Classic Cape Town, Kruger & Victoria Falls

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport and collect your rental car. A relaxed drive along the N2 highway will take you through the city and into the soaring shadow of Table Mountain for your stay at one of its most romantic addresses. The Kensington Place Boutique Hotel offers the best of both worlds: a serene setting on the edge of Table Mountain National Park while being only moments away from cosmopolitan Kloof Street, which is abuzz with quirky bistros and stylish boutiques.

The beauty of Cape Town is the myriad activities on offer: wine aficionados can head to the glorious Cape Winelands, beach fans can choose between several Blue Flag beaches between Clifton and Camps Bay and nature lovers will revel in exploring Lion’s Head, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and Cape Point. ‘Must-dos’ include cruising along Chapman’s Peak Drive – arguably the most beautiful marine drive in the world, visiting Robben Island to stand in Nelson Mandela’s former cell and indulging in a bit of retail therapy at the V&A Waterfront.

Return your hire car to Cape Town International Airport and board a scheduled flight to Hoedspruit via Johannesburg where you will meet a representative from Ngala Tented Camp. Set within Timbavati Nature Reserve on the unfenced western boundary of the Kruger National Park, and located along the banks of the wildlife-rich Timbavati River, each of Ngala’s six en suite tents is sited exclusively on a private raised platform for perfect views of the bush.

Along with its large tub, your suite has an invigorating outdoor shower; wash away the dust of your journey before setting off on what will be an unforgettable game drive. Timbavati is a private reserve, so you will enjoy activities that are not allowed in a national park: off-road excursions for premium sightings, spot-lit night drives and guided nature walks. On your return, slip into the swimming pool overlooking the riverbed to deftly escape the heat of the day, then look forward to sundowners and your evening game drive – and a moonlit dinner served under the stars.

Transfer back to Hoedspruit for your return flight to Johannesburg and an overnight stay in fashionable Sandton at the award-winning Fairlawns Boutique Hotel.

Originally owned by the multi-billionaire Oppenheimer family who made their fortune in mining, Fairlawns is an exclusive property set in stately grounds with a park-like aura and huge mature trees. It boasts 40 personalised suites, a Balinese-style spa, a fully-equipped gym and an excellent à la carte restaurant. Its tranquil setting is the key to its charm, for Sandton is Johannesburg’s nerve centre. Sandton City mall and adjoining Nelson Mandela Square is an afro-chic hub, with one-of-a-kind jewellers, galleries, couturiers and bookstores that make browsing irresistible.

Enjoy dinner at one of Sandton’s many white-cloth restaurants or on the terrace of Fairlawns.

Transfer to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport for your scheduled flight to Victoria Falls. Here, the full width of the mighty Zambezi River plummets deafeningly in a single roar through a fractured series of gorges below, billowing through mist that is visible 20km away. Known as Mosi-oa-Tunya in the local tongue, which means ‘the Smoke that Thunders’, steel yourself for an extraordinary experience. Negotiate pathways through the rainforest that is perched dramatically over the main Falls and brave the cascade of the Eastern Cataract along Knife-Edge Bridge into Zambia. Hug the steep footpath down to the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down Batoka Gorge. Climb into a micro-light with a qualified pilot for breath-taking panoramic views of the cascade. White-water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, elephant-back safaris – your options are endless.

You are staying at the genteel Victoria Falls Hotel, a gracious Edwardian masterpiece that epitomizes the romance of the grand colonial tours of the past. Set in lush tropical gardens, with white-gloved waiters serving you afternoon tea on Stanley’s Terrace within sight of the Falls, it induces dreams of a bygone era.

Take that final photograph of Mosi-oa-Tunya as your plane banks away from Victoria Falls Airport on your scheduled return trip to Johannesburg, with the sound and the fury of this incredible spectacle remaining with you through your onward flight home.