.

The Park covers 37 000 square km park, which is one of the largest conservation areas in the world and one of the last truly unspoilt ecosystems.

Endemic game such as gemsbok, springbok, eland, giraffe, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest roam the sparsely vegetated red sand dunes and the dry river valleys of the Nossob and Auob where a variety of acacia species thrive.

The Park is well known for good sightings of lion, leopard and cheetah and spotted – and brown hyena are common residents. Because of an abundance of prey in the form of mice, whistling rats, birds and insects, smaller predators thrive in the park. The park is home to caracal, honey badger, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, cape fox, African wildcat, mongoose and the ever-popular meerkat.

Kgalagadi is a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 300 species recorded including at least 20 larger raptor species. The world’s heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard and the stately secretary bird patrol the riverbeds while the noisy northern black korhaan rule in the dunes.

Proceed to nearby Twee Rivieren. Check-in at chalets.

Afternoon game drive at 16:30 until gates close.

Dinner at 19:30 in the restaurant

Optional 03 hr sunset/night drive at own cost with an open vehicle and a Sanparks guide can be done at all Kgalagadi Camps. Departure 01 hr before gates close.
Overnight: Chalet at Twee Rivieren
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 08 Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Early rise and light breakfast 30 minutes before gates open at guide’s chalet.

Depart when the gates open on a game drive with the emphasis on finding meerkat. The route goes along the lower Nossob River Valley, Lower Dune Road and lower Auob River Valley. All scheduled game drives in Kgalagadi are in the tour vehicle. The Twee Rivieren area is known for lion, leopard, cheetah and Meerkat sightings.

Brunch at Melkvlei picnic area.

Continue on the game drive to Twee Rivieren.

Light lunch in the restaurant.

Time at leisure until 16:00. The Twee Rivieren shop stocks souvenirs, coffee table books, DVD’s and a variety of maps.

Do an afternoon game drive from 16:00 until gates close. Guests who have booked on the sunset drive, have to stay in camp.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant. Guests on the sunset drive have dinner in the restaurant after the drive
Overnight Chalet at Twee Rivieren
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 09 Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Early rise. Put luggage outside room

Light breakfast 30 minutes before gates open at guide’s chalet.

Game drive along the Auob River Valley to Mata Mata on the Namibian Border. This is cheetah territory and is one the best, if not the best, places in Southern Africa to see cheetah.

Brunch at Kamqua Picnic Area.

Continue to Mata Mata. The Mata Mata area is known for lion, cheetah, hyena and giraffe sightings. In Mata Mata Camp and surrounding area is a resident mob of meerkat. They are using the burrows in front of the riverfront chalets quite frequently.

Light lunch at guide’s chalet.

Time at leisure until 16:00. White-faced scops-owls and pearl-spotted owlets are residents in the trees in Mata Mata camp and provide good photo opportunities. Do an afternoon game drive from 16:00 until gates close. Guests who have booked on the sunset drive have to stay in camp.

Meet at guide’s chalet for a Braai for dinner. Guests on the sunset drive have dinner on their return

Relax around the fireplace, overlooking an illuminated waterhole. Predators are regular visitors.
Overnight Riverfront Chalet at Mata Mata
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 10 Kgalagadi – Molopo Kalahari Lodge
Keep an eye on the waterhole in the morning. Lion, cheetah, brown – and spotted hyena are regular visitors, especially brown hyena in the early morning. Put luggage outside room at 07:00.

Light breakfast at 07:00 at guide’s chalet.

Game drive at 07:30 along the Auob River Valley to Auchterlonie Waterhole.

Brunch at Auchterlonie Picnic Area & Museum

Continue on a game drive to Twee Rivieren until 14:00. Exit the park. Depart to Kalagadi Lodge 06 km outside the park.

Light lunch at Kgalagadi Lodge.

Continue to the Molopo Kalahari Lodge 60 km from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The Molopo Lodge is situated between camel thorn trees on the banks of the dry Molopo River and is an oasis in this semi-desert.

Afternoon visit to the last indigenous San tribe in South Africa, the Khomani. Today these earliest residents of the Kalahari, living here for 40 000 years, consist of only 400 people and are resident in an area between 40 and 70 km south of Twee Rivieren. Clients will have the opportunity to view and purchase their handcraft at one of the roadside stalls. (The presence of the San can’t be guaranteed)

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.
Overnight: Chalet at Molopo Lodge
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 11 Molopo – Upington – Johannesburg (or Augrabies Falls)
Sleep a bit later. Put luggage outside chalet at 07:45.

Breakfast at 08:00 in restaurant.

Depart at 09:00 to Upington. Arrive at Upington Airport at 11:30. Flight SA8767 to Johannesburg departs at 12:50. Arrive at OR Tambo International at 14:25. (Flight not included)

If clients want to stay longer in Johannesburg after the tour bookings can be made online or additional nights can be added to the tour rate if clients want Kalahari Wildlife Tours to make additional POST-TOUR hotel reservations at the City Lodge OR Tambo in Johannesburg.

Participants on Option 01 of the Extended Tour continue from 11:30 with the tour schedule to Augrabies Falls National Park.

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EXTENDED OPTION 01: 09 DAYS/08 NIGHTS KALAHARI – PORT ELIZABETH

This section of the tour covers 05 National Parks & 01 Reserve/conservation area

DAY 11 Kgalagadi Park – Augrabies Falls National Park
The Meerkat Tour group arrive from Molopo Lodge at Upington Airport at 11:00. Drop-off clients who fly to OR Tambo International, Johannesburg after having done only the 12 Day Meerkat Tour.

Pick-up new clients, if any, at Mazurka Waters B&B for the Kgalagadi – Port Elizabeth – Cape Town Tour Options 01 & 02.

Wine tasting at 11:30 at the tasting room of the Orange River Wine Cellar in Upington, the second largest cooperative wine cellar in the world. Except for wine and grape juice production, the lower Orange River Valley is the major raisin production area – and one of the major table grape production areas in South Africa.

Depart at 12:30 to Keimoes. Visit Tierberg Nature Reserve in Keimoes, from where one has a beautiful view of the lush green Orange River Valley. Continue to Kakamas.

Lunch at 13:30 at Vergelegen Restaurant, which was voted the best Country Restaurant in South Africa.

Continue to Die Pienk Padstal (The Pink Road Stall) which stocks a variety of dried fruit products and local delicacies.

Proceed to Augrabies Falls National Park. Arrive at 16:00. Check in at chalets.

Visit the Augrabies Falls at 17:00, which is the sixth largest waterfall in the world when South Africa’s largest river, the Orange is in flood. The word Augrabies derives from the Khoi meaning “Place of great noise”.

The fall is illuminated until 22:00. Clients can re-visit the fall at their own time and pace.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant
Overnight: Chalet with a View at Augrabies
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 12 Augrabies Falls National Park
For those interested: Do a relaxed 02 km guided early morning walk to Arrow Point, a beautiful view point over the Orange River Gorge. Return to camp. Duration 01 hour.

Breakfast at 07:00 at the restaurant.

Depart at 08:00 on a scenic game drive in this moon landscape-like land to awesome viewpoints such as Ararat, Oranjekom on the Orange River Gorge and the “Swartrante” (Black Hills) from where one has a great view of this arid rocky desert landscape.

The park covers 60 000 ha. Although Augrabies is essentially a scenic park, game such as giraffe, springbok, gemsbok, eland, kudu, red hartebeest, Hartman’s zebra and klipspringer survive in this unique riverine ecosystem. Fish eagles and black eagles are common residents.

Lunch at 13:00 in the restaurant

Afternoon at leisure. Augrabies Falls can be explored in full along the stilted walkways and viewpoints.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant

Optional 02 hr night drive at own cost with an open vehicle and a Sanparks guide. Bookings at reception.
Overnight: Chalet with a View at Augrabies
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 13 Augrabies – Karoo National Park
Early rise. Put luggage outside room at 05:15.

Breakfast at 05:30 at guide chalet.

Depart at 06:00 to Beaufort-West in the Great Karoo via dirt roads and the small towns, Kenhardt, Van Wyksvlei, Carnavon & Loxton.

Lunch en route in Loxton at 13:00 at Die Rooi Granaat (Red Pomegranate) Coffee Shop.

If the condition of the dirt roads are not good, according to road reports, an alternative asphalt route via the N10, N12 & N1 national roads will be used instead.

Beaufort West dates back to 1818 and is the birthplace and hometown of the late Professor Chris Barnard, the famous heart surgeon who performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant.

Continue to the nearby Karoo National Park.The Great Karoo is a vast and unforgiving landscape of which the Karoo National Park is but a small portion. Being the largest ecosystem in South Africa, the Karoo is home to a fascinating diversity of life, all having adapted to survive in these harsh conditions. Karoo National Park is dominated by the lofty Nuweveld Mountains and rolling plains, where many species that originally occurred here now occupy their former ranges.

Expected time of arrival at Karoo National Park is 15:30. Check in at chalets. Time at leisure.

Depart on a short afternoon game drive. The Karoo National Park has a wide variety of endemic wildlife. Many species have been relocated to their former ranges – such as black rhino and Cape buffalo, as well as Cape mountain zebra. Large herbivores such as red hartebeest, black wildebeest, eland, Burchell’s and Hartmann’s Mountain zebra, kudu, springbok and klipspringer are regularly seen.

Carnivore species include lion, brown hyena, caracal, bat-eared fox, Cape fox, aardwolf, African wildcat & meerkat. The Park is also home to the endangered riverine rabbit. Over 20 breeding pairs of Verraux’s eagle find sanctuary within the park. There is also a wide diversity of succulent plants and small reptiles.

Dinner at 19:00 at the restaurant.

Optional day – night drives at own cost in open vehicle with a Sanparks guide. Enquiries and bookings at reception.
Overnight: Chalet at Karoo National Park
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 14 Karoo National Park
Breakfast at 07:00 at the restaurant.

Depart at 08:00 on a scenic game drive. The return route goes via the scenic Klipspringer Pass.

Exit the park and depart to nearby Beaufort-West

Lunch at 13:00 in a restaurant in Beaufort-West. (Park Restaurant is closed for lunch on Sundays)

Return to the park. Time at leisure.

Do a short informative walk at 16:00 on the 300 m long Fossil Trail. This impressive collection of whole skeletons, skulls and bones are the remains of extinct Karoo wildlife from some 255 million years ago during the Permian Period. The displayed fossils belong to a group of mammal-like reptiles called Therapsids, which gave rise to modern mammals.

Depart an afternoon game drive. Return to the accommodation at 18:30.

Dinner at 19:00 at the restaurant.
Overnight: Chalet at Karoo National Park
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 15 Karoo National Park – Mountain Zebra National Park
Put luggage outside chalet at 06:45.

Breakfast at 07:00 at the restaurant.

Depart at 07:30 to Graaff-Reinet on the banks of the Sundays River. Graaff-Reinet is the fourth oldest town in South Africa dating back to 1786 and is home to more national monuments than any other town or city in South Africa, numbering more than 220. Places of interest are the Dutch Reformed Church in the center of the town built in 1887 – the building is influenced by the architecture of Salisbury Cathedral in England, Reinet House Museum, a typical Cape Dutch building, formerly the Dutch Reformed Church parsonage and the Karoo architecture of Stretch’s Court, a picturesque restored street of Karoo cottages with brightly painted shutters and doors.

Continue to Cambedoo National Park near Graaff-Reinet. Formed hundreds of millions of years ago, the Karoo of South Africa is one of the great natural wonders of the world. Camdeboo National Park covers 19 405 ha and surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape and provides the visitor with insights into the unique landscape and ecosystem of the Karoo, not to mention awesome scenic beauty in the Valley of Desolation where dolerite pillars rise to heights of 90 – 120 metres.
Camdeboo National Park supports a diverse spectrum of wildlife including Cape buffalo, Cape mountain zebra, kudu, red hartebeest, gemsbok, steenbok, springbok, blesbok, black wildebeest grey duiker, klipspringer and 13 smaller carnivore species. At least 225 bird species have been recorded in the park, with species typical of both the Great Karoo and Eastern region.
Arrive at Camdeboo Park at 10:30. Do a short scenic game drive through the park including a short hike to the view point of the Valley of Desolation. Continue on a game drive trail through the Nqweba Dam Section of the park.

Lunch at the Spur Restaurant in Graaf-Reinet at 13:00.

Continue at 14:00 to Mountain Zebra National Park. The Mountain Zebra National Park lies near Cradock in the Eastern Cape. The proclamation of the park in 1937 saved the Cape mountain zebra from extinction, starting with a small founder herd of only 06 zebra and currently their population stands at 300 where they roam 28 412 hectares of land. Other mammals found here include the Cape buffalo, black rhino, eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, gemsbok, blesbok, springbok, duiker and steenbok while mountain reedbuck, grey rhebok and klipspringer frequent the higher areas and kudu the wooded valleys. Lion, which were recently re-introduced, cheetah, caracal, brown hyena and aardwolf are the larger carnivores in the Park. Meerkat are common residents in the Park.

Ostrich, secretary bird, blue crane and Ludwig’s bustard are the larger more visible bird species and Verreaux’s (black) and martial eagle and jackal buzzard are the most common larger raptor species. The park is home to various smaller species in different habitats including mountain plateau, wooded kloofs, acacia stands and grassland.

Arrive at the entrance gate at 16:00. Do a game drive to the Rest Camp. Check in at chalets. Depart on a short game drive until gates close.

Dinner at 19:00 at the restaurant.

Optional activities at own cost include day and night drives in open vehicles, cheetah tracking and San cave paintings. Enquiries and bookings at reception.
Overnight: Cottage at Mountain Zebra National Park
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 16 Mountain Zebra National Park
Early rise and light breakfast 30 minutes before gates open at guide’s chalet.

Depart on a morning game drive until noon. The chances are good to have sightings of less common species such as black wildebeest, Cape mountain zebra and Cape buffalo. Cheetahs are seen regularly and the park is home to many meerkat families with good sightings possible in certain areas, especially on the Ubejane Loop. This park is one of the best places to see, with luck, caracal and aardwolf.

Lunch at 12:00 at the restaurant

Time at leisure. Short hikes can be done on demarcated paths in the Rest Camp area.

Depart at 15:30 on a game drive until the gates close

Dinner at 19:00 at the restaurant.
Overnight: Cottage at Mountain Zebra National Park
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 17 Mountain Zebra Park – Addo Elephant National Park
Put luggage outside chalet at 06:45.

Light breakfast at 07:00 at guide chalet

Depart at 08:00 on a morning game drive to the exit gate. Continue via Cradock to Daggaboer Road Stall. Stop for a cup of coffee/tea or alcohol free homemade ginger beer. The shop has a variety of homemade condiments and jams and souvenirs to choose from.

Continue to Addo Elephant Park. Addo Elephant National Park covers 164 000 ha and lies within the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape. Addo National Elephant Park is in the process of expanding into a 360 000 ha mega-park, including a 120 000 ha marine reserve. The original elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only 11 elephants remained in the area.

Today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, 50 black rhino, lions, spotted hyenas, leopard, a variety of antelope species including eland, kudu, red hartebeest, bushbuck as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. Addo is also home to Meerkat and there were very good sightings on previous tours. Due to a variety of habitats Addo offers excellent birding opportunities.

Expected time of arrival at Addo is 12:00.

Lunch in the restaurant on arrival.

Check in at chalets. Time at leisure. Depart 15:30 on a game drive until 18:30.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.

Optional day – sunset – & night drives at own cost in open vehicle with a Sanparks guide. Enquiries and bookings at Information Centre
Overnight: Chalet at Addo Main Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 18 Addo Elephant National Park
Coffee/tea at clients’ chalets.

Depart at when the gates open on an early morning game drive. Return to Main Camp.

Breakfast in the restaurant

Continue on a game drive until 13:00. Most of the game drive routes will be covered on the morning game drives.

Lunch at 13:00 at the restaurant. Time at leisure. Depart at 16:00 on an afternoon game drive until the gates close.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant.
Overnight: Chalet at Addo Main Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 19 Addo Elephant National Park – Port Elizabeth
Put luggage outside chalet at 06:45.

Breakfast at 07:00 at the restaurant.

Depart at 08:00 on a morning game drive to Mathyolweni Gate in the south. Exit the park at 10:00.

Continue to Port Elizabeth. Drop-off clients, who do not continue on Option 02, at the Port Elizabeth Airport at 11:00 for flight to Johannesburg (not included) or at accommodation if they overnight in Port Elizabeth (not included).

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EXTENDED OPTION 02: 07 DAYS/06 NIGHTS PORT ELIZABETH – CAPE TOWN

This section of the tour covers 05 National Parks & 01 Reserve/conservation area

DAY 19 Addo Elephant Park – Tsitsikamma National Park
Continue at 11:30 from Port Elizabeth to Jeffrey’s Bay.

Lunch at 12:30 at a restaurant in Jeffrey’s Bay.

Proceed at 13:30 along the Garden Route to Tsitsikamma National Park, which now forms part of the newly established Garden Route National Park, together with Knysna – & Wilderness National Parks. Tsitsikamma National Park “the place of much water,” is situated near Plettenberg Bay in the Eastern Cape. The heartland of the park stretches some 5 km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.

Although Tsitsikamma boasts a magical world of intertidal life and reefs in its marine part, there is also the famous terrestrial part of the park with its lush forest, delicate fynbos and sheer cliffs. One of the most known trees is the Outeniqua yellow-wood, Podocarpus falcata.

Birding in Tsitsikamma offers a variety in choice of habitat. There is the open shoreline as typified by the environment at Storms River Rest Camp. There is the more sheltered water ways of the Nature’s Valley Lagoon and the Groot River. There is also the forest experience of the Tsitsikamma Forest. The mountain fynbos can explored in the Tsitsikamma Mountains in the Soetkraal section.

Stop en route at the Paul Sauer Bridge, a 120 m high concrete arch bridge over the Storms River, from where one has a beautiful view of the Storms River Gorge. Enter the Park at 15:30. Continue on a scenic drive to Storms River Rest Camp. Check-in to chalets at 16:00. Time at leisure in the afternoon. Enjoy the view from the chalets.

Clients can do a relaxed afternoon walk at their own pace along the coastline or to the suspension bridge over the Storms River.

Optional boat trip departing from the restaurant at own cost; weather permitting. The 30 min trip up the Storms River gives visitors the opportunity to view the gorge first hand and to marvel at one of nature’s many wonders. Huge caverns are interspersed on either side of the river, some which extend upwards for 20 meters providing a habitat for rare bat species. Awesome cliff faces extend above the boat and block out the sunlight as one proceeds silently through the “black water”. Enquire and book at reception.

Dinner at 19:00 in the restaurant
Overnight: Chalet at Storms River Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 20 Tsitsikamma Park – Wilderness National Park
Put luggage outside chalet at 07:45.

Breakfast at 08:00 at the restaurant.

Depart at 09:00 and continue to the highest bridge in Africa and the third highest in the world, Bloukrans Bridge, an arch bridge at a height of 216m above the Bloukrans River. Its central span is 272m and the bridge is 451m in length in total. Bloukrans Bridge is the site of the world’s highest commercial bungee jump.

Continue at 10:30 to the Garden of Eden in the Knysna Section of the Garden Route National Park. Garden of Eden is a superb example of wet high-forest, an unusual forest-type with many examples of tall tree species of the moister forest types. Do a short circular walk at 11:00.

Depart at 11:30 to Knysna, the oyster capital of South Africa.

Lunch at 12:30 at a restaurant on the waterfront.

Continue at 14:00 along the Garden Route to Wilderness National Park. In the heart of South Africa’s famous Garden Route, a captivating world of lakes, rivers, estuaries and beaches gently unfolds against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains – all elements that characterise the Wilderness National Park.

Nature trails wind through densely wooded forest and along tranquil rivers, affording you the opportunity to encounter the brilliantly coloured Knysna lourie, or one of the five kingfisher species occurring here. During spring, a carpet of flowers, further enhance the verdant beauty of this national park. Whales & dolphins are seen often from Dolphin Point.

The series of lakes connected by the Touw River (Eilandvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei) host a variety of aquatic species and is an internationally proclaimed Ramsar site. The forested hillsides that surround the area are home to several raptors, including cuckoo hawk, crowned eagle, forest buzzard, black and rufous-chested sparrow-hawk and African goshawk. The park has several walking trails, several of which are named after kingfisher species and not without reason, as brown-hooded, malachite, giant, pied and half-collared can be all easily spotted.

Arrive at reception at 15:00. Check-in at chalets. Time at leisure. Clients can do relaxed afternoon walks at their own pace in the beautiful surrounds. Good birding opportunities in the Rest Camp.

Depart at 18:30 to the nearby Wilderness Village.

Dinner at 19:00 at the Blue Olive Restaurant.
Overnight: Cottage at Ebb & Flow Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 21 Wilderness National Park – Bontebok National Park
Put luggage outside cabin at 07:30.

Depart at 07:45 to the nearby Wilderness Village.

Breakfast at 08:00 at the Blue Olive Restaurant.

Continue to Mossel Bay. Visit the Maritime Museum. View a life-sized replica of the caravel that brought master mariner and explorer Bartolomeu Dias to the shores of Mossel Bay from Portugal. Diaz is reputed to be the first European explorer to set foot on South African soil in Mossel Bay on 3 February 1488. The caravel replica sailed into Mossel Bay in 1987 with much festivity, a gift from the Government of Portugal. Another treasure is a 1595 map of Mossel Bay by the early Dutch sailor, Cornelius de Houtman. Also on view are interesting artefacts and displays of maritime history during the time of the early Portuguese, Dutch and English navigators.

Depart at 11:00 to Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa. Arrive at 13:00. Visit the Drostdy, which was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1747 to serve as residence and official headquarters for the landdrost (judge). Soon after a gaol, a house for the secretary, a mill and various outbuildings were erected.

Lunch at 0113:00 at a restaurant near the Drostdy. Guide buys supplies during the lunch hour for catering at Bontebok Park.

Depart at 14:00 to the nearby Bontebok National Park. Bontebok National Park lies within the Cape Floral Kingdom, now heralded as a world heritage site, with the majestic Langeberg Mountains providing a picturesque backdrop and the Breede River providing an idyllic western border. The Park is proud to promote its achievements in biodiversity conservation, from the endangered fynbos veld type, coastal renosterveld to the namesake bontebok! Once these colourful antelope numbered a mere 17 and through effective management the present world population amounts to around 3 000.
The Park is home to 200 bontebok, the endangered Cape mountain zebra, red hartebeest, grey reebok, steenbok, grysbok and smaller predators such as caracal, bat-eared fox, Cape fox, aardwolf, various mongoose species and the Cape clawless otter. The park is home to 200 bird species and larger species such as Denham’s (Stanley’s) bustard, blue crane, spur-winged goose, secretary bird and southern black korhaan are common.
Enter the Park. Do a game drive to the accommodation on the banks of the Breede Rivier. Check-in at chalets. Time at leisure. Go at 16:00 on a circular game drive. Return to accommodation at 18:00.

Dinner at 18:30 at guide chalet
Overnight: Chalet at Lang Elsies Kraal Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 22 Bontebok National Park – De Hoop Reserve – Agulhas
Put luggage outside chalet at 07:15.

Breakfast at 07:30 at guide chalet.

Depart at 08:30 on a game drive to the exit gate. Exit the park and continue to De Hoop Nature Reserve. Many blue cranes, South Africa’s national bird are seen on the wheat fields in this area.

Arrive at the entrance gate at 10:00. De Hoop Nature Reserve falls in the Cape Floral Kingdom and is approximately 34 000 ha in size and situated in the Overberg region, near the southern tip of Africa. The adjacent De Hoop Marine Protected Area, which extends three nautical miles (5 km) out to sea, is one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa and provides a sanctuary for a vast and fascinating array of marine life and it is a favourite destination for whale watchers during the winter and early summer months, Marine mammals such as dolphins and seals occur in the waters off the coast and southern right whales calve and mate in the sheltered bays of De Hoop each year between May and December.

Land mammals include the rare bontebok and Cape mountain zebra, as well as eland, grey reebok, baboon, yellow mongoose, caracal and the occasional leopard. De Hoop is famous for its variety of resident and migratory bird species and more than 260 species have been recorded on the reserve. The De Hoop Vlei attracts large numbers of water birds. The only remaining breeding colony of the rare Cape vulture in the Western Cape occurs at Potberg.

Do a scenic drive to the view point at Koppie-Alleen, which is one of the best, if not the best whale watching spots on the South African coastline. Continue on a game drive to De Hoop Accommodation.

Lunch at 13:00 at De Hoop Restaurant.

Depart at 14:00 via Bredasdorp and Struisbaai to Cape Agulhas, the southern-most tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, which falls within Agulhas National Park. Amongst the mysteries associated with this region, is the legendary ‘Cape of Storms’ which wrecked many ships en route to the East. The second oldest working lighthouse in Southern Africa guards over the coastline and houses a unique lighthouse museum. This park hosts a variety of habitat types and great biodiversity as far as birds are concerned. Southern right whales come to the bays to breed from May to December. Visit the lighthouse.

Check-inn at chalets at 16:00. The chalets overlook the coastline. Time at leisure for a coastline walk at own pace.

Depart at 19:00 to Agulhas Village for dinner in a restaurant.
Overnight: Chalet at Agulhas
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 23 Agulhas – Cape Town area
Coffee/tea at client’s chalet.

Put luggage outside chalet at 07:15.

Depart at 07:30. Visit the Southern-most tip of Africa. Continue to Bredasdorp.

Breakfast at 08:30 at the Spur Restaurant.

Continue via the wheat fields of Caledon, fruit orchards of Villiersdorp and the scenic Franschhoek Pass to Franschhoek.

Continue to Butterfly World. Visitors soon realise that this is not only a butterfly park, but indeed a sanctuary for exotic animals, a bird sanctuary, a place where reptiles gets the highly specialised care they should and a whole lot more. All the creatures, bar the butterflies, have been donated by owners or environmental and conservation authorities. Not being able to return to their natural habitat where they belong, the animals will live out their days here in the tropical garden providing the best possible environment for them.

Visit the Road Kill Skeleton Park in the entrance hall at Butterfly World, which is the largest display of privately owned animal skeletons in the country. It is the work of a boy and his father using animal carcasses mainly from animals that died on our roads. Francois Malherbe was 3 years old when he was fascinated by animal bones and this grew into a unique, highly specialised hobby over the years. At the time Butterfly World opened this new Skeleton Park in 2016, Francois was 12 years old. He filled the space with over 50 skeletons perfectly preserved and meticulously poised. A fascinating experience for all ages.

Lunch at 13:00 at a restaurant in Franschoek.

Continue at 14:00 via the Winelands of the Western Cape to the Wellington area. Visit at 15:00 Schalk Burger & Sons’ Welbedacht Wine Estate near Wellington, home of the Meerkat Range of Wines, South Africa’s most gregarious wines. Taste some of the Welbedacht Wines including the Meerkat Range, which consist of Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Burrow Blend, Pinotage Rose & Sun Angel. Schalk Burger Snr played for the Springboks, South Africa’s National Rugby Team and his son Schalk Jnr was recently one of the key players for the Springboks.

Depart at 16:00 to accommodation at Diemersfontein Wine Estate in the Winelands near Wellington. Arrive at 16:30. Check in at accommodation in the historical Manor House at Diemersfontein. Wine tasting at Diemersfontein Wine Estate for those interested. Time at leisure.

Dinner at 19:00 at Diemersfontein Restaurant
Overnight: Room in Manor House at Diemersfontein Wine Estate
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 24 Cape Town & Surrounds
Put luggage outside chalet at 07:45.

Breakfast at 08:00 in the restaurant.

Depart at 08:45 on a tour of the Cape Peninsula. Visit the Penguins at Boulders. This colony of African (Jackass) penguins is one of only three colonies on the mainland. All other colonies are on islands. The first pair at Boulders was spotted in 1983 and since then the numbers have grown to about 3 000. Walkways ensure good close-up sightings of the penguins. Time for shopping at the souvenir shops and African Craft Market.

Continue to Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point which are all part of the Table Mountain National Park. The Table Mountain National Park is rich in floral biodiversity and is part of the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site. The most common vegetation type is fynbos and eland, bontebok, Cape mountain zebra, klipspringer and grysbok can be seen in the Cape of Good Hope section.

At Cape Point, visitors are treated to excellent viewing opportunities from both lighthouses that adorn the most south western point in Africa, one still fully functional. The lighthouse is accessible by foot or one can catch the Flying Dutchman funicular (at own cost) to the top. Time for shopping at the souvenir shop.

Lunch at 12:30 at the Hub Café in Scarborough.

Depart at 13:30 to the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive. Chapman’s Peak Drive winds its way between Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Atlantic Coast on the south-western tip of South Africa. Chapman’s Peak Drive is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world.

The 9km route, with its 114 curves, skirts the rocky coastline of Chapman’s Peak (593m). Chapman’s Peak Drive is affectionately known as “Chappies” and is a must for anyone who is passionate about the majestic Cape Town scenery, with sheer drops to the sea below and towering mountains rising above you. The twists and curves in the road seem endless and it is a photographers dream. The drive offers stunning 180° views with many areas along the route where you can stop and take in the exquisite scenery.

Arrive at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens at 15:00. Do a relaxed informative walk until 16:30. 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.

Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to promote, conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora of southern Africa, and was the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country’s indigenous flora. Kirstenbosch displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, also known as fynbos, as well as plants from all the diverse regions of southern Africa. Those that cannot survive outdoors, such as plants from the arid regions, are grown in the Botanical Society Conservatory. There are over 7 000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species.

More than just a garden, Kirstenbosch is part of a nature reserve. The 36 hectare garden is part of a 528 hectare estate that contains protected mountainside supporting natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds. The Kirstenbosch Estate borders the Table Mountain National Park.

Kirstenbosch lies in the heart of the Cape Floristic Region, also known as the Cape Floral Kingdom. In 2004 the Cape Floristic Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site – another first for Kirstenbosch, it is the first botanic garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. The most special flower every visitor wants to see is the King Protea, South Africa’s National flower.

Shopping break at the Kirstenbosch Shop between 16:30 – 17:30. Depart to accommodation at the Cape Town Waterfront. Arrive at the hotel at 18:00. Check-inn at hotel.

Dinner at 19:30 in hotel restaurant.
Overnight: City Lodge Waterfront Cape Town
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 25 Cape Town – Departure
Clients have breakfast at their own time in Hotel Restaurant.

Clients have the day at leisure to enjoy Cape Town at their own time. Optional visits to Table Mountain and/or Robben Island (weather permitting) can be done. Robben Island Ferry bookings have to be made well in advance. Transfer from City Lodge to Cape Town International Airport for departing flight. (At own cost)

If clients want to stay longer in Cape Town after the tour bookings can be made online or additional nights can be added to the tour rate if clients want Kalahari Wildlife Tours to make additional POST-TOUR hotel reservations at the City Lodge Waterfront in Cape Town.

Rates on request:
E-mail: dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za or click on CONTACT US.

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KALAHARI SAFARI
TOURS & TRAVEL
Upington 8801

TEL/FAX: + 27 (0) 54 3380375
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