Johannesburg to the Cape

Today you rise early and after a briefing with your Group Leader (approx. 6.30 am) in the hotel reception, you load the vehicle and make your way down from the temperate, rolling plateau of the high veld, over the escarpment to the sub-tropical Mpumalanga. You have a picnic lunch and the afternoon to enjoy the stunning scenery, many beautiful waterfalls and unique flora of this area. There will be time to stretch your legs with short walks to the natural rock pools of Bourkes Luck Potholes and to God’s Window, which offers magnificent views over the Blyde River Canyon. (Approx. 6 ½ hours driving in total today). Tonight you stay at the fascinating old goldrush town of Pilgrim’s Rest where it is easy to imagine the lives of the miners and their families who worked the small alluvial claims at the end of the last century. Camp - 1 night (LD)

Saying goodbye to Kruger, you pass plantations of sugar cane, mango and paw-paw and cross the border into the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland (total driving time about 6 hours, including game drives, plus a border stop and lunch. Time is dependent on where we stay in Kruger). The Swazi nation is one of the most handsome and colourfully dressed of all African people and they are intensely proud of their country. After a pause for lunch, the drive to the western highlands soon leads you to the impressive Malolotja Nature Reserve. The superb mountain scenery, which you’ll explore on foot this afternoon (Approx. 2-3 hours walking), including the protected breeding grounds of the bald ibis and the blue swallow, qualifies Malalotja as one of the leading nature reserves in Southern Africa. Cabins with shared bathrooms - 1 night (BLD)

Today you drive (about seven hours driving with an extra hour for lunch) through villages and rolling hills towards the great mountain escarpment the Zulus referred to as the ‘Barrier of Spears’ – the Drakensberg Mountains. Carved by many fast-flowing rivers, this area of waterfalls and silent, fern-filled forests is a paradise for hikers. Camping - 2 nights (B,L,D)

Today is a scenic journey as you drive through the towering sandstone cliffs of the Golden Gate on your way to Lesotho. This rugged mountainous country offers many breathtaking views, as you travel to your base for the next 2 nights.  Malealea Lodge has a stunning location, nestled high up in the mountains.

The next day you set off early on a half day of hiking in these awe-inspiring mountains. You are accompanied by local guides and their trusted Basotho ponies, a very tough and sure-footed breed. Undoubtedly you will pass many Basotho riders along the way, huddled in the traditional blankets as they slowly make their way on ponyback - the best way to get around. Hut with shared bathrooms - 2 nights (Bx2, Lx2, Dx2)

A more leisurely start today, as you travel to Addo Elephant National Park (approx. 3-4 hours). At the beginning of the century the huge elephant herds that roamed the region were regarded as a menace and most were destroyed. The park was established in 1931 when all that remained of these great herds were eleven survivors. Now this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 200 elephants in an area supporting proportionally three times the number found anywhere else in Africa. You have time for an afternoon game drive and after supper, view game at a floodlit water hole. Camp - 1 night (BLD)

Today you head south of the city, taking a route past the vineyard of Groot Constantia - the oldest and grandest Cape-Dutch style homestead in the Cape - the beaches of False Bay and the peninsula of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. After stopping to see a colony of penguins, you enjoy a walk to the lighthouse at Cape Point, pausing to admire the flora along the way; in particular the many varieties of protea - South Africa’s national flower. The ‘fynbos’ vegetation of the Western Cape is one of the richest floral habitats in the world. The point itself is dramatic, with its sea cliffs pounded by the ocean. Returning along the coast, the 10km Chapman’s Peak Drive is one of the most stunning marine routes in the world, cut into the side of sheer mountain walls that drop to the ocean below. You pass through Hout Bay, an important fishing port, known for crayfish and smoked fish, then continue to a succession of beautiful white sand coves and beaches. From Hout Bay there may be the opportunity to take a boat trip to nearby seal colonies. You may have time to swim at one of the bays before returning to your hotel. The evening is left free. (B)