South African Countryside & Safari Self-drive

Arrive in Cape Town International Airport where you'll collect your rental car and make your way into Cape Town - known by locals as South Africa's 'Mother City'.

Check in at 2Inn1 Kensington, a luxury Victorian guesthouse set on the lower slopes of Table Mountain in the fashionable city neighbourhood of Oranjezicht. Relax, unpack and get ready to explore - you're close to the city centre, have a car to use and staff will be happy to make suggestions and point you in the right direction.

The next three full days are yours to discover Cape Town at your own pace. Take a trip around the dramatic Cape Peninsula and visit Cape Point after a stop at Boulders Beach to see the penguin colony. You could also wander around dazzling flowerbeds at the superb Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or head up Table Mountain by cable car for enormous ocean, city and mountain views.

A short drive to the V&A Waterfront will reward you with excellent shopping and scenic lunches overlooking the harbour. Sunny afternoons can be spent on the city beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton, cooling down in the afternoon with a refreshing cocktail at one of the upmarket bars to watch the sun set over the ocean.

Action and adventure is also easy to find in Cape Town: go kite surfing at Blouberg Beach, try shark-cage diving at Gansbaai or hike up and abseil down the side of Table Mountain.

Spend your Cape Town evenings enjoying a meal at one of the city's top restaurants, accompanied of course by fine South African wines.

Leave Cape Town behind today as you take a slow drive into the beautiful Cape Winelands, an area well-known for its world-class wines, stunning scenery, superb cheeses and quaint rural towns.

Franschhoek, the town of the French Huguenots settlers, is your destination and once you've arrived in town, make your way to Auberge Clermont, a stylish country guesthouse overlooking vineyards.

Spend some time wandering the streets of this compact little town, tasting fantastic wines and browsing the boutique shops and art galleries. Be sure to visit some of the many nearby wine estates or take a scenic drive to Paarl and Stellenbosch, the other two main towns of the Winelands.

Franschhoek has a well-deserved reputation as the gourmet capital of South Africa so you can expect to find superb food in the evenings - ask staff at the guesthouse for their restaurant recommendations and help with bookings.

Say goodbye to wine country as you drive back to Cape Town International Airport where you'll drop off your rental car and catch your flight to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport.

Here you'll receive your second rental car and then it's time to make your way through scenic countryside to Casterbridge Hollow, a stylish boutique hotel situated on a private estate just outside the quiet town of White River.

Its close proximity to art galleries, boutique stores, coffee shops and restaurants makes Casterbridge Hollow the perfect base from which to relax and stock up before your safari. You've also got a full day to venture out and cruise along the dramatically scenic Panorama Route, or you could simply laze around beside the hotel's swimming pool.

Today your tour will take a somewhat more adventurous turn as you make your way into the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, a Big 5 private conservation area on the unfenced border of the Kruger National Park.

Arrive at Notten's Bush Camp, a luxury safari lodge situated in a remote part of the reserve. Settle in and embark on your first afternoon game drive in an open-air vehicle before returning to camp via a spotlit night drive for a delicious meal under the stars.

You have two full days to enjoy some of South Africa's best game viewing: get up at the break of dawn and set out on early morning drives as this is when animals are at their most active. Enjoy a steaming cup of coffee while you search for the Big 5 and other classic African animals; you'll return to camp for a hearty mid-morning brunch. This area delivers consistently good Big 5 sightings and there is excellent bird watching too.

As many animals are inactive during the heat of the day, you're advised do the same: catch up on some sleep or relax beside the pool, all the while admiring the views from your private deck. It'll soon be time to sit down for afternoon tea before heading out on another game drive in the late afternoon.

Enjoy a chilled sundowner drink at sunset and return to camp after dark: these night drives can be hugely rewarding as they offer the best chances of seeing Africa's elusive but fascinating nocturnal animals.

Enjoy one last early morning game drive and then it's time to say goodbye to Kruger as you drive your rental car back to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport where you'll catch your flight to Johannesburg and your onward travel arrangements.