Curator’s statement
This vast country is packed with beauty, variety, history and surprises. Enjoy the scenery, its gorgeous coast and the mountainous interior. Learn about the painful era of Apartheid. Dine on sophisticated and inexpensive food. Marvel at prodigious wildlife, especially in Timbavati and Sabi Sands, adjacent to Kruger National Park.
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Day 1: Johannesburg

After getting settled in Johannesburg, take a full-day tour. This could include the Apartheid Museum and Soweto, the township where Nelson Mandela lived. It was the birthplace of the struggle for democracy. (If you fly into Cape Town, start with Day 2 plans.)
Day 2: Cape Town

Panorama from atop Lion's Head
Fly to Cape Town. After settling in, check out Table Mountain if the weather is clear and the cable car is running. Take the boat ride out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Check out the bustling V&A waterfront or the beach at Camps Bay, under the towering Twelve Apostles mountain range. If you're ambitious, hike to Lion's Head!
Day 3: Day trip and wine

Boulders Beach penguin colony
Take a day trip down to Simon's Town to check out the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Go further, all the way to the Cape of Good Hope (not the southernmost point of the African continent--that's Cape Agulhas).
If you're more into wines or have more time, head to the numerous award-winning wineries in Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Constantia. Of note: Babylonstoren, not just a winery but a delightful garden wonderland.
Day 4: Whale watching

Cape fur seals at Gansbaai
It's time to hit the road to Hermanus, the whale-watching mecca of South Africa. Take a whale-watching tour from here, or drive further to Gansbaai, home of the marine big five: whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and endangered African penguins.
Day 5: Mossel Bay

Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point in Africa
Leaving Hermanus, we'll stop at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost part of South Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide. Once we reach Mossel Bay, we'll officially be on the gorgeous Garden Route. This is 180 miles of beaches, cliffs, forests and wildlife. Stop for a few nights in the quaint Oudtshoorn.
Day 6: Ostriches and cave tour

Yep, that's me, being nibbled by my new friends
Oudtshoorn is the ostrich-breeding center of the world. Tour one of the farms to learn about and hang out with these creatures.
For the adventurous (and those with children), visit the Cango Caves, a network of limestone caverns large and small, filled with gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. There's a standard tour, and another that requires you to squeeze through narrow passages.
Finally, take a drive up to the spectacular Swartberg Pass along steep, curvy, gravel roads: this is not for the feint of heart.
Day 7: Forest and ocean

Try out the local oysters at Knysna
We're now heading out of the mountains into the forest and ocean. First stop at the beautiful Knysna Heads, the most iconic river mouth in South Africa. Take a lunch break in Knysna to try out the local oysters before arriving in Plettenberg Bay for a few days.
Day 8: Plettenberg day trips

Storms River Mouth at Tsitsikamma (suspension bridge on far right)
From Plettenberg, we have several day-trip options. First, to the Storms River Mouth at Tsitsikamma Park, the official end of the Garden Route, where the Indian Ocean slams along the shore. You can kayak, walk and hike to the famed suspension bridge or further.
On the return drive, stop at the Bloukrans Bridge to gawk at the bungee divers. Either today or tomorrow, check out the Birds of Eden, where 3,500 birds fly freely under an enormous dome.
Finally, near Plettenberg, enjoy the sandy beaches of Robberg Nature Reserve, along with stone-age caves and wildlife including turtles and seals.
Day 9: Safari time

We spotted two pairs of mating leopards at Sabi Sands!
Today we wrap up our Garden Route adventures and head to Port Elizabeth, where we'll catch a plane to Johannesburg, then Hoedspruit, just outside Kruger National Park. It's time to start our safaris!
The guide from the elegant Makanyi Lodge at Timbavati will pick you up. It is a short drive to your home for a few nights. This is followed by the more laid-back Inyati Lodge at Sabi Sands.
Upon your arrival, you will be feted with food and drink. After a stay in comfortable lodging, you will then be whisked off for your first game drive in this incredible wildlife kingdom. Who knows what you will encounter over the next four days?
Final days: Game drives and farewell

Rare wild dog pups at Sabi Sands
We'll be out on game drives in the early morning, late afternoon and into the evening each day. In-between, we'll have fabulous meals, and take relaxing siestas. After four or five days of scouting for the big five and so much more, it'll be time to leave South Africa. We'll bring home full hearts and incredible memories of this wild and wonderful country.
Need to know
The best months for wildlife spotting in South Africa are May–September. Please note it tends to be wet and windy in Cape Town from June–August. I've visited in February and July--the game was great both times. The Cape Town weather was much better in February.

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