Luxury Garden Route & Safari

Arrive refreshed and revived in the stunning seaside city of Cape Town, Africa’s most beautiful city. Its streets lined with colourful Cape Dutch terraces and charming Victorian buildings, Cape Town is a diverse city filled with history and intrigue. Just outside town, soft sandy beaches line the coastline and forested mountains and lush vineyards cover the landscape. Hop across to Robben Island, take the cable car or climb up table Mountain and then discover the mesmerising beauty of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, right at the foot of Table Mountain.

Surrounded by majestic mountains, pretty Franschhoek is your next stop. Admire the attractive Cape Dutch architecture and discover the mesmerising beauty of the Cape Winelands, which produce a range of world class vintages from the various vineyards. You’ll ride the hop-on-hop-off Franschhoek Wine Tram through the estates, taste the wines, sample the cheeses and look out for the ingenious method used to remove champagne corks form the bottles.

Knysna is a relaxed stop, its pretty lagoon and attractive sunsets making it the perfect spot to sit back with a chilled glass of local wine and watch for birds. It’s also renowned for its freshly caught oysters, so be sure to try a dozen while you’re here. For a little bit of adventure, take a catamaran cruise to the beautiful Knysna Heads, hike the scenic paths of the Featherbed Nature Reserve or have a go at kayaking on the Knysna Estuary.

Drive on to Plettenberg Bay, known locally as Plett. This relaxed seaside resort is close to the Robberg Nature and Marine Reserve, home to a large colony of lazy (and rather smelly) Cape fur seals. For further wildlife thrills head out to sea on a whale watching trip – you might spot humpback whales, orcas, seals and dolphins, as well as great white sharks. Back on dry land, visit the monkeys at Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary or simply relax on the golden sands.

Transfer to the private Shamwari Game Reserve, where you can enjoy guided game drives and spot the Big Five on your spectacular safari. Your guide will tell you all about the flora and fauna that you see on the way, but don’t forget to tell him if you are particularly interested in a certain animal – be it birds or buffaloes – and he’ll do his best to find one for you. When not out safariing you can treat yourself to a massage, go for a swim in the pool or visit the adorable Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, which rescues, cares for and eventually releases abandoned, orphaned or injured animals.