Kruger National Park
Visit the largest game reserve in South Africa
Cape Town
Explore the charm of the ‘Mother City’
Robben Island
Visit Robben Island, a small landmass that served as a prison for Nelson Mandela
Stellenbosch
Learn about South Africa’s colonial past and enjoy the delights of Stellenbosch.
Explore South Africa during this 10-day tour and learn all about the rich culture and historical heritage of this diverse country. Take a safari ride into the middle of the wilderness and watch the ‘big five’ in their natural environment. Open your senses, uncover the country’s customs and traditions by exploring African cuisine in Cape Town, and taste the best wine and cheese from the Stellenbosch region. The spectrum of activities is wide and this tour offers you the perfect insight into this fruitful land.
What’s Extra
We depart the UK for our overnight flight to Hoedspruit via Johannesburg.
After landing at Hoedspruit Airport we will transfer to our private game lodge adjacent to the famous Kruger National Park. The rest of the day is free for you to spend at leisure. That way you will store up energy for the following day’s game drive!
A spellbinding experience awaits us this morning. Head out to explore Kruger National Park, often thought of as the world’s largest wildlife zoo. Wake up early in the morning and jump into a safari jeep with a specialised wildlife ranger-guide and drive over to Kruger Park for your very first safari experience. Enjoy a thrilling game drive and, like completing a wildlife bingo, try to spot all of Africa’s highly sought-after Big Five: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. We will make two stops during the day, one for breakfast and another for lunch, at different rest camps throughout the safari. That way you will be able to take advantage of your time in the game reserve to the fullest and make sure you don’t miss any animal you were longing to see in its natural habitat. You will be driven back to the lodge in the late afternoon, at around 16:00.
Rise and shine for another African morning in the wilderness and get ready for our second safari adventure. Today we can choose from an exciting array of activities, encompassed by a comfortable accommodation, friendly staff, great food, and a professional health and beauty spa set in the most amazing bushveld gardens in South Africa, where birdwatching and fishing are two favourite pastimes. There are exciting activities suited to absolutely everyone’s needs, including but not limited to open-vehicle safaris, bush braai evenings in Kruger Park, guided walks in the bush, mountain bike trails, trips to animal rehabilitation centres and much more.
Start your day with a leisurely breakfast and enjoy your last game ride before leaving for Hoedspruit Airport, where we will catch our onward flight to Cape Town. After landing, we will take a transfer to South Africa’s ‘Mother City’, Cape Town. Our accommodation is located right in the city center, surrounded by shops and restaurants, and the famous V&A Waterfront is only a short drive away. Spend the rest of this first day in Cape Town at leisure, either hitting the streets to start familiarising yourself with the new surroundings or putting your feet up in the hotel and making the most of the available services.
After breakfast in the hotel, it’s time to put on your walking shoes and enjoy a full-day foodie tour of Cape Town on foot. Our guide will meet us in the hotel reception and start strolling down the streets of the city. So much about a country and a culture is expressed through its cuisine! In South Africa much of the cuisine is typically homemade, and to get a taste you really need to search hard. This tour aims to combine the history of this city with exploring its back streets to find the tastes that represent all the rainbow nation. As we walk the streets of Cape Town, experiencing its history and people, we’ll stop to taste a mixture of traditional South African street food and to visit some artisanal foodie and coffee shops. During the walk we will get to taste pap, samp & beans, a meat stew and vetkoek; Falooda, a traditional Muslim Rose Milkshake; a gourmet bunny chow to get a little taste of Indian Cuisine; coffee from one of the micro artisan coffee roasters in the city; and bobotie pies, a modern take on the traditional bobotie, which both the Cape Malays and white Afrikaners claim as their traditional dish.
Wake up to breakfast at the hotel, then we meet our guide in reception and get ready for our next African experience. Today’s full-day Cape Peninsula Discovery tour will start with a coffee stop along the Southern Peninsula. Next, we take a stroll along Kalk Bay’s Main road, with its interesting antique and bric-a-brac shops. A gem of the False Bay coastline, Kalk Bay is known for its raw beauty, interesting shops, vast selection of restaurants and stunning views. You could easily spend a full day in this little neighbourhood and still not be able to experience it all! Then visit the African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach and proceed to the world-famous Cape of Good Hope. Climb the stairs or use the funicular to get to the Lighthouse; the view from the top is spectacular! You will receive a certificate to celebrate this moment before continuing with your journey back to Cape Town.
After breakfast, we meet our guide and start our day at the famous V&A Waterfront, where we will take a 12-minute Helicopter Flip over the Mother City (included)! After this exciting experience, you will have the opportunity to spend some time discovering Cape Town’s Waterfront. Later, we hop onto the ferry that leaves from Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, a small landmass that served as a prison for political prisoners during apartheid. Nelson Mandela was its most famous prisoner. Today it is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Tours on Robben Island are guided by former inmates and last about 5 hours.
Today’s journey will take us to the most beautiful and interesting parts of the Western Cape’s wine lands. After breakfast, we meet our guide in reception to start our full-day tour, beginning with a journey to Paarl, a small town where one of South Africa’s main languages, Afrikaans, was born. Here we’ll visit the Taal Monument. The third oldest settlement in South Africa, Paarl is steeped in history, culture, natural splendour and a centuries-old tradition of winemaking. In 1657, Abraham Gabemma set out from the Cape in search of resources. On his journey, he came across a giant granite rock gleaming in the distance. He called it Pearl Mountain, and the town that grew at its base eventually became known as Paarl. The Lovely Fairview Wine estate will host us for a wine & cheese tasting. Founded in 1693, it still is a working farm, housing a collection of micro-businesses all striving towards a common goal: to create artisanal and sustainable produce, with a focus on fine wine and cheese.
We charge our batteries with breakfast at the hotel before we head off to Stellenbosch to check in to our hotel for the night. After check in we’ll go on a half-day culinary walk to discover South Africa’s second oldest town, Stellenbosch. The tour starts at 10:00 just around the corner from our hotel. Our guide will accompany us on this luscious experience, which includes a walk through the historical centre of Stellenbosch, a taste of typical South African delicacies and a light lunch.
After breakfast you will have some free time in Stellenbosch before we head back to Cape Town for our journey home to the UK.
We stay in comfortable hotels throughout as details below (or similar);
The transfer from Hoedspruit airport to the Kruger National Park is approximately 1 hour.
Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into South Africa.
You don’t need a visa. You can travel to South Africa for a limited stay – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/entry-requirements
South African Rand
The emphasis is on casual clothing for throughout. Comfortable shoes or walking boots are recommended. Dressing in layers and waterproofs to allow for changes in the weather is recommended. Please bring some warm clothing for example a fleece and warm outer jacket for the evenings and early mornings. On safari, it is advisable to wear long sleeves and trousers to provide protection against insect bites. On safari avoid clothes with very bright colours as this may irritate the animals, preferably wear clothes with brown, khaki or beige colours. Binoculars are also recommended. A cap or wide brimmed hat to protect from the sun and sunglasses are recommended.
There is often confusion on the question of gratuities, since it frequently depends on the type of holiday, location and, of course, your attitude towards tipping, as to what is normally expected. In order to give you a rough idea, we have given appropriate guidance below.
We suggest a group collection at the beginning of your holiday to cover drivers, guides, porters and hotel staff (including restaurant, kitchen and reception staff) of approximately £30 (or the equivalent amount in local currency). Your Tour Leader will collect this on your behalf and distribute it accordingly, thus relieving you of the burden of who, when and how much to tip. The tipping of bar staff and housekeeping will be left to your individual discretion (a small amount left in your room on departure should cover this and would be much appreciated). As is customary, ‘the hat’ will be passed around for the driver and guide on all optional excursions. For any meals that are not included in your itinerary, or taxi fares, your Tour Leader can advise of an appropriate add on.
| Month(s) | Highest temperature | Lowest temperature |
|---|---|---|
| October | 23 °C | 13 °C |
I was so nervous about embarking on my first Solos Holiday, but I shouldn’t have been – it was the best thing I have ever done!
Wow! Got to see the famous shipwreck beach in Zakynthos with Solos. Can’t wait to discover more of their destinations!
Our tour leader Monica was exceptional! Had such a good time and will be rebooking with Solos. Thanks for a great holiday!
Had the best time with Solos! Discovered beautiful destinations and met some lifelong friends.
