Sea, Safari, South Africa Explore with Ellen x contiki SOLD OUT

Cape Town: Hello Africa… and hello Cape Town. Ready to get going? It’s off to the Karoo desert via the famous ‘Route 62’.

Cango Caves: An included guided tour of Africa's LARGEST cave system including cavernous halls, limestone formations, cave paintings and artefacts. 

Oudtshoorn: Welcome to the ‘Ostrich Capital of the World’. After passing vineyards and mountain passes along the way, you can choose to take a scenic bike ride to the Swartberg Mountains and finish off with a Karoo braai dinner right inside a local farmer's house! 

Hotel: Riempie Estate (or similar)

Oudtshoorn: Good morning! Let's continue heading East towards one of South Africa's most loved National Parks: Addo Elephant. 

Addo Elephant National Park: That’s right, it’s elephant time. After lunch, we’ll set out in search of Africa's largest land mammal here at the Addo National Park. (Keep your eyes peeled for lions, buffalo, and antelope too though!)

Gqeberha: We'll retreat here for the night and for those who fancy, there's a karaoke bar just around the corner. (Cue your fave Lion King jams.)

Hotel: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar)

Included Meal: Breakfast

Gqeberha: Today is all about wildlife, both on land and in the ocean. We’ll visit SANCCOB Penguin Rehabilitation Centre, who give sick and injured penguins the care they deserve and help them to return to the wild.

Private Game Reserves:The Eastern Cape’s game reserves are some of South Africa’s best spots for seeing the Big 5, home to valleys, plains, rivers and more. We’ll head in for an included lunch, then back out again for another game drive. Yes, that is 3 game drives in 36 hours giving you the best chance of spotting the Big 5. 

Gqeberha: Tonight we’ll head back to the city where a free evening awaits. Karaoke round two? 

Hotel: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Gqeberha: Beach time. Desert? Tick. Caves? Tick. Safari? Tick. Now it’s time to make our way along the famous Garden Route to Knysna, with a few sensational stop-offs on route.

Jeffreys Bay: Known as one of the best surf spots in the world, we'll start our day with some chill time on J-Bay.

Tsitsikamma National Park: Welcome to our next pitstop, known for the Instagramable Storms River Bridge. After that, you’ll have the chance to  go kayaking up the Storms River.

Knysna: And then we pull into the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, ready to explore the Garden Route in all it's glory. 

Hotel: Knysna Quays (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Knysna: Rise and shine! Begin with an included breakfast, overlooking the Knysna lagoon.

Plettenberg Bay: It’s ocean time… Join our optional marine safari and search for whales, dolphins, seals and more spectacular sea life. Afterwards, we’ll spend the rest of the day relaxing on Plettenberg's main beach. 

Knysna: This evening, we’ll embark on a Township visit here in Knysna, where you’ll meet the locals and have the chance to make a positive impact for the children who live here. Afterwards, we'll tuck into a group dinner on the Knysna lagoon, followed by a night on the town.

Hotel: Knysna Quays (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Knysna: As we drive back to Cape Town, you’ll watch the magnificence of the Garden Route unfold as we pass coastal towns, forests, gorges and some jaw-dropping ocean views.

Hermanus: Marine mania… We’ll have lunch and some free time here in the coastal town of Hermanus, which is one of the world’s best areas for spotting whales. Before hitting the road we’ll spend some time learning all about shark conservation too.

Cape Town: And here we are, back in the city. Grab your group for dinner – followed by a night out, of course!

Hotel: Waterfront Breakwater (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Cape Town: Today we’ll add a touch of class with a trip to Stellenbosch – the Cape’s famous wine region.

Stellenbosch: After some free time to explore and shop we’ll discover Stellenbosh’s awesome wine farms, sampling the very finest of the Cape’s fine wines. With spectacular views, and a traditional South African braai for lunch, this really is one tasty excursion indeed.  We'll then make our way to Cape Town and board our flight to the next destination - the biggest city in South Africa!

Johannesburg: Touching down, we’ll head straight to our hotel for the evening. 

OR Tambo Protea Hotel (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Johannesburg: A day of history. Here in the City of Gold, we’ll take a drive through the heart of South Africa to the coastal city of Durban. Along the way, we’ll stop off for a sobering exploration of the nation’s troubled history, with a visit to the site of Nelson Mandela’s capture. We’ll then take a trip to the museum – yes, you’ll confront the history, but you’ll leave feeling hopeful as you learn how apartheid was finally brought to an end.

Durban: Tonight’s accom is conveniently located next to plenty of shops and restaurants… So you can go right ahead and treat yourself.

Hotel: Royal Palm Hotel (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Durban: You have a free morning here at one of the finest coastal spots in South Africa. You can check out the uShaka Marine World, rent a bike and cruise down the ‘Golden Mile’, or you can simply sit back and soak up those rays. Afterwards, we’ll make our way to St Lucia.

St. Lucia: Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife by day and hippos by night here in St Lucia (we’re right by the UNESCO World Heritage listed iSimanagaliso Wetlands Park). On a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience this afternoon, we’ll visit a local Zulu village, learn all about the Zulu people and their traditions with a chance to meet some of the locals.

Hotel: Forest Lodge (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

St. Lucia: Beach or bush? Why decide when you can do both? This morning we’ll head out to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, so watch out for elephants, buffalo, rhinos, antelope… plus whales. We’ll stop off at Cape Vidal for some snorkelling and all-round beach vibes. You’ll then have some free time to explore St Lucia. This evening, we’ll embark on a Sunset Hippo Boat cruise on Lake St Lucia (Africa’s largest estuary – home to over 800 hippos and 1200 crocodiles). Afterwards, we’ll round things off with a traditional South African braai dinner. 

Hotel: Forest Lodge (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

St. Lucia: It's an early start today – we’re heading inland to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and we aim to be there by sunrise.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve: The Big Five. A half-day game drive at the reserve instrumental for bringing the White Rhino back from the brink of extinction..

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Lobamba, Eswatini: It’s time to set off for a brand new country. Here in Eswatini, we’ll meet some of the locals and learn about their culture and language on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Tonight you will stay at Mlilwane's Main Lodge - unique beehive thatched huts with ensuite bathrooms.

Mlilwane Beehive Huts (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Lobamba, Eswatini: Ah, to wake up in nature. We'll kick off the day with a hearty breakfast and then set off on a morning safari walk. Don't forget to sign up for a guided Mountain bike ride through the wilderness. There is no Big 5 here so feel free and safe to explore as you choose. 

Kruger National Park: Next up, it’s the big one. The world famous one. Here in Kruger, we’ll stay at an exclusive safari campsite. (Struggling to picture it? Think glamping canvas tents with mattresses, linen and stretchers, a roaring bonfire burning all the while.) This is a true Once in a Lifetime experience!

Contiki Safari Camp (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Kruger National Park: Wakey wakey! You're free to spend your time in the Savannah however you like. But if you're adventure-hungry, we’ve got two epic game drives waiting for us today. We'll begin our game of hide-and-seek at sunrise and stop off for some spectacular view points. We'll try our luck at catching a glimpse of the elusive cheetahs, leopards and African wild dogs. Afterwards, we'll take a pause for some tea, rusks and refreshments before getting on our game-viewers for the second one! Tonight after our evening game drive, we’ll tuck into a final bush dinner and let the wild reminiscing begin.

Contiki Safari Camp (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Kruger National Park: Our final day. But there's time for one last morning game drive. We’ll head out bright and early before making our way back to Johannesburg. If you prefer to do your last game drive in an open safari vehicle with a local guide rather than on our Contiki transport - you'll also have a last chance to spot some spellbinding safari animals.

Johannesburg: And now, with heavy hearts (and even heavier camera rolls) we’ll make our way back to either the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport or Johannesburg International Airport. It’s been a thrill… we’ve seen wildlife, we’ve made friends for life. The only question is: where next?