The Big 5 of South Africa... thriving cities, jaw-dropping scenery, phenomenal wine, sparkling coastlines and, of course, world-renowned wildlife. This incredible destination's diversity and utter devotion to luxury makes it the perfect choice for the most special and memorable safari trips anyone could wish for.
Cape Town
- The Silo | 3 nights
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
- Forest Lodge | 3 nights
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
- Tswalu Loapi | 4 nights
Upon arrival into Cape Town International Airport, you will be met at the door of your aircraft with your name on a paging board. Should your aircraft be directed to the apron and not the terminal building, you will be transported to the terminal by bus where you Meet and Greet will be waiting for you as you step off the bus. You will then be assisted through immigration, baggage collection and customs and on to your next service.
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Meet your private driver for a transfer to your hotel in Cape Town for check-in.
This is a drive of approximately 25 minutes, traffic permitting.
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Cape Town is a true fan favorite, with its exciting Mediterranean vibe, amazing culinary scene, beautiful Cape Dutch architecture, thriving art community, and successful sports teams – all set to the backdrop of iconic Table Mountain and the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is no wonder it is called The Mother City. This vibrant, trendy city has broad appeal. Local attractions include Table Mountain, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront, Bo-Kaap, boutique shops, numerous museums, wineries, and world famous restaurants. For those venturing beyond the city, the Cape Winelands and Cape Peninsula are a day trip away. Cape Town’s rich cultural heritage dates back more than 300 years and its diversity is evident in the city’s architecture, art, and food. It is the second most populous city in South Africa and sits at the southwest tip of Africa.
The Silo is a sanctuary in the city celebrating art, style, and design. This architectural masterpiece towers above the V&A Waterfront and is defined by its shimmering pillowed-glass windows which offer panoramic views stretching from Table Mountain to the Table Bay harbour. Our luxury accommodation occupies six floors above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) which houses Africa’s largest collection of contemporary African art.
The Silo
Deluxe Superior Suite
Inclusions: Daily breakfast
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After booking, Scenset can provide some of our favorite restaurant recommendations around Cape Town for you to visit!
Escape to the quieter side of the Cape Peninsula. Where the mountains are engulfed by the sea, baboons temporarily cause traffic and penguins are dwarfed by the boulders they call home. Hop between the fishing villages as you slowly round the peninsula, the southwestern corner of Africa. Revel in the history that has shaped this part of the country, as your private guide imparts insight of yesteryear. Experience local hideaways and steer clear of the crowds as we deftly navigate the showpieces of the city's more laid-back corner.
Venture south along the Cape Peninsula, visiting the quirky fishing village, Kalk Bay, voted top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in the world. We spend some time exploring this little neighbourhood known for its interesting shops, vast selection of restaurants and stunning views. Visit Dalebrook tidal pool for a quick dip and warm up after with a takeaway coffee and croissant - as the locals do!
Onwards to Boulder's beach - home to a large colony of the very entertaining yet endangered African Penguin. Explore this surreal and picturesque beach whilst admiring these fluffy local inhabitants.
From Boulder’s, continue further south and enter Cape Point Nature Reserve, the most southwestern corner of Africa. Explore the flora and fauna in this beautiful Reserve. A nature lover and photographic paradise!
Inclusions: Private guide and driver, entrance fees, gourmet picnic
A delicious selection of local produce and ice-cold drinks served by your Private Guide in the perfect spot. Cost included.
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In the afternoon, enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch in Cape Point National Park. A delicious selection of local produce and ice-cold drinks will be served by your private guide in the perfect spot.
Make your way home via Chapman’s Peak - the most scenic road in Africa. The Atlantic coastline is also known as Cape Town’s ‘Riviera’. An incredibly beautiful stretch of coastline made up of Cape Town's best beaches and most affluent suburbs. Take in the view of the ocean on your left and the towering slopes of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head on the right.
The Silo
Deluxe Superior Suite
Inclusions: Daily breakfast
Booked by Scenset
An exciting trip up Table Mountain in a cable car provides panoramic views over the "Mother City" and other attractions include the Social History Center, Zeitz MOCAA, the Castle of Good Hope, and the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Greenmarket Square's local crafts markets and the Bo-Kaap's colourful Cape Malay buildings add a sense of authenticity to your trip, and Long Street's vibrant restaurants, bars and clubs come alive after dark. Perhaps wander around the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a working harbour and hub of entertainment and shopping opportunities.
A short boat cruise to Robben Island, just over seven km's from Cape Town harbour, you can experience a sense of hopelessness inside the prison cell where South Africa's most beloved legend, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years hard labour. It is difficult to imagine how anyone could rise above the horror of incarceration to become arguably the most iconic and compassionate leader of our era.
Embark on an insightful look into the diverse and complicated social history of Cape Town with a walk through the Bo-Kaap neighborhood. Your tour culminates with a cooking class that will allow you to learn some Cape Malay recipes.
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The Silo
Deluxe Superior Suite
Inclusions: Daily breakfast
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After breakfast and check-out, meet your private driver in the hotel lobby for a scenic drive along South Africa's famed Garden Route as you make your way to Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.
This is a drive of approximately 2 hours 40 minutes.
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Beyond the Hottentots-Holland Mountains, to the East of Cape Town, lies the Overberg, an area of fruit and grain farms, verdant wine-growing valleys and a coastal Riviera known for its charming towns and whale viewing. Swathes of colorful Cape Fynbos flowers, rocky shores and richly green vineyards are all part of the Overberg's essence.
During the calving season, Hermanus is arguably the best destination to view the Southern Right Humpback Whales. From June to December these migratory animals make their presence known in Walker Bay, with pods of up to 50 creatures frolicking close to land. Hermanus' resident Whale Crier sounds his kelp horn alerting the town to the proximity of these magnificent sea beasts.
Recently established, The Hemel en Aarde wine route extends back from Hermanus. This successful wine-growing region boasts highly-acclaimed Pinot Noirs cultivated from its vineyards and wine estates. Translated as "Heaven on Earth" the valley lives up to its name, a feast for all the senses. Overberg highlights include Cape Agulhas, the southern-most tip of Africa and meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
At Grootbos, they go beyond simply conserving this pristine wilderness they call home. They’re constantly researching, innovating and pioneering new ways of doing things – in order to transform the lives of community members as well as preserve 3500 hectares of botanical and wildlife treasures.
During your stay, you will be at the beautiful Forest Lodge. The contemporary design and décor of Forest Lodge could place it in any of the top cities in the world. But nowhere else would you be able to enjoy one of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes, the changing colors in the southern sky and the occasional little buck that comes feeding nearby.
Forest Lodge
One Bedroom Luxury Suite
Each of the spacious and opulent Forest Lodge suites nestled within the lush forest, offer unobstructed views of the breathtaking landscape and coastline.
Inclusions:
- Full board dining with daily breakfast, light lunch, 5-course dinner
- Welcome drink
- Fresh fruit daily in-suite
- Drinks including water, soft drinks, minibar, tea and coffee
- Transfers to/from all activities
- Activities included: Horse-riding (weight limit restriction applies), Botanical Fynbos hike, Milkwood forest walk, 4x4 flower safari, beach picnics, ancient Klipgat Cave and Walker Bay Nature Reserve beach excursion and mountain biking (excluding Fat Bike)
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The Grootbos Foundation was set up in 2003 as a non-profit organization that would work to conserve the critically endangered fynbos, while also focusing on the training and skills development of the surrounding communities.
All of their projects are replicable and scalable, with many generating their own income or becoming partially self-sustaining. From coaching soccer, computer training to clearing alien vegetation, each program has been carefully considered to build a brighter future for the people who live here, as well as the environment.
- Enterprise Development: Providing career guidance for youth, workplace experience and mentorship for small business owners to combat the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa.
- Green Futures Education: Established in 2003, the Green Futures Indigenous Horticulture and Life Skills College provides QCTO accredited training to 12 unemployed young adults each year. Student candidates develop the skills and confidence necessary to market themselves and become employable, while at the same time contributing to the conservation and promotion of the region’s unique biodiversity.
- Conservation Research: The focus is to create a statutorily binding Protected Environment within the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. The preparatory groundwork includes a floral and faunal survey to determine high priority conservation areas of greatest biodiversity, close interaction with conservation partners and consultation with landowners. This will provide long term conservation solutions within the Walker Bay region, protecting vegetation types threatened by the spread of alien invasive plant species, illegal ploughing for agriculture, over-harvesting of wild flowers and too frequent fires.
Enjoy these days at your leisure taking part in the activities on offer at Grootbos. You may read more about the experiences here.
Experiences include:
- Marine Safaris
- Whale Watching
- Scenic ATV Rides
- Guided Bird Watching
- Nature Hikes
- Wine Tastings
- And more!
Forest Lodge
One Bedroom Luxury Suite
Each of the spacious and opulent Forest Lodge suites nestled within the lush forest, offer unobstructed views of the breathtaking landscape and coastline.
Inclusions:
- Full board dining with daily breakfast, light lunch, 5-course dinner
- Welcome drink
- Fresh fruit daily in-suite
- Drinks including water, soft drinks, minibar, tea and coffee
- Transfers to/from all activities
- Activities included: Horse-riding (weight limit restriction applies), Botanical Fynbos hike, Milkwood forest walk, 4x4 flower safari, beach picnics, ancient Klipgat Cave and Walker Bay Nature Reserve beach excursion and mountain biking (excluding Fat Bike)
Booked by Scenset
After breakfast and check-out, meet your private driver for a transfer to the Cape Town Airport for your onward flight.
This is a drive of approximately 2 hours, traffic permitting.
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Depart on your charter flight from Cape Town to the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.
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Upon arrival, you will be met for a private transfer to your safari lodge in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve for check-in.
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Tswalu is a vast, magical land of infinite possibility, with sweeping vistas and a liberating sense of space. The green Kalahari is nature at its most diverse and surprising, and to spend time here is to be touched by exuberant, soulful beauty. It offers an escape to a place that’s governed by the ancient rhythms of the seasons, rather than the clock and the calendar. It offers a vision of hope that brings together conservation, research and unrivaled safari experience.
At Tswalu you’ll encounter species you may have seen elsewhere, along with drier area specialist species that you probably haven’t. While zebra, buffalo and giraffe will be familiar if you’ve been on safari before, this will likely be your first opportunity to capture iconic Kalahari images such as dainty springbok with a backdrop of red sand, or the silhouette of a gemsbok atop a dune. Many of the species found at Tswalu are of particular significance to the San people, as evidenced by their inclusion in ancient galleries of rock art.
There is a timeless quality to Kalahari – it’s a place where humans have wandered and wondered since the dawn of creation.
Backed by the foothills of the Korannaberg mountains, Loapi is set to become Africa’s top luxury tented safari camp. Offering a true wilderness experience that is both private and exclusive, the camp’s six private safari homes under canvas are positioned to make the most of unimpeded views south across the reserve’s characteristic arid savannah.
With at least 100 m (330 ft) between each residence, guests are assured of solitude and seclusion with a dedicated Homathi (butler) and chef to take care of everything.
In Setswana, Loapi means ‘the space below the clouds’, aptly reflected in the camps environmentally sensitive, modular design, combining canvas, glass and steel. Uncluttered, sculptural interiors, enriched by nature’s colors, forms and shapes, optimize the sense of space and evoke the carefree, nomadic spirit of camping.
Tswalu Loapi
Tented Home
Designed as contemporary glass and steel pavilions, the living and dining areas form the heart of each home together with the kitchen and fully stocked pantry and bar. Deep, shaded decks feature day beds for relaxation, an environmentally friendly plunge pool and a fire pit for sundowners and early morning coffee. The bedrooms are cocoon-like sanctuaries under canvas, connecting guests to the sights and sounds of nature while providing exceptional comfort and insulation from the Kalahari’s extreme temperatures.
Inclusions: Private game viewing vehicle with a dedicated guide and tracker, walking safaris, nature walks (including traditional plant use interpretation), habituated meerkats experience, horse riding and bird watching. Short hike to view some of the oldest bushman rock engravings in Africa, a visit to the community clinic and pre-school, a visit and/or introduction to The Tswalu Foundation research projects. Involvement in wildlife project work on property when available. Luxury full board accommodation, all meals (a variety of dining experiences from boma dinners to dune picnics), dinner at Klein JAN Restaurant (children over the age of 12 are welcome), all beverages and full selection from the award-winning wine-list. In-suite tea and coffee making facilities, in-suite private bar and gourmet pantry. Laundry and valet services. Wireless internet access and National telephone calls.
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Tswalu is unquestionably one of the best places in southern Africa to see cheetah in the wild. The vast open spaces and antelope herds of the Kalahari readily lend themselves to high-speed pursuits. Visiting Tswalu also gives you front-row seats for sightings of species that prove elusive elsewhere, from aardvark and pangolin to Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra.
Their gregarious nature and amusing antics (think early morning sunbathing and playing chicken with scorpions) have made meerkats extremely popular as subjects of wildlife documentaries. Tswalu's two habituated colonies have accepted the presence of humans without letting it disrupt the important business of grooming and foraging.
Meerkats are just one of the smaller predators which abound at Tswalu: aardwolf, African wild cat and brown hyena are also frequently seen.
At the entrance to each home is a pavilion, or outpost, from where guests set off on all activities, including day and night game drives, guided walks, a morning with meerkats, field trips with scientific researchers, a dune picnic, or dinner at Restaurant Klein JAN. The outpost is also a welcoming point of return with a bathroom, storage for safari essentials and a choice of refreshments. As with Tswalu’s other camps, guests have private use of a safari vehicle with a dedicated guide and tracker, providing unlimited access to the largest privately protected conservation area in South Africa.
Tswalu, South Africa’s largest private game reserve, offers a conservation experience focusing on genetic data collection of endangered rhino populations of the Southern Kalahari ecosystem. From April to September, guests are welcomed to join the rhino notching initiative to analyse and support the genetic integrity of the protected rhino populations across South Africa after suffering a tragic decline over recent years.
During this intimate wildlife experience, trained trackers and veterinarians dart specific rhino, ideally between two and three years old. After marking and associating the rhino with a recorded number, the team plants a small microchip under the skin and horns for future identity and security purposes. DNA samples are then collected and later added into a global DNA database that helps track and prevent illegally traded rhino horns.
During this encounter, guests form part of the ground crew and are invited to take part in this microchipping experience that includes helping to monitor the rhinos body temperature and breathing. The private rhino notching experience covers the costs of a wildlife veterinarian, the specialized drugs in the darts, and flying expenses. Guests can further participate in Tswalu’s rhino recovery initiatives by donating directly to the Tswalu Foundation. All funds directly contribute to a credible and imperative rhino conservation project to re-establish populations where they can be protected.
As one of the many wildlife conservation experiences, Tswalu practices low-impact, high-value approaches to sustainable ecotourism to help fund the critical conservation work for future generations. Tswalu’s conservation goals focus on restoring the natural environment, re-establishing and protecting biodiversity, and maintaining the Kalahari’s characteristic ecological processes, all carried out through environmental research supported by the Tswalu Foundation. The Tswalu Foundation is a world leader in the field of environmental research within the southern Kalahari and a major influence on all the conservation success Tswalu has accomplished.
Booked by Scenset
Tswalu Loapi
Tented Home
Inclusions: Private game viewing vehicle with a dedicated guide and tracker, walking safaris, nature walks (including traditional plant use interpretation), habituated meerkats experience, horse riding and bird watching. Short hike to view some of the oldest bushman rock engravings in Africa, a visit to the community clinic and pre-school, a visit and/or introduction to The Tswalu Foundation research projects. Involvement in wildlife project work on property when available. Luxury full board accommodation, all meals (a variety of dining experiences from boma dinners to dune picnics), dinner at Klein JAN Restaurant (children over the age of 12 are welcome), all beverages and full selection from the award-winning wine-list. In-suite tea and coffee making facilities, in-suite private bar and gourmet pantry. Laundry and valet services. Wireless internet access and National telephone calls.
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After a final morning game drive and breakfast, depart from Tswalu Loapi to the airstrip.
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Depart on your charter flight from Tswalu Kalahari to Cape Town International Airport for your departure flight home.
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