South Africa in 3 Perfect Weeks: Cape Town to Kruger

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.)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.