Photo Info ThornybushPhotograph Africa's Big Cats
Photo Info Table Bay HotelExplore Scenic Cape Town
Witness Unforgettable Moments on Safari
Photo Info South Africa TourismTour the Idyllic Cape Winelands
Photo Info Thornybush Game ReserveStay in Luxury Safari Accommodations
- Summary
- Itinerary
- Pricing
- Options & Add-ons
South Africa in Absolute Style 2020 - With Air - from US$3999
Trip Highlights
Cape Town | Kruger Private Game Reserve
Experience
Phenomenal views of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain
Beautiful scenery, delectable wines and tasty olive oils on a Franschhoek tour
Magical moments on safaris led by expert rangers and trackers
Discover
Beautiful Cape Town, one of Lonely Planet's Top Cities of 2017
Big game on open-vehicle safari drives in Thornybush Game Reserve
Choice
At additional cost:
See Adorable African penguins on a full-day Cape Peninsula tour
Visit Robben Island for a moving perspective on Nelson Mandela's years in prison
Experience a Magical Safari with Lion World Travel
#LionWorldTales
Explore South Africa Through the Eyes of Our Guests
Day 1 - Depart USA
Depart on your international South African Airways flight from New York (JFK) or Washington D.C. (Dulles) to Cape Town, South Africa via Johannesburg. From the moment you board your South African Airways flight you will feel the warm and welcoming African hospitality in every detail of the world-class service you are about to experience.
Day 2 - Johannesburg/Cape Town
On arrival at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport’s Central Terminal Building, clear immigration, collect your luggage and then clear customs. Re-check your bags for your onward flight to Cape Town.
Upon arrival in Cape Town you will be welcomed and transferred to the luxurious Table Bay Hotel superbly situated in the heart of the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The Table Bay Hotel offers the ultimate in 5-star luxury accommodation in Cape Town. One of the Leading Hotels, The Table Bay continues to set its own standards in international service, cuisine and luxury.
The rooms at the gracious Table Bay Hotel are fully air-conditioned and all furnished with the amenities and services you would expect from a property of this standard including Wi-Fi access, universal plug adaptor sockets and 24-hour room service. The hotel offers a number of restaurants and bars as well as an onsite Spa and a heated swimming pool.
Accommodation: The Table Bay Hotel - Luxury Room
Day 3 - Cape Town
Today is at leisure to explore your surroundings at your own pace.
To enhance your Cape Town experience, we recommend you enjoy a sightseeing tour. Our experienced Africa Specialists have some suggestions - a visit to historic Robben Island is a poignant and moving experience to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
We would be happy to assist in pre-planning and arranging sightseeing tours to suit your interests. To see all of the day tour options that Lion World Travel has to offer, click here.
Accommodation: The Table Bay Hotel - Luxury Room (B)
Day 4 - Cape Winelands
After an early breakfast you will be met by your guide for today’s tour to the exquisite Franschhoek Valley in the beautiful mountains of the Cape Winelands. The first stop is in the quaint little town of Franschhoek. Take a short stroll down the main road in Franschhoek where you will find world-class shops and boutiques for a relaxed shopping experience. Whether you are looking jewellery, designer clothing, artworks, a special gift or chocolate you will find it there and much more.
The next stop is at La Bourgogne Farm, a working farm producing quality wines, export quality plums and pears, and some rather good olive oils. You will enjoy tasting Olive Oil, Olives and Fruit Preserves.
Rickety Bridge Vineyards
Then it’s onto La Petite Dauphine, a historical working fruit and wine farm where you will enjoy a set menu lunch with wine pairing at Bistro Bon Bon overlooking the manicured gardens.
After lunch you will participate in an hour-long Wine Blending Experience at Rickety Bridge Winery. This interactive blending experience offers something to both wine novices and enthusiasts alike. The wine blending session will give you a chance to experience a crucial part of the wine making process, and you can leave with a bottle of wine to drink that day.
Wine Blending Experience at Rickety Bridge
Later you will transfer to your hotel in to Cape Town.
While staying at The Table Bay Hotel you will enjoy a dinner at the Camissa Brasserie. Camissa Brasserie is named after the Khoisan word for Cape Town, offering diners a relaxing and sensory experience while overlooking the harbour inside the scenic Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. All the innovative meals are made with the freshest and finest ingredients.
Accommodation: The Table Bay Hotel - Luxury Room (B, L, D)
Day 5 - Cape Town
After breakfast today, you have the option of joining our Lion World Travel Table Mountain & Cape Peninsula Tour, exclusively for Lion World Travel guests at a cost of US$175 per person. Please let us know if you would like to join this excursion.
Take a cable car ride up to the top of Table Mountain (weather dependent) to enjoy the magnificent view of the Cape. The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau from one side to the other, edged by impressive cliffs. The plateau flanked by Devil's Peak and by Lion's Head, form a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. Table Mountain is often covered by clouds to form the so-called "table cloth" of cloud.
Not only is Table Mountain a scenic photograph background or a place from where you can take a breathtaking photos of Cape Town, there are about 2,200 species of plants and 1,470 floral species found there.
After marveling at the awesome views, you will depart on a Cape Peninsula Tour, exclusively for our Lion World Travel guests.
On this tour you will see why the area earned the name of The Fairest Cape. Sit back and relax, as you drive along the exquisite stretch of coastline known as Millionaire’s Paradise – from Clifton to Camps Bay, to the exclusive beach hamlet of Llandudno – towards the charming working harbour of Hout Bay.
The tour then winds its way along the legendary Chapman’s Peak Drive, hugging the cliffs and relishing the breathtaking ocean views. After a stop for lunch (your own account), visit the wild and beautiful Cape of Good Hope Section of the Table Mountain National Park, an integral part of the world-renowned Cape Floral Kingdom. You will have the opportunity to ride the Flying Dutchman funicular (optional and own account) to the old lighthouse for awe-inspiring views!
Penguins at Boulders Beach
Finally, the tour makes its way back along the coast towards the City, visiting the historic naval port of Simon’s Town and the endearing African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Did you know that the African Penguin used to be called a “jackass” penguin because its call is similar to that of a braying donkey!
Accommodation: The Table Bay Hotel - Luxury Room (B)
Day 6 - Cape Town/Johannesburg/Hoedspruit
It is time to say goodbye to beautiful Cape Town as you transfer from your hotel to Cape Town Airport in time for your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. Here you will connect with your flight to Hoedspruit to begin your luxury safari experience.
Upon arrival at Hoedspruit you will be met and transferred to your lodge. You will spend 3-nights at the luxurious Jackalberry Lodge including all meals and daily game drives. You will have a personally assigned staff member who caters to all of your needs.
The 4-star Jackalberry Lodge, in Thornybush Game Reserve offers genuine African hospitality and understated luxury in this pristine location on the edge of the Kruger National Park, one of the world's premier "Big Five" game viewing areas. The luxury accommodation creates a restful ethnic ambience in harmony with nature. Attention to detail and true South African hospitality will leave you with a real sense of a safari in Africa. The comfortable chalet style rooms each have their own en-suite bathroom with separate bathtubs and showers, bathrobes, hair dryers, and slippers. All rooms include minibars, coffee/tea makers, safes, and phones. Each chalet is fully air-conditioned and has its own private patio from which one can enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Your first game drive is scheduled for this afternoon. On arrival, have a quick freshen up then meet your ranger over afternoon tea before setting off in search of wildlife! Make sure your camera is charged, you never know what you will encounter!
Accommodation: Jackalberry Safari Lodge - Chalet (B, L, D)
Day 7 - Thornybush Game Reserve
Your day begins early. Waking up at 5am will be worth it! The freshly brewed coffee and tea with rusks (South African version of biscotti), fruit and muffins will prepare you for this morning’s game drive. It is amazing what your skilled ranger and tracker can pick up – from lions submerged in grass to chameleons in trees – often within a few yards of the vehicle. Since this is a Big Five reserve, seeing lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo is possible. This is also home to an abundance of wildlife including zebra, giraffe, antelope and wildebeest.
Continue your game drive en route back to the lodge for a hearty breakfast that awaits you on your return.
Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Relax by the pool, enjoy the tranquility of the bush or take a siesta to make up for the early morning wake-up call.
Later this afternoon set out for another unforgettable safari. This is the time to discover the nocturnal species and if you're lucky, watch the predators on the hunt.
Accommodation: Jackalberry Safari Lodge - Chalet (B, L, D)
Day 8 - Thornybush Game Reserve
Your wilderness experience begins today with another early start. You are accompanied by your experienced game rangers, who will provide interesting information and anecdotes about the inhabitants of the bush. Each safari game drive is an opportunity to discover something new. While seeing big game is always exhilarating, there are many other smaller species that are just as captivating.
Accommodation: Jackalberry Safari Lodge - Chalet (B, L, D)
Day 9 - Hoedspruit/Johannesburg
After an early morning game drive to track the animals that may have eluded you so far, return to the lodge for breakfast. Later you will be transferred to Hoedspruit Airport for your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. Bid farewell to the place that has given you unforgettable wildlife encounters in the African bush. (B)
Day 10 - Arrive USA
Return home with a lifetime of memories to share with your family and friends!
Add-Ons
Victoria Falls in Style - From USD $1,999
Experience a fabulous blend of luxury tented accommodations, game drives, river cruises and the impressive Victoria Falls for an exciting add-on!
Victoria Falls in Style is a 3-night package. Spend one night in Johannesburg and enjoy two nights in Victoria Falls staying in a stunning tented lodge on the Zambezi River where you will experience the wonder of the mighty Falls as well as a tranquil cruise on the Zambezi River and open-vehicle game drives in the Zambezi National Park.
Cape Town Day Tours
Cape Town, the Mother City, is a historically, culturally and breathtakingly vibrant city that was recently named the best city in Africa and the second best city in the world by Condé Nast Traveller. From its beautiful natural landmarks to its colourful culture; from decadent wine farms to captivating history and architecture - it’s a tourist heaven. There’s no finer way to savor Cape Town's pleasures than a guided day tour with Thompsons Africa – from wonderful winelands and wine tastings, to riding the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, we’ll take you there in style.
Please note the scheduled tour prices below have additional drop off and pick up points and will have other guests on board. The private tour pricing offers a vehicle and driver just for your use and allows more flexibility – please note that the venues visited will have other guests, it is just the vehicle and driver that is on a private basis. Pricing for both is per person based on a minimum of two people.
Click here for day tour prices.
Cape Town City Tour
Departs: Daily between 7:35 and 8:30am. Returns: Approx. 12:30pm.
This tour is designed to orientate and give you a full-color insight into the extraordinary magic of Cape Town. First enjoy a cable car ride to the summit of the legendary Table Mountain (weather permitting) for panoramic views, including the City and surrounding layout of this southernmost tip of Africa (tickets are for your own account). Next up is a visit of the country’s oldest colonial building, The Cape Castle and the Company Gardens. Then you’ll be driven past Parliament Buildings, City Hall which is where Nelson Mandela made his first public speech after his release from prison and the Slave Lodge. Next, it’s up the cobblestoned hills to the beautifully colorful homes of the Bo-Kaap in the Malay Quarter. The tour ends on a sparkling note, with a visit to a diamond works where you’ll watch a professional diamond cutter as he creates every girl’s dream stone. Perhaps you’ll be taking one home.
Robben Island Tour
Board the Robben Island Ferry at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and take part in a half day Robben Island tour.
For nearly 400 years, Robben Island was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment for political "troublemakers" and social outcasts. During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Nelson Mandela was one of them.
Those imprisoned on the Island succeeded on a psychological and political level in turning a prison 'hell-hole' into a symbol of freedom and personal liberation. Robben Island came to symbolize, not only for South Africa and the African continent, but also for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity. You will be escorted around the island by an ex-political prisoner, and given insight into the past and how the human spirit triumphs.
Cape Malay Cooking Experience with Cass Abrahams
Departs: subject to chef's availability.
Today you will be picked up at 08h30 for your Cape Malay Cooking with Cass Abrahams Tour. Cass is the foremost authority on the cuisine in the Cape and is a local celebrity. The tour starts with a chat and a coffee with your guide so that you have some background on the people of the Cape, the history of their cuisine and on Cass. Cass realized that for a variety of reasons the cuisine was dying out in the Cape and made it her mission to rescue the recipes. She interviewed the grandmothers in the community and dug in the archives and then wrote a cookbook that became highly sort after by many South Africans. Today you have the opportunity to enjoy a hands-on class with her in her home in the Southern Suburbs. You will cook three to four dishes and then relax over lunch. Please note that no alcohol is served in respect for Cass's Muslim faith.
Sea Kayaking
Departs: daily, subject to weather. Please note the tour excludes transport to and from Simon's Town — prices available upon request.
Visit one of the most unique places in the world — a penguin colony in suburban Cape Town. And the best way to see it is from the water. Leave from Simon's Town Waterfront and paddle past the civilian and Naval Harbor and out to Boulder's Beach. After visiting the penguins, stop on a lovely semi-private beach for refreshments, swimming and snorkeling (snorkels and bottled drinking water are provided). Your double kayak is very stable and perfect even if you have no paddling experience.
We can also arrange for you to go cycling, skydiving, sandboarding and abseiling among other activities — please let us know if you would like more information on these activities.
Evening Tours
Sunset and Beach Dinner
Departs between 5:30 and 6:00pm. Returns: Approx. 10:00pm.
Only operates Sep - May
Join your host and head out of the city before sunset. Savor a chilled glass of sparkling wine while overlooking one of Cape Town’s most beautiful beaches and taking in the sunset. You’ll be shown how to find the Southern Cross in the night sky (if the moon isn’t too bright!), before enjoying dinner at a sensational restaurant offering seafood and South African specialties. If you’re celebrating a special occasion let us know and we can arrange a separate table. As you return to the hotel, you'll enjoy the city lights by night.
Sunset Champagne Cruise
Departs: daily subject to weather conditions — times vary according to sunset.
Board a sail boat that will follow the wind for this cruise and allow you to experience sunset and the views of Cape Town at dusk from a different perspective! Typically in a SE Wind direction, you will head out of the Harbour and sail across Table Bay towards Milnerton lighthouse, then return to the protection of Granger Bay in the lee of Table Mountain to watch the sun set, and then motor back to the Waterfront.
Custom Day Tours
We can also tailor make tours to match your interests or simply arrange for you to have a vehicle and driver available with no plan in mind to take you wherever you feel like going. Cape Town has been chosen as the Design Capital for 2014, we can include Architecture, Art, local clothing designers. In addition to the beautiful Winelands, Cape Point and City tours, consider a family day out, to see seals, penguins, monkeys and butterflies; splash out on a hot shopping extravaganza; or indulge in a grand gourmet food and wine tour of golf or bicycle tours.
Half Day Private Tours
Half day private trips depart daily on request and run from either 8:30 am to 12:30pm or 1:30pm to 5:30pm and cover up to 150km’s.
Full Day Private Tours
The full day private vehicle and driver hire departs daily on request with a pick up time of 9:00am, dropping off at 5:30pm and covers up to 250km's.
Both half and full day options exclude all entrances, parking fees, toll fees and any other costs which you would need to settle directly at the venues visited and in the case of parking, with the driver. Touring is done in an air-conditioned 7-seater vehicle with a tour guide.
On Special
Prices are in US Dollars and are per person based on double occupancy accommodations and include fuel surcharges, Government taxes, departure fees and September 11th Security Fee.
US domestic flights from select cities can be added at a special rate of US$200 per person, subject to space availability. Please speak to your Africa Specialist for more information.
2020
US$3999 per person based on double occupancy
US$1400 single supplement
Valid on the following departure dates:
November 5, 10, 15, 22
US$3999 per person based on double occupancy
US$1200 single supplement
Valid on the following departure dates:
November 30
December 5
Inclusions:
- Roundtrip, international, economy airfare from New York (JFK) to Cape Town and back via Johannesburg
- Domestic flights in South Africa
- All services and transfers as specified
- Wine tour and Olive Oil tasting in Franschhoek
- 7 Breakfasts / 4 Lunches / 4 Dinners including one Dinner at the Camissa Brasserie in the Table Bay Hotel (for two people per room to the value of R800.00 excluding gratuity and beverages)
- Game drives as specified in itinerary
- Services of Rangers/Trackers
- Accommodation as specified
- Transportation in luxury vehicles
- Sight-seeing as per itinerary led by qualified English speaking guide
- Entrance fees for sight-seeing as indicated
- Lion World Travel representative Meet and Greet upon arrival
Exclusions:
- Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls, etc.
- All other services not mentioned
- Gratuities/tips for game rangers/trackers, tour guides and drivers
- Costs of obtaining passports and/or visas
- Trip Cancellation, Interruption and/or Medical Insurance – please note that insurance for this trip is a mandatory requirement from suppliers in Africa – proof of insurance must be provided before bookings are confirmed. It is your personal responsibility to ensure you have enough travel insurance coverage from the provider of your choice. Please let your Africa Specialist know if you would like information on this.
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TRAVELER TESTIMONIAL
We returned yesterday from our South African adventure. I wanted to thank you and your company for a wonderful holiday.
Cape Town was beautiful and we saw many interesting things, but for me the best was our time at Thornybush. Our rides were great, our guide Willie was the best and the facility, staff and food terrific. We truly had a memorable time.
Thanks again,
Ed C.
