From Cape Town International Airport you are transferred to The Clarendon Bantry Bay, which is set within the upmarket and wind-protected suburb of Bantry Bay overlooking the cerulean Atlantic Ocean. Occupying an enviable seaside location, this landmark hotel boasts first-rate facilities and impeccable service.

A haven of relaxation and creature comforts, The Clarendon Bantry Bay’s ever-attentive staff intuitively meet your needs. The beautiful suites have splendid sea or garden views.

Spend your days exploring Cape Town’s cosmopolitan city centre, with its boutiques, fine-dining restaurants, galleries and trendy bars. A cableway trip to the top of Table Mountain is a ‘must-do’ and ferries leave regularly from the V&A Waterfront for Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated before the birth of democratic South Africa.

After breakfast this morning you are transferred by road to the heart of the Cape Winelands within the Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek triangle, where you’ll stay at the magnificent Babylonstoren. Conceived as a contemporary lifestyle farm with incredible gardens, hospitality and wine, this dynamic estate showcases classic examples of traditional Cape Dutch architecture.

Enjoy a leisurely walk through the gardens, taste the wines, shop for beautiful contemporary farm products and produce at the Farm Shop. Ask the kitchen to pack a basket full of picnic treats to enjoy under the shade of the historic oak trees. Enjoy a rejuvenating treatment or hydrotherapy session at the spa. Dine at the award-winning Babel restaurant where farm-to-fork dining is taken to new heights.

When not enjoying all the farm has to offer, head out to explore some of the Winelands’ most romantic spots. Enjoy entrancing views of the magnificent Franschhoek valley, Jonkershoek and Stellenbosch mountains, taste wines in some of the most beautiful settings, and depending on the weather, indulge in a picnic or have lunch next to a crackling fire.

This morning you are transported back to Cape Town International Airport, where you connect with a flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Nelspruit Mbombela before connecting with a flight to Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Occupying 23 000 hectares in northern kwaZulu-Natal, the magnificent reserve neighbours the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which was South Africa’s first Unesco World Heritage Site. Stay at Phinda Forest Lodge within the reserve, whose glass-encased suites look out into lush vegetation that is thick with bird life and monkeys. Phinda Private Game Reserve is known for its abundant wildlife, diversity of habitats and an extensive range of safari activities on offer. Its coastal rainfall pattern means the reserve enjoys a lush environment which comprises seven distinct ecosystems. Adding to Phinda’s wildlife charms, the marine diversity of nearby Sodwana Bay is easily accessible for those keen on scuba diving or turtle watching.

Adventures include twice-daily game drives in open 4×4 safari vehicles, nature walks, excellent bird watching, riverboat cruises and canoeing along the Mzinene River. The unfenced Big 5 reserve is renowned for a healthy population of big cats that can be spotted on early morning and late afternoon game drives. Unique experiences on offer include a Maputaland Beach Adventure in search of nesting loggerhead and leatherback turtles as well as a visit to the endangered Wild Cats Project.

After breakfast this morning, you fly back to Kruger Mpumulanga International Airport before connecting with a small aircraft flight to Ngala Tented Camp in Timbavati Game Reserve bordering the Kruger National Park. Ngala offers front-row seats to a never-to-be-forgotten African wilderness experience. In this unfenced camp, the Big 5 wander freely across vast stretches of land as they have done for thousands of years.

Twice-daily game drives in open-topped 4×4 vehicles are guided by expert Shangaan trackers who share a wealth of indigenous knowledge about the reserve. Game viewing is excellent with reliable leopard sightings and off-road driving is permitted, all but guaranteeing fascinating wildlife encounters. Night-time game drives expose nocturnal wildlife, which might include bush babies, genet, porcupine or even a stealthy owl hunting its prey. Accompanied by an armed ranger, experience the thrill of tracking animals on foot and discover the smaller parts of this ecosystem often overlooked from the vehicle.

After breakfast this morning you are transported to Benoni Airfield for your shuttle transfer to OR Tambo International Airport where you connect with your flight back to Johannesburg and onwards home.