Compare Classic South Africa by Rothschild Safaris vs Wildlife Odyssey: South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe 2022 by Tauck
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4 | Great
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| Duration | 10 days | 12 days |
| Price From | $ 8,228 | $ 12,990 |
| Price Per Day | $ 823 | $ 1,083 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions | N/A |
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| Flights & Transport | Internal airfare and ground transport included | No |
| Activities | N/A |
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| Meals Included |
9 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 7 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is Cape Town’s vibrant hub, and where your Southern Africa safari begins. Spend a few days exploring this colorful city, where you will sample South Africa’s best wines, innovative dining and visit the Cape of Good Hope, with a history dating back to the 15th century. This region makes up only 0.5% of Africa, and yet it is home to more than 20% of the continent’s plants. Fly to the bush for the start of your African safari at Royal Malewane in the Thornybush Game Reserve, and onto Singita in a private concession in the Kruger National Park. Both regions offer a diverse bush experience with phenomenal game viewing and guiding for a truly unforgettable African safari. The Silo, towering over the bustling Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and the yacht marina (3 nights), Royal Malewane located in Thornybush Private Game Reserve on the Western Border of The Greater Kruger National Park (3 nights), Singita Sweni set in 33, 000 acre private concession in the Kruger National Park (3 nights) |
Our 12-day safari journey takes you inside national parks and private game reserves in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana for unrivaled big game viewing… plus excursions to South African vineyards and wine estates, and the cutting edge of art, culture, and cuisine in exciting Cape Town. |
Day 1: Cape Town and Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
Welcome to Africa! Arrive and transfer to The Silo, located in the V&A Waterfront with the most incredible view across the mother city. After settling in, walk out to the bustling waterfront and enjoy dinner at one of the many fantastic local restaurants.
Day 2: Cape Town Cableway and Robben Island
After breakfast, set out with your guide for a full day exploration of Cape Town. First, head to the Cableway, a fun way to reach the top of Table Mountain, taking in the dramatic views of the city and ocean below. Stop for lunch at the Greenmarket Square before boarding a boat to visit Robben Island. Head back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Cape Town Beaches
Today, explore some of Cape Town’s most epic beaches, including Boulders Beach, Camp’s Bay, and Clifton Beach. Finally, head to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. Extending south from Cape Town is the Cape of Good Hope, the peninsula that divides the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay. Cape Point, a jagged, narrow strip of land that juts out into the Atlantic and acts as the continent’s southwestern-most point. Standing here will leave you feeling like you’ve reached the edge of the world.
Day 4: Flight to Hoedspruit for your Safari Adventure
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Hoedspruit Airport. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to Thornybush Game Reserve, situated along the Western Border of The Greater Kruger National Park. Enjoy lunch at Royal Malewane before heading off on an extended game drive in an open 4×4 vehicle, stopping to enjoy sundowners in the bush. Take a moment to appreciate the pristine wilderness as the sky turns fire orange before nightfall. Return to camp for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 5: Walking Safari in the Bush
This morning set out on foot with an armed guide. Walking Safaris are the perfect way to forge a one-on-one connection with Africa. You’ll learn how to track game but looking at tracks and other clues and discover some of the smaller elements of the African bush that are easy to miss from a safari vehicle. Return to camp for brunch. Late afternoon you will depart on a game drive where you will have the opportunity to look for the nocturnal animals that lurk in and amongst the plains before heading back to camp for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 6: Predator Tracking in the Bush
Awake early, setting out on a morning game drive as the sun is rising. Stop to enjoy tea and coffee with freshly baked rusks in the African bush before continuing on your safari. Learn about the predators and watch as your guide tracks these elusive creatures. After lunch you will have time to relax at the lodge or rejuvenate at the Waters of Royal Malewane Bush Spa. This evening enjoy a bush dinner with traditional cuisine and South African wine whilst enjoying the ambiance in the African bush.
Day 7: Flight to Singita- Private Concession
This morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for a shared charter flight to Singita Sweni located within a 33,000 acre, private concession in the Kruger National Park. After lunch you will set out on an extended afternoon game drive stopping to enjoy a cocktail and snacks while the sun sets over the African sky. Return to the lodge for your overnight stay.
Day 8: Bush Walk – Singita Reserve
Today, you will be accompanied by a specialist guide and a tracker on a walk-through nature, exploring the wilderness on foot will allow you to appreciate all the facets of the bush both big and small. Watch quietly as an elephant grazes nearby and learn about the fauna and flora in the reserve. Return to camp for lunch. This afternoon you will depart on an extended game drive, before returning to camp, you may decide on a night under the stars.
Day 9: Overnight at Singita
Today, choose to enjoy another game drive or schedule a few spa services, spend some time in the fitness center or wonder through the Boutique where you will find authentic African arts and a range of private reserves and vintage wines from the cellar. After high tea, set out on a late afternoon game drive, culminating with a spectacular dinner out in the bush with stargazing under the African sky.
Day 10: Bid Farewell to your African Adventure
Your epic Southern Africa safari has come to an end. Transfer back to Johannesburg for your return flight home.
Day 1 Arrive Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Tour begins: 5:00 PM, Old Drift Lodge. A transfer is included upon arrival from the airport to the Old Drift Lodge, a tented camp on the banks of the Zambezi River upstream from iconic Victoria Falls. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
MEALS : D
LODGING : Old Drift Lodge
PORTOFCALL : Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Day 2 Natural Wonders of Victoria Falls
Join our local guide for a walking tour of Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Explore trails that offer different perspectives of the magnificent falls, considered the largest waterfalls in the world. Have lunch with a view of the Zambezi River before heading to an elephant sanctuary for a private visit with a family of elephants out in the bush, patiently waiting for the treats you'll bring. The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Clinic is renowned for promoting environmental conservation in Southern Africa, and operates a medical care facility and orphanage dedicated to the health and welfare of Africa's wildlife. Tour the facility and meet the naturalists and doctors who work here, learning about their efforts to protect animals injured by traps, snares and poachers and meeting the wildlife they have rescued. The evening is yours to enjoy as you wish, dining at the hotel at your leisure.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Old Drift Lodge
PORTOFCALL : Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Day 3 Chobe National Park
Cross into Botswana this morning en route to your lodge in Chobe National Park. An afternoon game drive with an expert safari guide introduces you to the locals, furred, feathered and fleet-footed. Botswana's first national park, Chobe attracts large herds of elephants and Cape Buffalo that frequent the Chobe River; lions, antelopes and hippos linger near lagoons; and numerous bird species and zebras favor the floodplains. Enjoy dinner at the lodge this evening.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge
Day 4 A Game Drive and a Motorboat Safari
Rise early for a game drive that spies wildlife starting their day in the bush as dawn breaks over the park. Wildlife whisperers, your guides follow tracks and interpret signs that lead to animal sightings out of nowhere and everywhere. See the ever-present impala, puku antelopes and majestic giraffes snacking on treetops more than 16 feet high, and look for lions, wild dogs and leopards on the hunt. Return to your lodge for lunch, then join us on a private motorboat safari aboard a skimmer boat along the Zambezi River. Watch for birds, elephants, hippos and herd animals stopping by for a drink while crocodiles lie in the water or on the shore, along with other thirsty predators. Dine indoors or out at your lodge tonight.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge
Day 5 Local life on the Chobe River
Meet the people native to Botswana when you visit a local village this morning. Learn about their daily lives and deep-rooted cultural traditions and see baskets hand woven to perfection. Depending on the season, ride aboard a safari vehicle or a skimmer boat in search of up close wildlife sightings that never get old. Enjoy panoramic views of the Chobe River from the elevated boardwalks at your lodge during your free time, a great spot to watch the ever-changing wildlife parade across the river, on the islands and the surrounding floodplains, before night falls with an awe-inspiring starlit sky, dining at your leisure.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge
Day 6 South Africa's Kruger National Park
Take a final morning game drive in Chobe National Park before driving to the airport for a flight to Johannesburg, followed by another flight to your safari lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park. Stay in a thatched roof cottage that has its own private verandah for animal sightings – a watering hole on property is a favorite gathering place for visiting wildlife – and enjoy dinner as you please.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge
Day 7 Game Drives in Kruger National Park
Set off in search of Africa's Big Five – lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos – along with wild dogs, hippos, cheetahs and herd animals with your expert guides. Morning and afternoon game drives offer ample opportunities to see predators and prey in their natural habitat. Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves, is world-renowned and is home to hundreds of species of animals and birds, including vultures, storks and eagles.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge
Day 8 Walk with the Animals
Rise early for a game drive followed by a nature walk unlike any you have experienced before. Join your safari guides on a walking safari that offers an opportunity to learn about the bush and its fascinating fauna and flora from the ground up. Follow in the tracks of Africa's wildlife as your guide shares tracking tips with you, seeking out signs and scents that reveal which animals have passed this way before you. Catch a glimpse of smaller game, like impalas or gazelles, or see elephants lumbering on distant landscapes. Walking safaris are only permitted on private lands and not in Africa's national parks. Enjoy an afternoon game drive and join us under the stars for a private dinner tonight.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge
Day 9 Fly to Cape Town
Take a final game drive this morning before flying to Cape Town for a three-night stay. Your hotel, painted pink for peace in 1918, is nestled on a lush garden estate at the foot of Table Mountain. Dinner is at your leisure in the hotel tonight.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa
Day 10 Choices in Cape Town
A choice of sightseeing excursions today includes a tour of the Cape Winelands with tastings at two prestigious wineries, along with a wine pairing luncheon that tempts with regional fare and time to explore the quaint streets of Franschhoek. Or, join us for an artisan and culinary tour of Cape Town, stopping to meet a jewelry designer who makes pieces from prison fences from Robben Island. Take a cooking lesson in making traditional Cape Malay appetizers before lunch at a hidden gem of a restaurant and visit an art gallery featuring the works of South African artists. Your local guide enriches your tour with insights about Cape Town's history and highlights. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own.
MEALS : B, L
LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa
Day 11 Helicopter Highs over Cape Town
Experience a bird's-eye view of Cape Town as you soar over the city aboard a helicopter that follows the coast to see Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, Chapman's Peak and the bays and towns that line the shores of the Cape Peninsula. Spend the remainder of the day exploring the waterfront delights of Victoria & Albert Waterfront, a mecca for shopping, art galleries, restaurants and entertaining street performers. Tauck's shuttle will bring you back to the hotel at your convenience this afternoon. Tonight, join us for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, renowned for its local culinary fare.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa
Day 12 Journey Home
Tour ends: Cape Town. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included to Cape Town Airport from Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel. Allow three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa
