SOUTH AFRICA & BOTSWANA PROPOSED ITINERARY
South Africa and Botswana offer a wonderful mix of cosmopolitan cities, spectacular game viewing, rich cultures, and unsurpassed coastal scenery. Your trip begins in Cape Town, one of the world’s most beautiful cities at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain and with its modern infrastructure, one of the most wheelchair accessible cities on the continent. Explore the Cape of Good Hope and head to the beautiful Winelands, to sample some of the worlds best wines, stroll through beautiful gardens, explore Cape Dutch homes, and historical villages like Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Somerset West.
You’ll then travel to the northern Botswana, where you'll spend 3 nights in Chobe/Linyanti regions. Contrary to what you may think, Botswana's lodges are ideal for wheelchair users as most of them, being built on islands and above water, are comprised of a series of boardwalks. So there are no gravel or sand walkways to navigate. Another advantage is that even if you choose not to partake in the game viewing activities, most Botswana lodges and camps are strategically placed with sweeping views of a river or channel, so you can view wildlife right from your patio, without having to go anywhere.
Marvel as your day and night-time game drives, bushwalks, and boating excursions take you near elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dogs,rhino, giraffe, and a host of other animals and birds.
End your trip with 4 nights at Singita's Ebony Lodge in the world renowned Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, and after clearing through customs and immigration, you'll be met and privately transferred to your hotel in Cape Town. Depending on your arrival time you may have time for some touring this afternoon. OPTION 1: Gondola ride up Table Mountain. Table Mountain, so-named for its flat top, is a mountain measuring 3,558 feet tall that overlooks and cradles the city of Cape Town. The mountain is the central component of Table Mountain National Park, which is part of the regions’s Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wheelchair access is possible all the way to the mountaintop, via the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. Wheelchair users receive expedited access to the cable car, and will not be required to wit in the standard queue. An elevator is available to access the boarding platform at the lower station OPTION 2: Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (all visitor facilities and many trails/pathways are wheelchair accessible. Alternatively you may choose to relax at your hotel after your long flight. Overnight at The Marly - Superior Sea Facing Suite or similar (3 nights)
DAY 2: Cape Town City You'll have a full day to explore Cape Town and surrounding areas with your private guide. OPTIONS INCLUDE: OPTION 1: Gondola ride up Table Mountain OPTION 2: Visit Kirstenbosch Gardens OPTION 3: Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap You can opt to do either or all above mentioned activities (all wheelchair friendly)
DAY 3: Cape Peninsula Tour Today you'll take a scenic drive around the Cape Peninsula with your private driver/guide. STOPS ALONG THE WAY INCLUDE: BOULDERS BEACH PENGUIN COLONY: Boulders beach penguin colony is surely one of the greatest wheelchair accessible must-sees in Cape Town. Here you can get to know Cape Towns most famous birds, the African (or Jackass Penguin as they were called when I was growing up) Penguin. Wheelchair users can access the viewing area with ease. Fully accessible wooden paths get you close to the penguins. The beach is protected from the wind and large waves, by ancient granite boulders, making it an ideal spot for the colony. Because it falls under the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area, the beach is always clean and safe, and it is rarely crowded. South Africa’s penguins are under threat from the loss of habitat, declining fish and their ever-encroaching human neighbours and by paying the small fee to visit these unique locals you are helping them. Every year, over 60 000 visitors flock to Simon’s Town to photograph and watch the famous Boulders Beach penguins, which helps boost penguin conservation efforts through South African National Parks (SANParks). CAPE POINT NATURE RESERVE: Cape Point, the beautiful tip of the Cape peninsula, has become famous for its ocean views, the Cape Point lighthouse and the extensive range of flora and fauna you'll find here. (The Flying Dutchman funicular is wheelchair friendly) CHAPMAN'S PEAK DRIVE: Chapman’s Peak Drive on the Atlantic Coast between Hout Bay and Noordhoek in the Cape Peninsula is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. Chapman’s Peak Drive is affectionately known as “Chappies” and is a must for anyone who is passionate about the majestic scenery of Cape Town. HOUT BAY: This former fishing village has a unique and timeless beauty that makes it popular with locals and visitors alike. Its long, sandy beach faces a beautiful bay, framed by mountains. Capetonians and visitors come here to enjoy the local fish & chips and to see the resident Cape seals that call this harbour home. NOORDHOEK: Perhaps make a stop at Noordhoek Village or visit Cape Point Vineyards for a wine tasting.
Day 4-5: Cape Winelands Today you'll begin your exploration of the Cape Winelands, visiting Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek. There are so many fantastic wineries to visit that it's hard to know where to start. Many are wheelchair friendly. Options include: - Wine tasting - Wine & Cheese pairings - Wine Pairing Tram Tour - Wine blending class - Wine and chocolate pairings Overnight at Leeu Estates - Vineyard Cottage (2 nights)
Day 6: Franschoek to Somerset West Today you'll continue your journey through the Cape Winelands as you make your way to Somerset West, nestled between the majestic Hottentots Holldand Mountain range and False Bay. Enjoy lunch and a wine tasting at the spectacular Vergelegen Estate. Overnight at Erinvale Estate - Overide Room
Day 7: Cape Town to Maun This morning you'll transfer to the airport for your flight to Maun. On arrival at Maun Airport and after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and assisted to your light aircraft for your onward circuit air transfer to King's Pool. Refurbished in 2019, King’s Pool nestles under jackalberry trees and overlooks the Linyanti River and an oxbow lagoon, the ‘King’s Pool’ – honouring Swedish King Carl Gustav XVI, who reportedly honeymooned nearby in the seventies. Totally solar-powered, richly hued in copper and teal, the camp offers eight elegant thatch and canvas suites, each boasting a spacious bedroom and lounge leading to a veranda embracing views of the picturesque lagoon and surrounds. The sumptuous common areas are stylishly set on expansive raised decks close to the water’s edge, perfect for watching all the wildlife dramas unfold. Kings Pool - Luxury Suite - full board (3 nights)
Day 8-9: Linyanti King’s Pool’s home is Botswana’s 127 000-ha Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, bordering Chobe National Park and at the crux of the important wildlife corridor straddling Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Such corridors are essential to promote viable, self-sustaining wildlife populations and reduce human-wildlife conflict. For species such as wild dog, for instance, and elephant. Especially elephant – the Linyanti is home to the world’s largest free-ranging herds. Drift down the Linyanti River on the Queen Silvia barge, watching hippos bob and elephants cross. Helicopter high above the Savuti Channel, as thousand-strong buffalo herds quench their thirst – or above swamps where basking crocs, possibly never seeing humans before, slide into the water. On game drives, walks, or from the air, help monitor critical wildlife corridors. Witness a leopard patrolling near camp, or a lion kill on the floodplains. Rejoice in all the water birds, fish eagles, herons, African skimmers, and many others. Stay in sustainable luxury where Scandinavian royalty once holidayed – and wait for a multitude of animals to come to you.
Day 10: Kings Pool to Victoria Falls Fly to Kasane, from where you'll privately transfer to the River Club at Victoria Falls, where you'll spend the next 2 nights. The River Club is the ultimate destination. We offer a truly authentic local experience within the context of Livingstone and the natural heritage of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. Explore our haven. The River Club is located right on the Zambezi River with all of 11 suites overlooking the river and its pods of hippo in the Zambezi National Park.
Day 11: Victoria Falls This morning you'll enjoy a wonderful tour of the falls (wheelchair accessible). On this tour of the stunning Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, you will explore the rainforests surrounding the falls and discover the abundance of birdlife here. You will visit the Eastern Cataract of the falls and cross the footbridge to the Knife Edge. From here youll have the perfect view of the falls as well as the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down the Botoka Gorge. The locals know the falls as Mosi-oa-Tunya, The Smoke that Thunders. It’s an accurate description of what happens when the waters of the Zambezi River plunge over the 1700 metre wide and 100 metre deep chasm, creating a shower of spray and a deafening noise. Enjoy the afternoon free.
Day 12: Victoria Falls to Nelspruit This morning you'll be privately transferred to Livingstone airport, for your flight to Nelspruit. Upon arrival you'll be met and privately transferred to Singita Ebony Lodge, in the renowned Sabi Sands Game Reserve, where you'll spend the next 3 nights. Standing among giant trees alongside the Sand River, Singita Ebony Lodge provides a fresh & contemporary safari experience. Surrounded by the vivid colours, captivating sounds and soothing rhythms of the bush, it awakens a spirit of discovery while restoring the senses. Twelve luxurious suites featuring glass and canvas walls open onto expansive private decks with plunge pools – and uninterrupted river views ensure continuous connections with the wilderness.
Day 13-15: Sabi Sands Sabi Sands, South Africa's most famous private game reserve, lies adjacent to South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park, and offers a safari experience found nowhere else in the world. Game viewing possibilities are simply unparalleled, including the much sought after 'Big 5'. There are no fences between Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands Game Reserve, so wildlife roams freely in a huge natural environment. The Sabi Sands is in particular well known for its amazing leopard sightings. The most elusive animal of the Big 5 is frequently spotted on game drives in the reserve.
Day 16: Sabi Sands to Johannesburg This morning you'll transfer to Skukuza airport for your flight to Johannesburg. Connect with your flight home.