The magic of Africa 28 days

Arrival at Johannesburg airport. You will be picked up by the guesthouse where you will stay the first night from the airport. It is very nice to get a good night's sleep after the long flight to South Africa. This gives you the opportunity to choose the right flight and it does not matter much what time you arrive. Even if it is in the middle of the night. The next morning your driver/guide will pick you up and you will really go on a journey through the real South Africa.

Have you always been curious about the apartheid history of South Africa? Today you will go on an excursion to Soweto, also known as SOuth WEst TOwnship. The largest township in South Africa.

In addition to the township, you will also visit the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. The Mandela House and several sights that reflect the apartheid history. A black page in the history of South Africa, but one that needs to be told.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg, you will feel like you are in a different world within 2 hours. Different landscapes pass by and your final destination is Sabie. Sabie is right in the heart of the Northern Drakensberg area where the Blyde River Canyon is located.

The world famous Panorama Route is on the program today. The Blyde River Canyon is the 2nd largest canyon in the world and the greenest canyon in the world. We follow the contours of the canyon and visit, among other things, Gods Window, Burkes Luck Potholes, The three Rondavels and more special world wonders in this beautiful area.

We descend from the highveld to the lowveld. Better known as the Savannah. The Kruger Park is located in the lowveld. You arrive in the Greater Kruger Park in good time and you are in the middle of the animals of Africa. This is what it is all about, right?

The scent of the bush is like a perfume that lingers and of an unprecedented beauty.

It's going to happen. Very early in the morning, usually around 5 (!) in the early morning, you will be picked up by a ranger and you will explore the Kruger Park with an open safari vehicle. And not for a few hours. But the entire day. In search of the Big 5, so to speak. The area you will visit is the most game-rich part of the Kruger Park. Success guaranteed! The views of this primeval African environment are a feast for the eyes. Completely Out of Africa. The awakening of the untouched nature in Africa is the most beautiful experience there is. Get up as early as possible and see the sun rise and the day animals wake up while the nocturnal animals go to sleep.

You are going to take a ride today. (Not that far, about an hour) to the border with Swaziland. You are going to visit Matsamo Cultural Village. This cultural village is located right on the border with Swaziland. The Swazi people treat you to a dance, drum and singing show and show you how life used to be in this part of Africa. If you want you can enjoy a buffet lunch (at your own expense). Very tasty and traditional food. This is an absolute must because it is really very tasty.

You leave the Greater Kruger Park and head for the Indian Ocean. Because the road there is quite long, we do this in 2 shorter travel days. Today we go to Piet Retief via the inland with phenomenal landscapes. Named after a former resistance fighter of the Boer War. On the way we make a stop at the Samoza lady and what that is... You will experience that.

On the way from Piet Retief to St Lucia. St Lucia is enclosed by water and only accessible by a bridge. Enclosed by the Indian Ocean and Lake St Lucia. Lake St Lucia is part of the Isimangoliso Wetlands Park. This small village is bustling with wildlife and water activities. You will experience it. P.S. In the evening and at night the hippos walk the streets in the village. Be careful and look around you.

A relaxing day. In the morning you will take a boat cruise of about two hours on Lake St Lucia. You will see a lot of hippos. Lake St Lucia is home to the largest colony of hippos in Africa. More than 800 of them. Supplemented with a lot of Nile crocodiles, this is a really special boat trip.

You will also see mangroves and who knows, the African fish eagles that are always present. You have the afternoon free to spend. You can explore the village and enjoy yourself on the many terraces and nice shops.

Today you will spend a few hours in the Isimangoliso Wetlands Park. Officially a Big 5 nature reserve but we have to be honest and say that we have never seen lions there. But that is not what you come to this park for. It is about the most impressive piece of protected nature in Africa.

The swamp and dune area is unique in the world. This cannot be found anywhere else. The drive goes to Cape Vidal, perhaps the most beautiful piece of beach in South Africa.

When you arrive and turn left and continue for 200 km you will end up in Mozambique. And it would be something if you saw an elephant on the beach, right?

This travel day takes you via Durban to the area where the highest mountains of South Africa are. Royal Natal National Park. Today's destination is a farm about 30km outside Bergville at the foot of the Amphie Theater. Spectacular views, the serene tranquility is impressive. This is also South Africa. And heals your soul, we may say.

Today you are going to see something special. The Golden Gate National Park is the smallest national park in South Africa. But in terms of landscape the most beautiful. In some places it is as if you are on the moon. Above the tree line and the view… No words for it. Very, very impressive.

We go around Lesotho and go to the capital of Free State. Bloemfontein the capital of the judiciary in South Africa. Full of universities and special schools. Not that we are going to visit them but visiting Bloemfontein and staying there for a night is definitely worth it.

Through a part of the Karoo and wild landscape you really go to the interior of South Africa. You will be amazed by the village of Graaff Reinet. The old (very beautiful) white church is the center of the village. Just outside the village is the Camdeboo National Park. Special and special ride through South African landscapes. It is not for nothing that South Africa is the rainbow nation.

All landscapes in the world are represented in 1 country. Every day that you travel further you will be able to confirm this when you are back home. But you are only halfway

Up early, an exciting day is on the program. First a visit to Camdeboo National Park. You go to a viewpoint over Desolate Valley. Desolate Valley is the most desolate place in South Africa. Spectacular view of a special place.

From here we continue to Addo. Just outside the famous Addo Elephant Park. Once started with protecting a few elephants and now a very large full-fledged Big 5 national park. Unfortunately, a large part is not accessible. But the most beautiful part is. Addo Elephant Park is also sometimes called the first Big 7 park in Africa. Without leaving the park, you can see the big 2 in the ocean in addition to the well-known Big 5 (Elephant, Lion, Rhinoceros, Leopard and Buffalo). The Whale and the White Shark. It remains special.

We will drive around with you in the Addo Elephant park. Beautiful day in a beautiful and special park. We are not in a hurry and take plenty of time to show you the Addo. Nice atmospheric restaurant there too by the way.

Today is all about rugged. Rugged landscape, a rugged ride and rugged mountains. The Swartberg Mountains were an insurmountable obstacle during the Voortrekker era. We cross the Swartberg Mountains and take the Swartberg Pass. According to many, the most beautiful mountain pass in the world.

And you will see it and can then judge it for yourself. Today's end point is an olive grove (farm) in Oudtshoorn. Officially, Oudtshoorn and the Swartberg Mountains are also part of the Garden Route, but we think these are two different activities.

A bit touristy but you have to see it and if you are in the area certainly. The Cango Caves are the oldest and largest caves in Africa. Oudtshoorn is known for its history with ostriches. We will show you an ostrich farm. Very funny and always fun.

This doesn't really need an introduction. You're going to start on the garden route. We'll pick up the route between Knysna and Port Elisabeth and take you to the most beautiful locations that you must have seen. Knysna, Wilderness, Tsjtsjikamma, Plettenberg Bay, Storms Rivier, Mosselbay are all on the program. And we're going to take a few days.

The 2nd day we spend in this region. What do you think of Knysna Head and Knysna Forrest? What we didn't get to yesterday we do today. No stress, all the time and nice and quiet. If you feel like it you can also visit a sea seal rock during the garden route with a boat across the sea in Mossel Bay.

Thousands of sea seals on a rock off the coast. And believe us.. Think carefully if you want this.. Stinking... unbelievably not normal. You won't be the first to be sick / get sick for a certain period. (Only do this with a strong stomach..)

We continue along our route and visit Hermannes. Hermannes is located at a somewhat strange point on the coast. The water at the pier, which is not very long at all, is so deep that you could almost say that the whales are swimming through the village. In season, the whales swim from Antarctica and the cold waters along the South African coast to the warmer waters off the coast of Mozambique to have young.

Of course, when the young are born, they swim back again. Hermannes is one of the few locations where you can see the whales swimming very close to the coast. Don't forget the many dolphins that also swim along here. A unique part of the world and very beautiful to see. We conclude today with a glass of wine in Wellington!

You've probably heard of it. Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek. This is where most of the famous and tastiest wines of South Africa come from. And we're going to taste that today, right? Start in Franschhoek for coffee, via Stellenbosch for lunch, take a look around Paarl. This is a great I'm on holiday day.

Besides, spending your days in such a beautiful environment is not so bad. Enjoy it!

It is not that far from Wellington to Cape Town. We will take you through the city and show you some highlights. Of course, the V&A Waterfront cannot be missed. In and on the harbour with a spectacular view of Table Mountain. The nicest terraces and a tangle of African mixed cultures.

Always fun and always pleasant. We will also visit Bo-Kaap. You know, those painted houses.

You will spend the night in Hout Bay. Just outside Cape Town at the back of Table Mountain. How beautiful can it be. The harbour of Hout Bay is a must-see. And you cannot miss eating freshly caught fish in the harbour.

Cape of Good Hope and the associated national park Cape Point. Via the most famous high-altitude coastal road in the world Chapmans Peak we go to the very tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Cape of Good Hope who has never heard of it.

We go back via Muizenberg and Boulders Beach. Boulders Beach is home to the black-footed penguins. They come here to breed and there are many of them. One once got lost and now they walk through the village. In Boulders Beach you can even swim among them if you want. Very special.

Today we take you to Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens. The most famous and perhaps the largest botanical garden in the world. Of Africa for sure. Everything that grows and blooms and that occurs in Africa can be found here. Very large and beautiful gardens laid out like in a fairy tale.

Later we go to the port of Hout Bay. Eat fish or just stroll along the coast or through the port. Enjoy the sea and sea air. The special people and beautiful nature.

We are not leaving that late because Table Mountain is on the program. It is impossible to predict how long it will take us to get to the top, which is why we have reserved a day for it. Of course it will not take the whole day. On the spot we will decide with you what there is still to do that there is still time for. First, look out high above Cape Town over the city of cities and think back to 4 weeks of traveling around South Africa….

It's over.. We'll take you to Cape Town airport to go back home..