On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be transferred to the Cape Grace. Nestled on the quayside of the V&A Waterfront, this beautiful hotel is steeped in old-world elegance and charm. Settle into your gorgeous suite and allow your concierge to recommend a dining hotspot in the city or enjoy a delectable meal at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant or a drink in the bar, which has an extensive collection of whiskies from around the world.

After a leisurely breakfast, your second day’s highlight is a helicopter flight along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard. The vibrant V&A Waterfront serves as the departure point, offering views of Robben Island and its infamous prison. The scenic journey unfolds over Cape Town Stadium, providing breathtaking vistas of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and the beaches of Clifton and Camp’s Bay, with the Twelve Apostles framing the scene. Your return route includes Hout Bay, Table Mountain, False Bay, the Winelands’ distant mountains, and the broad sweep of the Atlantic along the West Coast. The adventure concludes with a delightful lunch at a dockside café in the Waterfront.

Cape Town is well known as Africa’s premier gastronomic destination and there is no better way to experience the culinary delights of the city than on a walking tour, guided by an epicurean expert. On Day Three, you wander the streets of the City Bowl and the Bo-Kaap, visiting a series of establishments that celebrate the diversity of Cape cuisine. From traditional African ‘samp and beans’ at Cape Town Station to beautifully crafted curries and desserts in the Malay Quarter with gourmet coffee stops in between, this is a delightful way to sample delicious dishes, but also to learn of their provenance, woven into the very fabric of the Cape’s diverse cultures and history.

A driver will collect you for the scenic drive through Stellenbosch and the Winelands, nestled in the folds of the dramatic Jonkershoek Mountains. The road then sweeps up the dramatic Helshoogte Pass and, at the summit, the grand estate of Delaire Graff is revealed. Situated among picturesque vineyards with spectacular mountain views, the winery boasts an unrivalled art collection to match its beautiful architecture and surroundings.

With the gracious Delaire Graff estate as your base, you are perfectly situated to explore the surrounding wine country of Stellenbosch with its numerous estates, as well as Franschhoek, the culinary capital of the Western Cape. With myriad wine estates and fantastic country restaurants at your fingertips, this is indeed a gourmand’s idea of heaven!

On day six, you will savour a guided full-day tour of Franschhoek’s many foodie wonders, including a stroll through Babylonstoren’s expansive garden and several top wine tastings paired with local chocolate, cheese and biltong (a dried meat that is a traditional delicacy).

A driver will collect you in the morning to take you back to Cape Town International Airport, where you board your flight to the Kruger National Park region. From Hoedspruit Airport, you’ll be met by a driver for your road transfer to Thornybush Game Reserve where you spend the next three nights at Saseka Tented Camp.

Once you enter the reserve, you are in Big 5 territory, and you keenly look out for animals along the way. Saseka is an intimate lodge that can only accommodate 18 guests in stylish luxury. The tented suites radiate from the main building and are carefully placed in seclusion along a seasonal riverbed in the shade of sprawling endemic trees.

Spend your mornings and afternoons on guided game drives in search of lion, cheetah, elephant, and leopard, stopping in the bush for morning tea and evening sundowners. In between, relax at the spa, wallow in the swimming pool or follow the antics of vervet monkeys and plethora of bird species through your binoculars.

After an early breakfast, a driver will be ready to transfer you to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport for your flight northwards to Zambia’s Livingstone airport. On arrival, a representative will drive you the short distance to Tongabezi Lodge, which is situated just upstream from the Victoria Falls on the banks of the mighty Zambezi.

With an elegant yet unpretentious, barefoot luxury style with an undeniable romance and serene ambiance, Tongabezi will have your heart from the moment you arrive. From your villa, the Nut House, you can watch the river as it flows past, hear the calls of an African fish eagle in the trees above, and the splashing and honking of hippos in the water. The Victoria Falls is one of the most impressive sights on earth. Known to local tribes as ‘Mosi au Tunya’ or ‘The Smoke That Thunders’, this is where the Zambezi River plunges over a mile-wide curtain into a gorge below.

You will have the exciting opportunity to fly in a helicopter on Day 11 over this maelstrom of nature’s power, taking in a spectacular view of the Falls and the surrounding landscape spread out below you. On Day 12 you experience them up close on a guided tour that takes you to the cascade’s edge where you can feel the tremendous energy and spray of the falls.

After a visit to the Falls, Livingstone has a host of other attractions. Known as the adventure capital of Africa, you can go white water rafting the legendary rapids (water-level dependent), bungee jump over the gorge, (330 feet!), or zipline over the gorge; the list goes on and on.

After a last morning at leisure, watching the river glide gently past as you enjoy a delicious breakfast, the time comes to depart this slice of African paradise. As you take off from the airport, you look down at the column of spray from the Victoria Falls rising into the air, and reminisce on your travels, the sights, the sounds and the smiles of people you have met. These will serve as reminders of this magical continent and make you eager to return.