Cape Town, Safari and Mozambique Beach

Sidecar tour of the city

Cape Town

Experience a tour of Cape Town like no other – in the sidecar of a decommissioned military bike. Strap in for this mid-peninsula 3-hour ride along the wondrous landscape of the Chapman's Peak Drive via the Atlantic Seaboard, where you'll pass by the scenic sights of Camps Bay, Hout Bay and the Constantia Winelands in this unique adventure.

Suitable for all ages, there are also longer sidecar tours available with the option to tailor-make your own two, four or eight-hour routes.

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Waterfront Sunset Cruise

Cape Town

Watch the sunset over Cape Town on a classic sailboat, the Spirit of Victoria. Known as the grand old lady of charter boats her brick-red sails make it one of the most photographed boats on the V&A Waterfront. Enjoy sparkling wine and soft music as you sail towards the sunset.

The route takes you between Cape Town and Robben Island and the local guides will share their experiences of the city. You may sea seals lounging on the red buoys and curious dusky dolphins can often  be seen jumping the bow waves.

Ropes and pulleys manually lift the sails as you bob on the waves while watching the sunset on this one and a half cruise. After passing Mouille Point lighthouse, you will turn back towards Cape Town. Watch as the city's lights start to twinkle and the last rays of sun hit the often cloud-shrouded Table Mountain as you return to the Waterfront.

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Hike Mighty Table Mountain

Cape Town

Hike to the top of Table Mountain, South Africa’s most iconic landmark, for spectacular views over Cape Town.  All treks are private, so you’ll have your own experienced nature guide who knows the mountain, its trails and ecology like the back of their hand. Surrounded by pristine nature, you’ll get an amazing sense of achievement after hiking for three or four hours to the peak.

As you walk up the mountain, your guide will teach you about the surrounding Cape Floral Kingdom, which is a UNESCO heritage site. Table Mountain has more botanical species than the entire UK. You'll learn about the different types of flowers as well as the geology. At 400 metres, wherever you are on the mountain you get a thin layer of Malmesbury shale, which is the mother rock of Table Mountain. You’ll also spot lots of birds and perhaps even a klipspringer.

There are over 50 different hiking trails to choose from so the route will vary depending on how much time you have and your physical ability and you can take the cable car down afterwards. Trails include Platteklip Gorge, the Western Table and neighbouring Lion’s Head. Kasteelspoort takes you through the stunning Valley of the Gods. Skeleton Gorge is a longer hike from Kirstenbosch Gardens through afro-montane forests to Maclears Beacon. Whichever route you take, you’ll enjoy 360-degree views of Cape Town along the way, and you will also be helping to support guided hikes for children from disadvantaged communities around Cape Town.

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Cape Town Peaks & Penguins

Cape Town

On this full day private guided tour, you’ll visit Cape Town’s most famous sights, including Table Mountain before travelling along the dramatic Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape point and the Cape Peninsula. There will be plenty of photo opportunities along the way, especially when you encounter the endangered African penguins at Boulder’s Beach.

You’ll be collected from your hotel, and first stop will be at Bo-Kaap. Famed for its colourful houses, this area has many Cape Malay influences and gives an insight into Cape Town’s cultural heritage. Next, head to the base of Table Mountain where, weather permitting, you can take the rotating cableway to the summit. At the top, the views extend across the Mother City to Robben Island and the Atlantic Seaboard.

Return to the vehicle for a drive along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive. This dramatic road has been carved into the cliffs and offers breathtaking views of the ocean below. After lunch at a local seaside restaurant (own expense) you’ll travel to Cape Point Nature Reserve, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are said to meet. Explore the rugged cliffs, dramatic viewpoints, and the Cape of Good Hope. Walk up to the lighthouse or take the funicular (optional at own expense) for sweeping ocean vistas. In the afternoon, continue to Boulders Beach. Follow the board walks along the beach where a protected colony of endangered African penguins may be found. Travelling along the False Bay coastline, you will return to Cape Town late afternoon.

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Winelands Constantia Cycle Tour

Cape Town

Explore South Africa’s oldest wine region on this scenic cycling trip, complete with vineyard tours and tasting sessions. A private guide will tailor the half-day trip to suit your cycling ability and wine preferences, taking you along beautiful trails and teaching you the history of the winelands. There’s no better way to reward yourself afterwards than with a glass of Chardonnay in the vineyard you’ve just peddled through.

Depending on your preference, you can take a leisurely cycle along tarred roads or a more challenging trip on the new Constantia Greenbelt trails, which host the Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race. Generally, you will cover around 15-20 kilometres of flat terrain on the tour, with a maximum climb of 120 metres. Along the way, you’ll get to visit at least three vineyards. Set just outside of Cape Town, the Constantia winelands are home to some of the country’s oldest and most stunning wine estates. This is where Dutch governor Simon van der Stel launched South Africa’s wine industry in the 17th century and families have been tending vineyards here for over five generations.

You will visit some of the quieter, boutique wineries so you can get away from the crowds. Some favourites include Buitenverwachting, Steenberg, Glenwood and Groot Constantia. When you arrive, you’ll take a vineyard tour and then settle back to taste award-winning wines. There’s also the option to have a gourmet lunch at one of the estates (at own expense), which is the perfect way to end your tour.

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Spend a night under the stars on Garonga’s sleep out deck

Greater Kruger Game Reserves

A popular activity for guests at Garonga is to sleep out under the stars. Perfect for romantics, the lantern-lit sleep out deck is located a 20-minute drive from the camp. Guests are driven to the sleep out area and as the sun starts to set, a three-course meal is served.

Behind the scenes, it takes about two hours to set up everything for guests, preparing the table for the evening meal and getting the four-poster bed ready. The guest’s room at the camp is kept for them in case the weather should change. Guests are driven to the sleep out area before sun set for an orientation of their night’s setting. They are given a safety briefing and once they know how to contact the camp, the magical atmosphere starts to take over.

As the sun starts to set, enjoy a sumptuous three-course meal. A few glasses of your favourite tipple will calm any nerves. From its elevated position, the deck overlooks a busy waterhole so there is often plenty of animal activity throughout the night, such as elephants making a splash or a leopard coming in for a drink. As you sink into the comfort of your bed, the atmosphere can be quite magical listening to the sounds of nature as you fall asleep under a glittery African night sky. Safari dreaming at its best.

Awaken the next morning to the sounds of the dawn chorus and watch as the sun rises. The start of a new day on safari begins.

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My Jo'burg Cradle of Humankind

Johannesburg

The Cradle of Humankind is a huge area peppered with limestone caves, its two standout attractions being the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves.

The Visitor Centre itself is interesting to look at, built in the form of a mound. When you enter, you take a journey through the earth’s history; a gentle ride on a small circular boat while learning about how the earth evolved. The ride takes you to the exhibition area where you could spend hours. The award-winning exhibition shows the development of our ancestors over the past few million years.

Sterkfontein’s dark, limestone caves are fascinating. You will walk down into these huge underground caverns with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. Mrs Ples is the reason that Sterkfontein became renown being one of the oldest fossil skulls to ever be discovered at more than two-million-years old. The other famous discovery here is Little Foot – a nearly complete, millions-of-years-old Australopithecus fossil skeleton.

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Private Maboneng and Newtown Tour

Johannesburg

On this fascinating tour you will be taken by a well-known local to see the incredible street art of Newtown and explore the vibrant area of Maboneng.

Newtown is a powerhouse of some of the most talented street artists across Africa. At Mary Fitzgerald Square, under a bridge you’ll find around 25 pillars of back-to-back street art. Your guide will explain just some of the stories that are behind the murals and graffiti artwork.

You will then travel to Maboneng. Here there has been major reconstruction of old infrastructure in this once run down neighbourhood known as Jeppestown. Mabenong translates as ‘place of light’ and its rejuvenation now spreads over seven kilometres. Here you will find art galleries, craftwork, a variety of restaurants and music spaces.

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Snorkel Indian Ocean reefs from Machangulo Beach Lodge

Mozambique

Machangulo Beach Lodge is surrounded by pristine beaches, turquoise channels and bays and beautiful offshore islands such as Inhaca Island, which is known for its snorkelling and there’s good humpback whale-watching opportunities between June and September.

From the lodge you can see Inhaca Island, which is known for its snorkelling and village. To reach the village it’s a 25-minute boat ride from to the jetty. The lodge will call ahead to the Inhaca Lighthouse to arrange for you to climb to the top for amazing views over the Machangulo peninsula. You can sometimes see whales from the top and there’s good humpback whale-watching opportunities between June and September.

There are plenty of shops, a small market and lunch in the village at Lucas’s offers a seafood platter with juicy crayfish, prawns and calamari, or the local piri-piri chicken. There’s time for a little bit of shopping and a visit to the marine-biology research station and its small museum which has some amazing specimens.

If you like snorkelling, the island’s main appeal is the marine reserve and the colourful reefs off the west coast. You can access the reserve from the beach, where you’ll see plenty of fish, including many types of angelfish. For coral, you’ll head out into the blue where you can jump into the warm Indian Ocean from the boat.

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