Highlights of three countries
What a variety this trip has to offer! Bustling Cape Town, two weeks by rental car to very different areas of South Africa, followed by two absolute highlights of Zimbabwe and Botswana that you can both reach by plane. You will see the sea and mountains, wine lands and lagoons, whales and game reserves, Victoria Falls and the mighty Okavango Delta. Yet it is not an overloaded program, nor do you have to travel from accommodation to accommodation every day. Especially if you are traveling with young children, this is not desirable. Therefore, you will stay several times two, three or even four days in a fantastic hotel or lodge with swimming pool, which is the starting point for various activities with moments of rest in between. How is the interpretation of each destination? That is of course entirely up to you, and we are happy to help.
Self-drive through the Western Cape
In Cape Town, the days fly by, there is so much to experience in and immediately outside the city. Then your drive begins to Grootbos near Walker Bay, where you can whale watch from land and by boat. Knysna is a beautiful beach destination with a stunning coastline and lagoons, also one of the nicest towns along the Garden Route. Through a panoramic route you will reach Swellendam, a historic town with typical Western Cape architecture. You can explore the Cape Winelands, for example, by streetcar: a hop on hop off tour to prominent wine estates.
Fly-in to Vic Falls and the Okavango Delta
You will have two full days to explore Victoria Falls and the Zambezi extensively: on foot, by helicopter and finally by boat, for a sunset cruise on the upper reaches of the falls. You may well see elephants in the water or on the shore. In the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta, you will stay in two different locations to enjoy the maximum diversity of this unique landscape. The charter flight to the heart of the Delta is like a dream: below you will see waterways, lagoons, as well as islands where animal tracks betray that there is plenty of life. Who knows, during that flight you may already see zebras, elephants, as well as swamp antelope that make the water splash as they cross the water. Where the world can't find you...
TIPS & TOPS Family Trip Southern Africa:
- This trip is suitable for families of two or three generations, but of course, couples or friends can also customize this trip entirely to their liking
- From Cape Town you can take a cable car to Table Mountain; also visit Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela spent years
- For a probing visit to the townships of Cape Town, we cooperate with an organization dedicated to the underprivileged from these disadvantaged neighborhoods; with integrity you will learn about the reality of life in a township, the cost of this activity will benefit the residents
- For more special getaways in and around Cape Town, read our blog Exploring Cape Town
- Grootbos Private Nature Reserve offers many excursions, including flower safaris, horseback rides, bird watching tours, diving in a shark cage in Gansbaai and, of course, whale watching safaris, where you will also look for penguins, seals, large sea birds and dolphins
- Children won't be bored at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve either! They can swim, learn horseback riding, take care of animals, go on plant safaris and visit a local school
- Various activities are available from Knysna: a boat trip across the lagoon to Leisure Island, kayaking, mountain biking, oyster tasting and beach walk
- Follow the famous Garden Route to Swellendam, or opt for the slightly longer but extraordinarily panoramic Route 62
- In addition to the tour by streetcar, you can also explore the Cape Winelands by bicycle. You will then visit several wineries, where adults can taste delicious wine while children feast on tasty snacks and juices
- For adventurous travelers without a fear of heights: you can also admire the Victoria Falls from an ultralight or microlight!
- In the Okavango Delta you will stay in lodges in the middle of nature, in places with lots of water and lots of wildlife; you will explore the nature reserve on foot, by 4WD, mokoro - a local type of canoe
