10-Day South Africa Safari with Soweto, Sun City and Sabi Sand

1

Day 01

Arrival in Johannesburg and Soweto Discovery

• On arrival in Johannesburg, you are met by our driver and guide, who will assist you through the airport procedures and help you collect your luggage.
• 0700 - Depart for breakfast at a local restaurant in Johannesburg.
• 0800 - Depart for the Apartheid Museum.
• 1000 - Depart for the Hector Pieterson Museum.
• 1230 - Depart for the legendary Vilakazi Street. This street was once home to not one but two Nobel Peace Prize winners - Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Tata Nelson Mandela. See Mandela House Museum, enjoy dancing and performances by locals along the street, and purchase souvenirs.
• Lunch at one of the finest township restaurants on Vilakazi Street.
• 1500 - Depart for Sandton City and Mandela Square for shopping, with the entire afternoon at your own leisure.
• 1900 - Depart for Balalaika or Hilton Hotel for check-in, freshen up, and dinner.
• Briefing about the entire tour, arrangements made, and other important information. Overnight stay.

2

Day 02

Cradle of Humankind, Sterkfontein Caves and Lesedi

• 0630 - Breakfast.
• 0730 - Check out of your hotel and depart for Maropeng Cradle of Humankind. We drive for approximately 1 hour and arrive at the Cradle of Humankind for the tour.
• 1100 - Depart for Sterkfontein Caves. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes.
• 1200 - Depart for Lesedi Cultural Village. Reach the village for a warm welcome with traditional dance and melody, then tour the village. Enjoy a boma dance experience, lunch at the village, and various foods to choose from.
• 1445 - Depart for Magaliesburg. Check in at Glenburn or Kloofzicht Lodge.
• 1515 - Depart for Bothongo Wonder Cave plus hiking.
• 1830 - Return to the lodge for showers and dinner. Relax at the bar and stay overnight.

3

Day 03

Magaliesburg Ballooning, Elephants and Adventure

• 0600 - Depart for early morning hot-air ballooning with breakfast.
• 0830 - Depart for Elephant Sanctuary and interact with elephants.
• 1100 - Depart for Hartbeespoort.
• 1130 - Go for the Harties aerial cable car.
• 1300 - Depart for a Daily or ALBA lunch cruise.
• Return and enjoy Harties.
• 1500 - Depart for safari quad biking, archery, and a karting adventure.
• 1800 - Return to the lodge for showers, braai, and an overnight stay.

4

Day 04

Geo-Heritage Touring and Brauhaus Afrika

• 0630-0700 - Breakfast.
• 0730 - Check out and depart for a half-day private GEO-Heritage Tour.
• 1230 - Depart for Brauhaus Afrika: Quality German Beer in Africa, where German beer, food, and culture meet African hospitality. Brauhaus Afrika is a brewery, restaurant, and trading post combining the craftsmanship and passion of German beer and food with freedom and the magnificent spirit of Afrika. All beers are strictly brewed according to the Bavarian "Reinheitsgebot" of 1516. It is the oldest cuisine and beverage law in the world. This law states that only water, barley malt, and hops may be used to produce beer. Yeast had yet to be discovered.
• Lunch, plus beer tasting.
• Adventure activities.
• 1700 - Depart for ANEW Resort Hunters Rest Rustenburg or Kgaswane Country Lodge, check in, and see and enjoy the vicinity.
• 1830 - Depart for Brauhaus Afrika Restaurant and traditional beer.
• 1900-2200 - Dinner at Brauhaus Afrika. Return to the lodge and stay overnight.

5

Day 05

Museum Visit and Pilanesberg Sunset Safari

• 0630-0700 - Breakfast.
• 0730 - Check out and depart for Mphebatho Cultural Museum.
• 0830 - Check in at Moruleng Museum and enjoy the rural tour.
• Traditional lunch at the museum.
• 1400 - Depart for Pilanesberg National Park and check in at Bakubung Bush Lodge or Kingdom Resort.
• Own leisure at the lodge.
• 1630 - Depart for a sunset drive. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

6

Day 06

Pilanesberg Safari and Sun City Experience

• 0530 - Depart for an early morning safari game drive.
• Return to the lodge for showers and breakfast.
• 0900 - Check out and depart for Mbazo or Ivory Tree Game Lodge. Check in and depart for a full day at Sun City and the Valley of the Waves (casino at own cost).
• Return to the lodge. If time permits, we will go for a night safari drive.
• Dinner, showers, and overnight.
• 0730 - Check out and depart for Moruleng Museum.

7

Day 07

Journey to Timbavati and Greater Kruger Safari

• 0600-0630 - Breakfast.
• 0700 - Check out and depart for Timbavati Game Reserve. The Timbavati forms part of the 2 million-hectare Greater Kruger National Park. It was the first private game reserve to be incorporated into the Kruger National Park and is part of one of Africa's most innovative conservation partnership agreements. The Timbavati is 14,700 hectares (36,300 acres) and shares an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park.
• Track the Big Five, as well as a wide variety of other game, such as antelope, zebra, warthog, giraffe, and hippo, in the company of an armed ranger and local Shangaan tracker. Bird viewing is spectacular, with over 360 recorded species, including various eagles, vultures, kingfishers, woodpeckers, buzzards, herons, egrets, owls, and weavers. The Timbavati is also home to the world-famous "White Lions of Timbavati".
• Game drives take place in the early morning and evening to ensure game viewing when animals are most active. Mid-morning, you can enjoy a bush walk with your guide. In the morning, after a light snack, you are taken on a morning game drive. You return to the lodge for a grand brunch. There is time to relax around the sunny pool, do some bird-watching from the observation deck, read a book in the peace of your room's private veranda, or go on a unique walking safari with an armed game ranger knowledgeable in all aspects of conservation, ecology, and the bush environment.
• After high tea, you set off on your afternoon/evening game drive, providing a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the predators, particularly the leopard for which this area is renowned. You return to your lodge in time for a sumptuous safari cuisine dinner.

8

Day 08

From Timbavati to Sabi Sand

• Depart for an early morning safari game drive.
• Return to the lodge for showers and breakfast. You enjoy the early morning game drive, followed by a hearty breakfast at the lodge, and then check out. From here, you depart and make your way to the northern section of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, where you spend two nights.
• You check into your chalet and have time to relax before high tea is served. After a delicious high tea on the deck, you depart on your afternoon game activity. Return to the lodge for a wonderful dinner before retiring to your room.

9

Day 09

Personalised Safari in Sabi Sand

• 0730 - Breakfast.
• 0830 - Check out and depart for Sabi Sand, forming part of the Greater Kruger National Park. The Sabi Sand Reserve has no fences, and the wildlife is able to cross freely between Sabi Sand and the rest of the Greater Kruger National Park. The safari experience in Sabi Sand is highly personalized because game-drive vehicles have exclusive traversing rights in their area. The Sabi Sand Reserve is a remarkable natural sanctuary known for its exceptionally high concentration of animal and bird life. Close-contact encounters are guaranteed, as the animals are not threatened by the presence of vehicles, thanks to sound conservation management policies.
• Safaris are led by experienced rangers coupled with local Shangaan trackers. With exceptional sightings of leopard, usually the most elusive of cats, as well as lion, rhino, elephant, and buffalo during game drives, visitors are never lacking in exciting photographic content.

10

Day 10

Return to Johannesburg and Maboneng Farewell

• 0600-0630 - Breakfast.
• 0700 - Check out and depart for Johannesburg.
• Around 1340, arrive in Johannesburg.
• We go for a city walk and stretch our legs at Maboneng Art.
• Then enjoy the Maboneng Taste of Africa Food Tour for lunch.
• 1600 - Depart for O.R. Tambo International Airport.
• 1900 - Goodbyes.