This is South Africa and the Cape region at its best! A self-drive trip that takes in the sights and flavours of Cape Town, the wine region, the unique fynbos floral kingdom, the garden route and big game viewing - all in one experience! This is one of our most popular trips and is costed including car hire but is available with a tour guide and vehicle if you prefer!

Days 1, 2, 3 - Cape Town Waterfront (4 star hotel)

Arrive at Cape Town international airport and collect your hire car. Cape Town is the quintessential melting pot: it is a city alive with creativity, colour, sounds and taste. While walking through the city's streets and meeting its people, you will fall in love with its natural beauty and incredible spirit. Cape Town is a city where the unexpected is always just around the corner and the beautiful province of the Western Cape lies ready to be explored across the city border.

Stay at an excellent hotel right in the watefront where you can walk to a number of restaurants and attractions but also have access to all the activities in the city region!

Highlights

Waterfront | Wine region | Cape Peninsula | Superb restaurants | Table Mountain

Days 4, 5, 6 - Grootbos Private Game Reserve, Gans Bay/Hermanus

Nestled between mountain and sea, the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is a five-star eco-paradise showcasing the incredible Flora and Marine life of the Southern Tip of Africa. Home of the "Marine Big 5" - whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins; and with unparalleled floral diversity, Grootbos offers you a one-of-a-kind luxury African experience. Only 2 hours from Cape Town and 30 minutes from Hermanus on the way to the world-renowned Garden Route, Grootbos is perfectly situated between the classic attractions of the Cape and is most certainly a highlight on any itinerary.

Highlights

Food & Wine | Cape Fynbos Floral Kingdom, walks, bikes and game drives | Ocean safaris for whales and sharks (seasonal) | Spa

Days 7, 8 - Knysna, Garden Route

The heart of the 'Garden Route', stay at a wonderful B&B and explore Knysna - nestled between the shores of the pristine Knysna estuary, Indian Ocean and thousands of hectares of beautiful indigenous forest, home to a myriad of wild- and birdlife as well as the famed Cape fynbos. Not only has Knysna become synonymous with its magnificent oysters, but visitors can explore its natural beauty through its many mountain biking / hiking trails, whale watching and boating charters.

Days 9, 10, 11 - Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

Nestled in the heart of South Africa's unspoilt Eastern Cape province lies Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, a world-class Big Five safari experience in 22 000 hectares of pristine private wilderness. Renowned for understated luxury, exquisite scenery and the thousands of animals and wildlife that call the Reserve home, our four award-winning Lodges offer a range of accommodation options and activities to make every African Dream come true. As dawn breaks over the African bush, a gentle tap on your door will wake you to the pleasures of a new day. Your ranger will discuss what you hope to see that day over fragrant tea or coffee and morning biscuits or rusks. Set out in an open 4x4 safari vehicle in the company of a ranger and tracker team, who will attempt to track your favourite animals. Explore Kwandwe's diverse terrain in search of cheetah, black rhino or elephant.

Day 12 - Departure

Drive back to Port Elizabeth and fly to Cape Town/Johannesburg