Tour T-21 South Africa & Namibia

Cape Town - Stellenbosch & Paarl - Cape Point - Johannesburg - Lesedi Village - Pretoria - Sun City - Drakensberg - Kruger Park - Windhoek - Namib Naukluft Park - Sossusvlei - Sesriem Canyon - Walvis Bay - Swakopmund - Skeleton Coast - Etosha

     DAY 1 Arrival in Cape Town. Transfer to the hotel and a short rest. Departure for a sightseeing tour of the city centre, District 6, Camps Bay and famous pearly white Clifton beaches. The town is funky and old, vibrant and new, colourful and exiting. It has ancient tradition of hospitality and a modern reputation as the favourite destination of South Africans and visitors alike. The "Mother City" is a cosmopolitan mix of culture and business, industry and leisure, history and innovation.
Excursion to the vineyards. Visit to the historical university town of Stellenbosch - touring the town. Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa and every effort has been made to preserve the atmosphere of I9th century - calm and elegance. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dorp Street with its charming, thatched, white houses with green shutters and elegant fanlights. The town is also known for its stately oaks and gracefully proportioned Cape Dutch homesteads. Later drive through the valleys of Stellenbosch and Paarl and Franschhoek. Franschhoek (meaning 'the French corner") was settled more than three centuries ago when about 270 French Hugenots, having escaped religious persecution, settled in the Berg River Valley. On our way visit to one of the wine farms - tour of the wine estate and wine tasting.
Return to Cape Town - sunset from Signal Hill with a panoramic view over the city. Overnight at the hotel or guest house.

     DAY 2 Full day excursion to the Cape of Good Hope. Scenic drive along the Western coast via small picturesque fishing harbour of Hout Bay where we go on a cruise to Duiker Island - seal and seabird colony. Later we continue our drive through Chapman's Peak, a 10-km stretch blasted into the partially vertical rock considered one of the most spectacular coastal roads in South Africa. It starts at the Hout Bay and then winds up to Chapman's Point, revealing breathtaking views of the sandy bays down below, until the road reaches sea level again at Noordhoek.
Afterwards visit to The Cape Peninsula National Park that contains beautiful coastal scenery, beaches, diverse plant and animal life, shipwrecks and dramatic mountains. Wildlife in the reserve includes baboons, buck of all sorts and wild cats. There is also an abundance of birdlife including ostriches and flamingos. The park is the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms, and has one of the highest concentrations of different plant species, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. The special vegetation of the region is called "fynbos" and includes the protea which is a South Africa's national flower.
We reach the Cape Point and use a funicular (or railway) that leads up to the historic lighthouses that were built at the end of the Point. This is a stunning place to look out over the cliffs, rocks and endless sea which smell and sight of huge waves crashing into the rocks is really spectacular.
In the afternoon return to Cape Town along Eastern coast and old colonial curorts of Muizenberg and Simonstown. We will also stop at the Boulders Beach with a large breeding colony of Jackass penguins. This endearing little creatures nest just above the beaches along the coast, so one can well experience an encounter with some of them whenever enjoying the exellent sunbathing or swimming anywhere along Simon's Town' s coast.
Evening at the historic working harbour - V&A Waterfront - most visited tourist destination. One finds here buskers, entertainers and street festivals, lively music at the open air amphitheatre, cinemas, historic buildings, numerous restaurants and much more. Return to the hotel and overnight.

   DAY 3 Transfer to the airport and flight to Johannesburg. Check in at the hotel and afterwards sightseeing of the city: drive through the oldest, colonial districts of Johannesburg (Houghton with Nelson Mandela's house and Parktown) and the city centre.
In the afternoon drive to the Lesedi Cultural Village. A visit to the traditional Zulu, Basotho, Xhosa and Pedi homesteads is followed by lively African dancing at sunset by the fire and a "Big African Feast!". Overnight in Johannesburg.

     DAY 4 In the morning drive through the Hartbeespoort Dam to Sun City Resort - the place of entertainment and gambling, known as African Las Vegas. The resort is nestled on the borders of the Pilanesberg National Park. We will visit the casino complex and Lost City, surrounded by stunning tropical gardens with romantic waterfalls. In the afternoon time at leisure in the Valley of Waves, Waterworld or at the roulette tables. In the evening return to Johannesburg.

     DAY 5 After breakfast transfer to Pretoria - sightseeing of the city centre with its historical Church Square, the old Parliament building, the Palace of Justice and Paul Kruger's statue. Afterwards we drive past the City Hall and Melrose House. We will also stop at the Union Buildings - the headquarters of the South African government, situated on top of the hill, surrounded by beautiful gardens and offering panoramic view of Pretoria.
Departure towards famous Panoramic Route, offering one of the most beautiful scenery of the surrounding area. Our first stop will be at God's Window, which owns its name to the dramatic views from various viewpoints overlooking the almost sheer 300m drop into an indigenous forest-clad ravine. We continue north to see Bourke's Luck Potholes, that have been carved out by water and stone falling down into Blyde River resulting in spectacular cylinders (up to six meters deep) with smooth and colourful rims. This natural feature marks the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon, which is the third largest canyon in the world (25 km long) and besides its natural beauty is also well known for diversity of its flora and fauna.
Nearby is another highlight of the Scenic Drive - Three Rondavels - three hut-shaped rock formations. On our way we will also stop at the Lisbon Falls, which is the highest in the area. At the end of our journey we will have a break at Pilgrim's Rest - a little charming town that was founded after the discovery of gold in the stream flowing through the valley. Presently Pilgrim's Rest is like a living museum, preserved in the exact style of the gold rush period with many buildings unchanged for more than a century.
Overnight at the lodge adjoining Kruger Park.

     DAY 6 Early in the morning departure for a full day safari in the Kruger National Park - one of the largest and the best game reserves in Africa. The area covering almost 2 million hectares is home to an impressive number of species (almost 150 mammals, more than 500 birds, and 100 reptiles) among them the famous "Big Five": rhino, elephant, leopard, buffalo and lion. Late afternoon return to Johannesburg.

     DAY 7 In the morning transfer to the airport and flight to Windhoek - the capital of Namibia. Touring the city which will takes you in and around different parts and suburbs of Windhoek. Among places that we will see are old railway station, House of Parliament - National Assembly, Christuskirche, Raider's Memorial, Alte Feste (Old Fort), three Castles of Windhoek, Katutura township, view points over the city, historical, industrial and residential areas. Overnight at the hotel/guest house.

     DAY 8 Drive towards Namib Naukluft Park thought to be the oldest desert in the world. The Namib Naukluft Park is the largest conservation area in Namibia and one of the largest in the world. Parts of this park resemble a lunar landscape while other places rise with the purple-hued rocky mountains of the Naukluft Mountain massif. The famous, stunning orange sand dunes blown into razor sharp ridges and peaks along the road to Sossusvlei are certainly impressive just as watching the sunset on the Elim dune with the view on the Naukluft Mountains. Overnight at the lodge.

     DAY 9 Departure before dusk to the wild Sossusvlei dunes and watching the sunrise over the highest dunes in the world. Afterwards visit to Sesriem Canyon. Walking through this incredible canyon takes you on a journey back 10-20 million years when sedimentary layers of gravel and sand were deposited and cemented together by lime. The ledges are now inhabited by pigeons, raucous pied crows and chattering starlings. But look a little higher and you might see a lanner falcon or the soaring spread of a lappet faced vulture with a wingspan of 2.6m.
Drive through the desert to Walvis Bay - main Namibian harbour and also home of a large colony of aquatic birds gathering in the lagoon. The harbour town of Walvis Bay stands on flat land beside a wide bay and tidal lagoon, sheltered from the open ocean behind a spit of sand with a lighthouse at its tip. The site does not rise much above sea level, but high dunes crowd together on the landward side of town, where desert sands spill into the streets. After visitig the bay we drive to Swakopmund. Overnight at the hotel/guest house.

      DAY 10 A short sightseeing of Swakopmund, a picturesque Germanic town enclosed between Atlantic ocean and Namib Desert. Visit to a historic museum, Kristall Galerie, old railway station and aquarium. In the afternoon time for the optional activities like: quad biking on the vast dunes, kayak trip around the harbor and waching flamingo colony, exciting sand boarding, parachuting or horse riding. Overnight at the hotel/guest house.

    DAY 11 Early morning drive through the National Park of the Skeleton Coast to the Cape Cross with a huge seals colony. Days along the coast are often windy and shrouded in fog. Numerous shipwrecks litter the treacherous coastline, which gained its name from the dismal fate of castaways lost in the unfriendly terrain.
After visiting the cape return inland towards the Brandberg mountain. We visit Twyfelfontein with its prehistoric rock paintings which are one of the most prolific occurrence of rock engravings in the world. The current estimated numbers of the engravings is more than two thousand. Short drive North - West will take us to the Petrified Forest. Here we can see how the antediluvian flood deposited gaint treetrunks, some up to 30 m long. The age of these fossil trunks is estimated to be 200 million years. Overnight at the lodge.

     DAY 12 Departure from the lodge for a few-hour drive to the Etosha Park. Afternoon game drive through the park to the rest camp. The Etosha National Park is one of the major sanctuaries of wildlife in Africa and was proclaimed a game reserve by German Governer von Lindequist in 1907.
The heart of the park is the Etosha Pan, meaning 'place of dry water', an extensive, flat depression of about 5 000 sq km. This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering mirages, and seeing large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha a unique experience in Africa. Overnight in one of the camps in the reserve.

     DAY 13 Early morning departure from the park and drive towards Windhoek. Our route runs through Otjiwarongo, famous for the unusually dressed Herero women. A short stop over at Okahandja at the large African art market gives opportunity to admire talent of African people. Late evening departure from Windhoek.

The price includes:
- accommodation in the 3* hotels, bungalows and guesthouses in double rooms with bathrooms
- breakfasts and dinners
- service of a driver/tour guide
- transport in airconditioned cars/microbuses

The price excludes:
- flight to South Africa via Windhoek and Johannesburg
-Cape Town
- lunches
- cold and alcoholic beverages
- entry fees to the parks and visited places
- insurance
- visa fees if applicable
- extra excursions and optional activities

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