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Depart at 2115 from London's Heathrow Airport on the British Airways flight BA057 to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Arrive at 0855 and connect with a scheduled flight departing at 1110 to the Mala Mala airstrip. On arrival at 1210 you will be met and transferred ten minutes by road to Mala Mala main safari camp where you stay for four nights and begin your African adventure (fully inclusive of meals and activities).
South Africa is a beautiful destination for a relaxing and picturesque vacation which is easily combined with a safari or beach break.
Mala Mala is one of the finest of the private safari game reserves adjoining the Kruger National Park, in the North East of South Africa. It is the largest reserve in the Sabi Sands areas - widely regarded as the best for exciting game viewing. This reserve is sixteen thousand hectares, and unlike some of its neighbours does not permit vehicles from other safari lodges to enter its boundaries. This provides guests of Mala Mala with a great degree of privacy in their game viewing and you can hope to see the big five and dozens of other species of African wildlife here.
Breeding herds of elephant with babies and big lone bulls are regularly seen, huge herds of buffalo roaming the open plains and dry river beds, and prides of hungry lion can be seen stalking antelope and other plains game. At Mala Mala you can expect to see some of Africa's most beautiful animals including graceful giraffe, a wide variety of antelope species ranging from timid impala to majestic looking kudu which contrast dramatically with prehistoric looking rhinoceros and hippopotamus.
The big cats are also a major attraction with Mala Mala with impressive prides of lion, loan leopard and families of cheetah all present on the reserve. You can enjoy sightings of these animals in the company of Mala Mala's expert guides by open vehicle during the day and at night when nocturnal creatures can be seen. Exciting Safari bush walks can also be enjoyed when guides are armed enabling you to stoop down and look at tracks, reach out and touch things and learn a lot about bushcraft as you explore this reserve.
The accommodation at Mala Mala is luxurious and comfortable and at Main Camp there are sixteen very spacious air-conditioned rooms with ochre coloured walls under traditional African thatch, each with king size bed (or twin if preferred), elegant furniture and his and hers bathrooms. From your windows and the terrace area you can enjoy fine breathtaking views across virgin bush. Between exciting safaris you can enjoy a very high standard of cuisine and dinner is often taken in the semi circular traditional boma with guests seated in comfort around a log fire under a starry sky. There is also a large lounge and indoor restaurant, a good size pool and a raised wooden deck area where you can relax with a cool drink and watch animals in the sand river below.
In the morning you will taken by road to Kruger's Mpumalanga International airstrip to board a scheduled flight departing at 1135 to Cape Town, South West Africa. On arrival at 1400 you will be met and taken by road to Cellars Country House where you stay for four nights (bed and breakfast).
On the afternoon of Day 6 a hire car will be delivered for your use.
The Cellars is one of the finest places to stay in the vicinity of Cape Town - ideal for guests who want to be just twenty minutes from the city centre yet who would prefer to base themselves in a classic rural setting. At the heart of the Cellars is the 18th century Klausenbosch wine cellar and the associated thatched manor house of Hohenort. These magnificent buildings set the tone and style for the hotel.
Cellars is located in the Constantia Valley surrounded by beautiful grounds with mature trees and flowering shrubs, vineyards and is overlooked by mountains. There is a tennis court, a gym and Carchele spa offering a variety of treatments and two swimming pools. Here you can relax and feel very well looked after.
The Cellars has fifty five luxury rooms and suites each furnished and decorated in bright, classic style - slightly Laura Ashley - and most lead into the beautiful gardens where flowers bloom, birds sing and where sometimes you have to persuade yourselves to move out and explore Cape Town and the Winelands.
The hotel has a long established reputation for superb cuisine and you can enjoy dining in the Cape-Malay Restaurant which specialises in delicately spiced Cape-Malay cuisine, or in the stylish Greenhouse Restaurant where you can either dine indoors or out on the attractive terrace, as you prefer. The hotel has Relais and Chateaux accreditation.
In 1662, Jan van Riebeeck sailed into Table Bay on the north Cape Peninsula and laid the foundations of South Africa's oldest settlement, Cape Town. Three hundred and fifty years of history have been preserved in much of Cape Town's architecture, which combines attractively with the more functional demands of the 21st century.
The Houses of Parliament, National Gallery, Museum and Planetarium are all within ambling distance of elegant shopping malls and colourful markets, which entice shoppers to browse and buy everything from souvenirs to African art, gems and antiques. In the last ten years, the restoration of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront dockland area evokes images of 19th century seafaring activities and provides a superb setting for an array of cafes, restaurants and bars. From here, you can take boat trips round the harbour and out across Table Bay.
Dominating the city's skyline and flanked by Devils Peak is the looming mass of Table Mountain, and visitors should not miss the opportunity to ascend Table Mountain by cable car. The view of the City and the south Atlantic from the summit is quite magnificent.
There is a wide range of excursions and activities in and around Cape Town including visits to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, visits to Townships where you can enjoy lunch and exposure to Africa's vibrant urban culture. To the south lies the scenic Peninsula with its attractive sandy bays and pretty little towns. There are remote penguin colonies which can be visited by boat and canoe, and from July to November you can set off further afield in search of southern right whales. The more adventurous can even go looking for sharks in special 'caged diving' facilities.
An hour's drive to the east of Cape Town lie the Cape Winelands where you find beautiful undulating scenery covered in ancient vineyards and fruit orchards. There are literally dozens of ancient wineries, many of which are open for tastings and lunch and which have magnificent estate houses. For the golfer there are several beautifully maintained championship golf courses, and the attractive little towns of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are each worth a visit.
In the afternoon depart and drive to Cape Town Airport where you drop off your hire car and board a scheduled flight departing at 1655 to George Airport, Southern South Africa. On arrival at 1745 collect your hire car and drive to the Plettenberg Park where you stay for four nights in a luxury sea facing room (bed and breakfast).
The Plettenberg Park is one of the finest luxury boutique beach hotels in Africa, located in its own nature reserve, set on a cliff top with the most spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. Plettenberg Park is situated in the heart of the Garden Route and although it is one of the most private and tranquil places to stay, you are only thirty minutes drive from the heart of Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and close to the beaches, nature reserves, little towns and other attractions of the Garden Route.
Plettenberg Bay has nine spacious rooms, some of which overlook an attractive lake while others have fine views of the Indian Ocean. Each is furnished in contemporary style with neutral colours, beiges and blues, and from your bright and airy room you can walk straight out on to a tranquil terrace to enjoy the beautiful views. Each room has a large bed, double or twin as preferred, a luxury en suite bathroom and sitting area.
Plettenberg Park has a spa where you can enjoy a variety of treatments, it has its own private beach at the foot of the cliff, and very good little restaurant where the chef will prepare meals to order using the abundant locally caught seafood and fresh ingredients which can be accompanied by fine wines from among the very wide selection in the cellar.
The central 'Garden Route' has spectacular coastal scenery while inland are great forests and the Swartberg mountains. George, Knysna and Plettenberg rival Cape Town/Winelands for superb restaurants, golf courses, riding, sailing and touring opportunities. The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam train can also take you on a marvellous three hour ride past the Knysna Lagoon and the coastal foothills running between George and Knysna. The area has some fine beaches of which Plettenberg Bay is the most famous.
Combining a driving trip in Cape Town with a Safari near the Kruger is the best way to truly see South Africa and get a real feeling of everything that this beautiful country has to offer.
In the afternoon, make your way to George Airport where you drop off your hire car and board a scheduled flight departing at 1535 to Cape Town. Arrive at 1625 and connect with flight BA058 departing at 1955 to London's Heathrow Airport.
Arrive at 0650 (local time).