Day 1

Depart from New York or Washington DC 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 Hoedspruit.

On arrival you will be met for your transfer to Ngala Safari Lodge. Time permitting you can partake in an afternoon safari in open game vehicles , or just relax and experience African hospitality at its finest.

The romance and mystery of Africa come alive in 20 thatched cottages tucked under a dense canopy of tamboti trees at Ngala Safari Lodge. Exuding classical safari charm, the spacious veranda, with its wonderfully comfortable armchairs, looks out onto a popular waterhole. For pure indulgence, the Safari Suite offers an elegant sitting room, private swimming pool and exclusive use of a safari vehicle. Mouth-watering meals are served in the shade of an enormous weeping boerbean tree, while a large swimming pool lies on the edge of thick riverine woodland.

Overnight on a fully inclusive basis at Ngala Safari Lodge

Day 3

Enjoy early morning and late afternoon game drives with experienced game rangers and trackers. Game drives are undertaken at the coolest times of the day to avoid the harsh African sun where you are sure to be enthralled in this prime game viewing area. The rest of your time will be spent relaxing at the lodge, perhaps by the pool or enjoying an afternoon siesta. Sumptuous meals are enjoyed during your stay which is sure to be a lifetime experience.

Overnight on a fully inclusive basis at Ngala Safari Lodge

Day 4

After one last opportunity to track some elusive animal species, transfer to Hoedspruit Airport for your flight to Johannesburg.

On arrival you will be met and accompanied on the Gautrain rapid train to Rosebank where your hotel is a short walk away

Discover a contemporary and fashionable haven on Bath Avenue right in the heart of Rosebank, Johannesburg’s trendy suburb. Classic and sophisticated, the accent is on understated elegance and our focus is to provide an exceptional guest experience. This hotel, which opened in July 2012, is for the discerning traveller seeking intimacy and refinement but always with stylish flair. From the moment of arrival into the elegant lobby with its delightful lounge to the luxury and comfort of your room, you will enjoy attentive and friendly service.

Everything has been designed around your comfort and the stylish interiors reflect a calm tranquillity with the use of harmonious colours, sophisticated design and strong graphic motifs. We invite you to linger and stay in a hotel which recognises your individuality and mirrors your unique preferences. Everything in short, to experience a truly fashionable stay, whether you’re on business or simply taking a relaxing break.

Overnight at 54 on Bath hotel on a bed and breakfast basis

Day 5

After an early wake-up you'll be transferred to the Magaliesburg for your ballooning experience at sunrise. Sip fine sparkling wine while hovering gently above the tree tops of the beautiful Magalies River Valley, or drifting majestically high above the Magaliesberg range in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site, just 45 km north of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, a region boasting some of the best ballooning weather in the world. The exceptional peace of this unique and almost supernatural view of the world will forever remain as a truly cherished memory.

After landing, savor a delectable and generous champagne breakfast at our new, traditionally exquisite and beautifully appointed Clubhouse, Pavilion and Restaurant, where you’ll be filled with the warmest of memories.

After a leisurely breakfast, you will visit Soweto, a cultural experience to be remembered forever.

Time permitting, we will also visit the South African Breweries' World of Beer

In the late afternoon we will return to the hotel

Overnight at 54 on Bath on a bed and breakfast basis

Day 6

Enjoy an early breakfast, then transfer back to the city where you register and check-in at the Blue Train Lounge, for your luxury train journey South Bound.

The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about it. Kings and presidents have travelled on this magnificent moving five-star hotel. Its very name has become synonymous with the ultimate in luxury and personal service. As the ever-changing scenery flashes past the windows, guests can savour exquisite meals freshly prepared on board by top chefs. The meals are complemented by the best wines South Africa has to offer.

The suites on The Blue Train live up to its reputation for magnificence and splendor. The finest bed linen, marble tiles and gold fittings in the bathrooms and sheer opulence all ensure that guests will never forget the time they spend on The Blue Train.

When you choose to travel on The Blue Train, you choose to travel in a world of grace, elegance and romance.

Linking the private suites of The Blue Train are two wood-paneled cars: the lounge and club cars. The elegant lounges are ideally positioned for an apéritif, an interlude between meals or an after-dinner conversation over coffee, cognac and Cuban cigars.

You can while away the miles with a game of cards, chess or backgammon, tune in to the big-screen television or browse through a volume from the library while savoring your beverage of choice from the well-stocked bar. Unwind, relax, and indulge.

The Blue Train experience is a banquet for all the senses and this is especially true of our dining car. Here the reassuring weight of Sheffield cutlery and crystal glassware on crisp white linen set the tone for the delights to follow.

As the sky darkens over the landscape, the day's smart-casual dress code gives way to a parade of elegant eveningwear or traditional attire, in keeping with The Blue Train's classic livery and earthy African décor.

Overnight on a Full Board basis on The Blue Train

Day 7

On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Queen Victoria Hotel.

The rest of the day is at leisure to explore Cape Town and its Waterfront

Queen Victoria Hotel is a luxuriously appointed, deluxe boutique hotel in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The overall look does not only reflect the hotel’s unique location but also encapsulates the luxurious style and attention to detail that defines small, luxury retreats around the world. The hotel has 35 luxurious rooms and suites, including a presidential suite with a generous terrace for al fresco entertaining.

Overnight at the Queen Victoria Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis

Day 8

After an early breakfast you will be transferred to Lion's head, where you'll have the opportunity (weather depending) to experience one of Cape Town's greatest thrills...a tandem paraglide.

After words 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 harbour 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 Queen Victoria Hotel

Day 9

A full day at your disposal to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town. Take a trip in the cable car up Table Mountain and indulge and the opulence the city has to offer.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at the Queen Victoria Hotel

Day 10

After breakfast, transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg and onwards connection to the United States.

Day 11

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

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 - Hoedspruit – Johannesburg and Cape Town - Johannesburg) ~ Accommodation as per the itinerary ~ Most meals (9 x breakfasts, 3 x lunch, 3 x dinner) ~ Ground Transfers ~ All park fees and safari activities ~ Cape Peninsula Tour

Excludes

Add on air from other US cities ~ Any meals or services not mentioned above ~ Any items of personal expense - i.e. drinks, telephone calls, laundry etc. ~ Gratuities for rangers/guides/drivers