Iconic Cape Town, Vic Falls & Kruger Journey

Arrive in Cape Town, the cosmopolitan and vivacious Mother City of southern Africa. The More Quarters Hotel will be your base from which to explore Cape Town’s many attractions. This outstanding, owner-managed property is situated in the pretty, city suburb of Gardens.

The More Quarters Hotel is perfectly located to offer easy access to the city’s best eateries, boutiques, bars and beaches. Warm, personal service complements the Hotel’s relaxed and elegant atmosphere – step out into the vibrant heart of Cape Town or retreat to the quiet privacy of your suite. For an adventurous excursion, take a day trip to Cape Point, hike up Table Mountain or shark-cage dive for a close encounter with a Great White Shark.

Attractions lie in every direction: award-winning beaches, the delightful Company Gardens, which link the National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Planetarium and historic Houses of Parliament, and a first class retail paradise at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Open-air concerts at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are a much-loved summer ritual, while a wine tasting expedition to the nearby Winelands is a deservedly famous experience.

After breakfast, a short flight delivers you to Hoedspruit Airport and a comfortable road transfer to Lion Sands River Lodge, in the renowned Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. Sabi Sands borders the world-famous Kruger National Park; together, they form 2.7-million hectares of protected fauna and flora. Wildlife roams freely between the two reserves, creating one of Africa’s most bio-diverse wildlife populations. The Lion Sands area is the legacy of three generations of family custodians who consider it their privilege to welcome you to the untamed wilderness they call home.

Each day features morning and late afternoon game drives in the care of an experienced ranger and expert tracker. Encounter the Big 5 as well as rarer species, like wild dog and cheetah. Leopards are the main attraction in the Reserve, which boasts an unrivalled record for the regularity of sightings. In fact, the leopards are so accustomed to the attention they attract, that they ignore vehicles and whirring cameras with the practiced nonchalance of Hollywood celebrities.

Departing in the early morning mists makes the bountiful breakfast very welcome on return to the Lodge. Naturally, the best digestive is a guided bush walk, which provides a refreshingly intimate perspective of the wilderness. African afternoons are designed for utter relaxation: lounge at the pool, soak up the views of the Sabi River from your suite, or indulge your senses at Lalamuka Spa.

An air transfer whisks you to Johannesburg’s International Airport. Board the high-speed Gautrain to the leafy suburb of Melrose where a warm welcome awaits you at the chic Peech Hotel. This boutique hotel is the perfect, mid-safari overnight stop with its king-size beds, sumptuous bathrooms (featuring heavenly rain-showers), an elegant bistro, charming champagne bar, and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.

Catch the Gautrain back to the International Airport for your flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. You are met on arrival and transferred by road to The Victoria Falls Hotel. Established in 1904 and fondly known as the ‘Grand Old Lady of the Falls’, your home for the next two nights is one of Africa’s most iconic and beloved hotels. Overlooking the magnificent Victoria Falls, the Hotel is set amidst lush tropical grounds that recall the Victorian hobby of cultivating botanical gardens. The atmosphere and architecture are in truly splendid Colonial style, but all amenities are modern and the décor is recently refreshed and quite romantic.

A comfortable stroll alongside ‘The Smoke That Thunders’ provides the gentlest introduction to the Falls. For a little more thunder, try white-water rafting, canoeing on the Upper Zambezi, or bungee jumping. The ‘Flight of Angels’ scenic helicopter trip is highly recommended, as are the elephant-back and horse-back safaris. For golfers, the 18-hole championship course at The Elephant Hills Resort is a mere 5km away. 

Celebrate the African sunset with a boat cruise on the Zambezi River. Sip sundowners as glorious fiery hues infuse the sky, and hippos serenade you over the muffled roar of the Falls. The sundowner cruise is a truly timeless safari experience.

After breakfast, you depart for the airport and a flight to Johannesburg, where you bid Africa farewell. Close your eyes and feel your pulse quicken once more as you remember the exhilaration of seeing your first leopard. Mid-hunt, its muscles bunching for a deadly leap, the distinctive fur rippling, your heart racing, torn between sympathy for its prey and admiration for its fearless beauty. You are among the privileged few whose memories evoke the exotic flavours of Cape cuisine and the elegant perfection of the Winelands, the roaring beauty of the Smoke that Thunders, and the radiant luminosity of an African sunset.