Day 1

Depart from New York (JFK) or Washington Dulles (IAD) for your South African Airways flight to South Africa.

Day 2

On arrival in Johannesburg you will connect onwards for your 2 hour flight on South African Airways to Cape Town. On arrival you will be met for your transfer to your hotel.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel President

Day 3

After breakfast you will be met by your local English speaking driver-guide for your full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. Depart the hotel and flank the colder Atlantic Ocean en route to Hout Bay. Once a fishing community, now one of the most popular residential areas, the harbor still has a charm of days gone by. A chance to join the M.V "Circe" for a half hour cruise to "Seal Island" or for the not so adventurous, the fish market "Mariners Wharf" is a must. The tour now continues over the famous Chapman’s Peak drive – if open, with a 200 meter drop on one side and a 200 meter rise on the other, as we make our way south, following the Atlantic Ocean until we reach Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Said to be the romantic meeting place of the two mighty oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian, Sir Francis Drake the Explorer once called it "the fairest Cape that we saw in the whole circumference of the Globe". And rightly so, it must be the highlight of any visit to the Mother City, if not South Africa. Our optional lunch stop today is at the Fish Hoek Galley. We pass the naval base of Simonstown as we continue along the Indian Ocean, en route to see the Jackass penguin colony which has become well established at Boulders Beach near Simonstown. Our last stop of the day is at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, home of some 3 500 species of Southern African fauna and flora. We return to the hotel in the late afternoon, having seen some of the best the Cape has to offer.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel President

Day 4

After breakfast your local English speaking driver-guide will meet you at the hotel for a tour of the Cape wine region. We will depart from the hotel and head north to Paarl. Our first stop is for our morning wine tasting at Nelsons Creek Estate. After a tour through their cellars, there is a chance to sample some of their local wines as well as a cheese tasting. A brief city tour of Paarl follows, before we make our way to Franschhoek with a photo stop at the Groot Drakenstein Prison where Nelson Mandela was released in 1990. This little village nestled amongst the mountains, can easily be mistaken for a little Switzerland. After a short tour of the town, a second wine tasting will be enjoyed in Franschhoek followed by a lunch stop and perhaps a chance to savor some of the fresh trout for which Franschhoek is renowned. After lunch the tour continues to the university town of Stellenbosch. It is easy to understand why Simon van der Stel decided to settle a village amongst the mountains. The backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, the white gabled Cape Dutch homesteads and the oak lined streets and lanes all blend in to give this place a charm that will not be quickly forgotten. Time permitting we will include a third and final wine tasting. Then we set off for our return to the Mother City.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel President

Day 5

After breakfast your local English speaking driver-guide will meet you at the hotel to begin your Garden Route journey. Head northwards, climbing over the spectacular Du Toit's Kloof Pass en route to Worcester. From Worcester continue on the R62 through Montague, to the Joubert – Tradauw Estate, a family owned private cellar for lunch. In the afternoon travel through the Little Karoo to the ostrich capital of the world, Oudtshoorn. Here ostriches are found in great numbers and the region produces the best feathers, leather products and ostrich meat worldwide.

Overnight on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel Riempies Estate

Day 6

Awake to the freshness of Karoo air. After a good breakfast, visit the world famous Cango Caves, one of the world's great natural wonders set at the foot of the Swartberg Mountain range for a guided tour. From here travel to the Cango Wildlife Ranch, an endangered species breeding facility extraordinaire. Learn the facts and fiction about reptiles, other beautiful animals and the opportunity for a personal cheetah encounter (optional) A short drive to the other end of Oudtshoorn brings us to ostrich country and lunch at the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm to sample ostrich delicacies and to tour the estate. In the late afternoon travel over the Outeniqua Mountains which offer exquisite views as we approach the coast towards Knysna. Here for the first time one can now understand why this area is known as the Garden Route. As you drive over the summit of the pass, lush green vegetation awaits you.

Overnight on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel Knysna Quays

Day 7

The morning allows some time to enjoy the village of Knysna and the Knysna Waterfront. Thereafter depart on a guided boat trip on the Keurbooms River to experience the majesty of the Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, as the ferries glide over shimmering waters, through soaring gorges, to our picnic lunch stop along the banks of the Keurbooms River. In the late afternoon continue to Mossel Bay to visit the Post Office Tree and Diaz Museum where early pioneers left mail for the homebound ships to Europe. Spend a relaxed afternoon at the swimming pool or take a leisurely stroll along the beach.

Overnight on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel Mossel Bay

Day 8

The next morning, visit Botlierskop Private Game Reserve to enjoy breakfast before departing on a game drive. Experience close encounters with Rhinoceros, Lion, Buffalo, Giraffe, rare Black Impala and many more species in an exhilarating three hour guided game viewing drive in an open vehicle over the 3000 ha reserve. From the reserve travel via rolling hills to Swellendam, a town founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1745 to exercise control over independent frontiersmen who migrated over the Hottentots Holland Mountains at the beginning of the 18th century. Enjoy lunch in this historical town, then return to Cape Town via a scenic stop at one of the local farm stalls stocked with local delectable delights.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at the President Hotel

Day 9

After breakfast you will be met and transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg and onwards connection to the United States.

Day 10

Arrival in the United States at New York JFK or Washington Dulles airports.

Note

The Garden Route journey forms part of a scheduled tour with departures on a Tuesday from Cape Town

Includes

Round trip coach air on South African Airways from New York (JFK) or Washington (IAD) Airport to South Africa OR Tambo International Airport ~ Domestic coach air in South Africa as per the itinerary~ (Johannesburg - Cape Town - Johannesburg) ~ Accommodation as per the itinerary ~ Most meals as per the itinerary (7x breakfast, 4x lunch, 3 x dinner)~ Ground transfers as per the itinerary ~ Scheduled Cape Peninsula Tour ~ Scheduled Winelands Tour

Excludes

Add on air from other US cities ~ Any meals or services not mentioned above ~ Entrance fees on Cape Peninsula tour to Boulders penguins, Seal Island cruise ~ Any items of personal expense - i.e. drinks, telephone calls, laundry etc. ~ Gratuities for rangers/guides/drivers