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South Africa Highlights


Kruger National Park

16 nights from

$8,995*

Members from

$8,995*

South Africa Highlights

Explore South Africa in luxury, security and style with an intimate small-group holiday experience using private rail travel and escorted touring through southern Africa.

With a maximum of only 28 guests, the true highlight of this luxury tour is travelling by Rovos Rail's train – this journey sets the benchmark in luxury on the railroad. 

Rovos Rail is famous for providing the most exceptional private rail journeys in Africa. From the moment you step on board, lavish decor and original finishes present a distrinctly refined interior, which epitomises luxury rail travel from times gone by, but which belies a subtle use of modern-day technology.

Mingle with fellow guests over a drink in the lounge and club cards. Relax as you absorb the extraordinary panoramic views from the Observation Car, with its large picture windows. Or step out onto the train's enticing open-air balconies to feel at one with the passing landscapes.

Pullman Suites: 7 metres square. During the day there is a sofa couch that converts to a bed in the evening. The cabin also features a bar fridge, luggage shelf, cupboard & safe, airconditioning, ensuite shower and 24 hour room service. 

Deluxe Suites: Beyond the feaures of the Pullman Suites, the deluxe suites are 11 metres square and have a small lounge area. 

During your journey you will stay at two outstanding lodges - Tinga Private Game Lodge and Zulu Nyala Game Lodge. 

Tinga Private Game Lodge is a five star safari lodge located on Sabie River, a prime game viewing area in the heart of the Kruger National Park. Lodge facilities include lavish suites with private ensuites as well as personal viewing decks with plunge pools. So you can watch the big five from the privacy of your own deck.

Zulu Nyala Game Lodge is situated upon a hilltop in the heart of Zululand - a region rich in history, wildlife, culture, game reserves and lush landscapes. Here, luxury and leisure combine wonderfully and the panoramic views that await are certain to impress.

Inclusions
  • Two nights onboard the stylish Rovos Rail journeyfrom Livingstone to Pretoria
  • 16 nights luxury accommodation including stays at private game lodges
  • Economy flight from Port Elizabeth to Durban
  • 2 night rail journey on the Rovos Rail luxury train from Zimbali to Pretoria
  • Take in the views of breathtaking Victoria Falls
  • Cultural village tour and visit the Maramba Markets near Victoria Falls
  • Enjoy a small group 4WD game drive with guide and game tracker in Madikwe Game Reserve, Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve & Nambiti Private Game Reserve
  • Chance to see the Big Five – Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Elephant and Rhinoceros
  • Enjoy Freedom of Choice Touring in 5 locations
  • Take part in an African drumming session in Cape Town
  • Indulge in a bush dinner under the stars in Madikwe Game Reserve
  • All tipping and transfers
  • Tour with no more than 28 people
  • 37 delicious meals: 18 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 11 dinners

call

Highlights

Witness Victoria Falls
Game Reserve drives
Small groups - max 28 guests
31 meals
Escorted Tour

Itinerary

Day Destination
1 Arrive Cape Town
On arrival in the South African city of Cape Town, be met at the airport and transferred to your five-star hotel. This evening, meet your Tour Director.

 

 

Stay: Three nights at The Table Bay Hotel at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, .

 

2 Cape Town, Freedom of Choice Touring
A guided sightseeing tour of Cape Town begins this morning with a ride on the aerial cableway to the top of Table Mountain. Enjoy time to admire the city and ocean views then return to town. Here, visit the District Six Museum and the Good Hope Castle, then wander the Company’s Garden, established in the 1650s. This afternoon, choose from:  
  • a visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
  • a ferry ride to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned
  • an African Heritage Tour or
  • a Cape Winelands tour and wine tasting.
Tonight, take part in a drumming session before enjoying a meal of African and Cape Malay cuisine and live entertainment. (B,D)
3 Cape Town, Cape Peninsula
Today after breakfast, you’ll discover the breathtaking Cape Peninsula during a full-day tour. This picturesque journey takes you along Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape Point, where the two Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. After stopping here, you’ll continue on to historic Simon’s Town and then see penguins up-close at Boulders Beach before returning to Cape Town and enjoying the evening at leisure. (B,L)

 

4 Cape Town, Oudtshoorn
Leaving Cape Town, venture east along the Garden Route. Travel through beautiful coastal and forest landscapes then stop to discover the stunning subterranean limestone formations of the Cango Caves. After, head to Oudtshoorn and enjoy the hospitality of the Klein Karoo region as you spend the night in a beautifully restored rural 1830s property. Tonight, dine on regional produce including ostrich. (B,D)

 

Stay: Oudtshoorn, De Opstal Country Lodge  

 

5 Oudtshoorn, Knysna
After a hearty farm breakfast, visit an ostrich farm then continue travelling along the Garden Route to the coastal town of Knysna. Check in to your hotel, set on the Knysna Quays Waterfront, and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.(B)

 

Stay: Two nights at the Hotel Knysna Quays, Knysna

 

6 Knysna, Featherbed Nature Reserve

Today enjoy a visit to the pristine Featherbed Nature Reserve, a South African Heritage Site that’s only accessible by ferry. Here, join an expert park guide in a custom-designed 4WD vehicle on a journey to the top of Western Head, stopping at outlooks that offer unsurpassed views of the lagoon, mountains and Knysna. Afterwards, perhaps join an optional bushwalk down a nature trail that meanders through coastal forest and fynbos. Your experience concludes with a delicious buffet lunch at the Food Forest Restaurant, set on the edge of a lagoon under a canopy of Milkwood trees. After returning to your hotel, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. (B,L)

 

7 Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Freedom of Choice Touring

Immerse yourself in nature today during your Freedom of Choice Touring activity. Perhaps visit: 

  • Monkeyland Primate Reserve, where you’ll wander along the canopy walkway and see primate species roaming freely, from the lemurs of Madagascar to the gibbons of Asia and more or
  • Enter the world’s largest aviary dome at the Birds of Eden sanctuary, home to a range of free-flight African birds in their natural habitat.
This afternoon, continue along the Storms River Mouth and through Tsitsikamma Forest on the way to Port Elizabeth.(B,D)

 

Stay: Overnight at Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth

 

8 Port Elizabeth, Zululand
Today fly to Durban (flight included) then travel by coach to the Zulu Nyala Game Lodge, set on a hilltop overlooking one of the country’s most diverse conservation reserves. Watch for local wildlife on the first of several African game drives before returning to the lodge for dinner.(B,D)

 

Stay: Two nights at Zulu Nyala Game Lodge, Port Elizabeth

 

9 Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, Zulu Village

Set off today on a game drive in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, Africa’s oldest game park and home to the rare White Rhinoceros. During the drive you may spot wildlife such as giraffes, zebras, Blue Wildebeest, impalas, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hippos and Nyala, Southern African antelope, among other creatures. After, head for a Zulu village, where residents still practise the centuries-old Zulu traditions of their ancestors. Get a taste of African beer-making; try your hand at stick fighting or spear-making; let a sangoma, witch doctor read your future; and be entranced by the rhythms of Zulu dancing. Back at the lodge, enjoy an afternoon game drive and sundowner drinks before a special Boma dinner held outdoors around a bonfire. (B,L,D)

 

10 Zululand, Swaziland
Leaving South Africa, cross into the Kingdom of Swaziland on a journey past of mountains and through forests. Along the way, drop in at the Swazi Candle Factory near Manzini for the unique opportunity to see local Swazi craftsmen using an age-old technique to create highly decorative hand-made Swazi Candles. Then head for the Ngwenya Glass factory, where you’ll witness the magical art of glassblowing. Later, arrive in the tranquil Ezulwini Valley.(B,D)

 

Stay: Overnight at Royal Swazi Spa Hotel, Ezulwini Valley

 

11 Swaziland, Kruger National Park
Back in South Africa, travel to Tinga Private Game Lodge, a luxury lodge which exudes the atmosphere of a classic safari lodge, perched on the banks of the Sabie River. This afternoon, take a game drive in an open-air 4WD vehicle and stop for sundowner drinks at dusk, watching for the famed wildlife of Africa as the sun sets. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the lodge then retire to your decadent private suite.(B,L,D)

 

Stay: Two nights at Tinga Private Game Lodge, Swaziland

 

12 Kruger National Park, Freedom of Choice Touring

A morning game drive today offers you the once in a lifetime chance to spot one or all of Africa’s Big Five - the buffalo, lion, elephant, leopard and rhinoceros - along with other animals. Escorted by an expert guide, travel through the lodge’s exclusive concession of land in Kruger National Park. Afterwards choose from:   

  • attend a wildlife lecture
  • take in a birdlife presentation or
  • go on a bushwalk.
During leisure time, perhaps make use of the lodge’s facilities or relax on your private deck, which affords views out over the Sabie River. After another game drive and sundowner drinks at sunset, today day ends with an intimate outdoor bush dinner out under the stars. (B,L,D)

 

13 Kruger National Park, Johannesburg
After a final game drive this morning, depart Kruger National Park bound for Johannesburg, travelling along the lovely Panorama Route. On the way, stop at God’s Window for views over Blyde River Canyon, and see The Three Rondavels - natural rock spirals that rise 700 metres out of the canyon wall. On arrival in Johannesburg, check in to your hotel.(B)

 

Stay: Overnight at D’Oreale Grande Hotel at Emperor’s Palace, Johannesburg

 

14 Johannesburg, Livingstone
This morning, fly to Livingstone in Zambia (flight included). On arrival, settle in to your iconic hotel, set right on the banks of the magnificent Zambezi River. This afternoon, enjoy a walk to Victoria Falls, the world’s largest waterfalls and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Visit a number of amazing viewing points before returning to your hotel for dinner followed by an evening at leisure.(B,D)

 

Stay: Two nights at the Royal Livingstone Hotel, Johannesburg

 

15 Livingstone, Freedom of Choice Touring

After breakfast choose from the following experiences:   

  • perhaps trace the steps of Dr Livingstone on a cultural tour then visit the Maramba Market
  • enjoy an Elephant Back Safari
  • go fishing or
  • take a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls.
Following free time this afternoon, set off for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, watching for hippos and other wildlife on the riverbanks. (B)

 

16 Livingstone, Johannesburg

After breakfast, fly back to Johannesburg (flight included). Tonight enjoy a Farewell Dinner.(B,D)

 

Stay: Overnight at D'Oreale Grande Hotel, Johannesburg

 

17 Depart Johannesburg

Your African adventure ends this morning with a transfer to the airport.  (B)

 

Prices & Tour Dates


Valid for sale until 1 Oct 12, or sold out
Valid for travel 12 May,  10 Jun,  11 & 26 Aug,  2 Sep,  14 Oct 12

Fares are per person in Australian dollars based on twin share*. Please contact your NRMA Travel consultant for a full range of fares and current availability.

 

Travel Dates
Twin Share
from
12 May - 11 Aug 12
$8,995*
26 Aug - 14 Oct 12
$9,395*

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*Terms & Conditions

  • All fares are Australian dollars per person twin share, subject to change & availability
  • Valid for sale until 1 Oct 12, or sold out
  • Valid for travel 12 May,  10 Jun,  11 & 26 Aug,  2 Sep,  14 Oct 12
  • Booking code: AFR17
  • B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
  • A non refundable deposit of $1,500 pp required within 7 days of booking
  • Full payment due 100 days prior to departure date
  • Valid for new bookings only, not combinable with any other discount or offer
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotional offer or Earlybird special 
  • Offers may be withdrawn at anytime
  • International flights are not included
  • Limited Deluxe Train Suites, subject to availability at time of booking
  • Cancellation fees apply
  • Credit card fees apply
  • Fares correct as at 12 Apr 12 and may fluctuate due to changes in charges, fuel charges, taxes and currency.
  • NRMA Travel Pty Ltd. ABN 48 001 233 567 Travel Agent Licence No. 2TA 5522 
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