Cape Town & Khwai

Price includes:
All accommodations, all airport meet-and-greet and transfers, daily activities as specified in the itinerary, breakfast only at The Commodore and La Fontaine, dinner at the Gold restaurant, lunch on the city tour and lunch on the wine tour, WiFi at La Fontaine, flight from Cape Town to Maun, all meals and local drinks whilst at Sango, laundry at Sango, park fees, 24-hour office support.

Price excludes:
International flights (unless specified), airport departure tax (if required), visas or entry permits into South Africa and Botswana, excess weight charges, telephone calls, travel, cancellation and medical insurance (essential on all safaris), transfers to/from Gold Restaurant and Cape Town city centre, optional safari extension and any activities not specified in the itinerary, all charges of a personal nature, any other charges not indicated in the inclusions, tips and gratuities, laundry at The Commodore & La Fontaine, all premium drinks at Sango, all drinks, lunches and dinners while in Cape Town (unless specified)

On arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be met by an Africa Geographic representative, who will transfer you to the Commodore Hotel in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (a 45-minute drive). After settling in, you could enjoy a stroll around the vibey V&A Waterfront and dine at any of its many restaurants.

Overnight at Commodore Hotel

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up by an Africa Geographic representative for a private full-day tour of the Cape Peninsula in a luxury sedan. The tour will include visits to the trendy Clifton and Camps Bay beaches, Hout Bay Harbour (with an optional boat trip to Seal Island), Chapman's Peak and Cape Point (lunch for own account), where you may see baboon, rhebok, Cape mountain zebra, rare bontebok, ostrich and eland. You will continue on to Boulders Beach for its famous African (jackass) penguins, the naval and harbour town of Simon’s Town and the quaint seaside village of Kalk Bay with its art shops, restaurants and souvenir shops. You will then be dropped off at your hotel and have the rest of the day at your leisure.

Overnight at Commodore Hotel

After another leisurely breakfast at your hotel you will have the entire day to explore the vibrant, cosmopolitan Mother City. A brief stroll from your hotel will find you immersed in the shops and restaurants of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

All other destinations mentioned below are easily accessed via taxi / Uber, and convenient online booking will secure your place (where applicable).

Nestled between a rugged mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. This multicultural city enjoys a superb natural setting, white-sand beaches, sophisticated infrastructure and a mild, Mediterranean climate. And there is no shortage of world-class trendy restaurants and a vibrant nightlife for all tastes. It’s no wonder that Cape Town is the crown jewel of the country.

A few city and peninsula headline acts include Table Mountain (cable car to the top - weather permitting) and Lion’s Head, the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Castle of Good Hope, Bo-Kaap, the Noon-day Gun, Greenmarket Square and the famous Robben Island (accessed by ferry, weather-permitting); where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were imprisoned during the apartheid years. Those interested in history and culture will enjoy tours to visit the District Six Museum and Slave Lodge, to explore how the Dutch and British colonised Cape Town, and a walking tour of Langa township.

For the active traveller, the Cape Town peninsula is a treasure trove of hiking and mountain biking trails, kayaking, whale and dolphin-watching and wind / kite-surfing spots. Actually, just about every physical outdoor pursuit is catered for within a relatively short radius of the city.

After a full day exploring Cape Town, a shuttle can be arranged from the hotel (paid directly) to Gold Restaurant for a fun evening that kick starts with a Djembe drumming session and a 14-dish feast from various African countries. After dinner and loads of fun, you can catch the shuttle back to your hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Overnight at Commodore Hotel

After breakfast at your hotel you will be picked up by an Africa Geographic representative for a private full-day tour of the Cape Winelands to enjoy some historic vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture. This slow “winefari” will meander through Stellenbosch, where your first stop will delight you with a wine & chocolate pairing. The chocolate is artisanal, and Fair Trade accredited, the wine carefully paired and one of the Cape’s finest. Your winefari mellowly proceeds amidst beautiful mountain scenery, rolling vineyards and historic homesteads. Your second stop will be a boutique Stellenbosch wine estate for an intimate locally manufactured cheese & carefully selected wine parings with the winemaker.

Shortly after, your tour heads over the pass to Franschhoek, where you will learn about the influence of the French Huguenots on the local wine industry. In this quaint town, the cuisine capital of South Africa, you will enjoy lunch at an award-winning wine estate and stroll down the main road to enjoy the atmosphere and many eclectic gift and décor shops.

Your last stop of the day is one last wine estate at the foot of the craggy Franschhoek Mountains for one last world-class wine tasting to cap the day.

You will then be dropped off at La Fontaine Boutique Hotel, a brief stroll from Franschhoek’s main road shops and many restaurants.

Overnight at La Fontaine Boutique Hotel

Today you will enjoy a leisurely breakfast at La Fontaine, before an Africa Geographic representative arrives to transfer you to Cape Town International Airport for your 2.5-hour international flight to Maun, Botswana.

You will be met at Maun International Airport by an Africa Geographic representative and transferred by vehicle (ask us about flight options) to Sango Safari Camp in Khwai Community Concession. This 4-hour transfer by dirt road skirts the southern concessions of the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, and you can expect several wildlife encounters along the way.

Khwai is a wildlife-rich 200,000-ha gem on the eastern fringes of the Okavango Delta – sandwiched between Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park. This unfenced paradise is one of the best places in Botswana to see predators such as painted wolf (African wild dog), leopard and lion.

The Khwai River, which flows through the area, is usually a narrow channel in the dry season that animals can step across. In some areas, it spreads out to form marshy wetlands. The water channels have good populations of hippo, crocodile, waterbuck and lechwe, and the dry woodlands away from the river host good populations of sable and roan antelope, zebra, impala, giraffe, buffalo and other species. As is the case with most of northern Botswana, elephant can be found everywhere, and lion, leopard and hyena are commonly seen. Painted wolves often den in the area during the winter months and can then be seen with pups.

Your game drives will be in the Khwai Community Concession portion of Khwai, which is owned by the local community.

Your time in Khwai will be taken up by morning and evening game drives and the daily drama as the wildlife battles it out for survival in this raw, primal ecosystem.

Another fantastic way to explore this haven is by mokoro, a dugout canoe favoured by the local people to navigate the winding waterways of the Khwai channel and the Okavango Delta. Mokoro activities are dependent on water levels. Video: Mokoro

Between game drives, you can choose to go for a bush walk, relax at the lodge pool, or catch up on some sleep in your room. Meals are delicious, and the chef is likely to surprise you with a variety of delectable offerings. Expect cakes and pastries for mid-afternoon tea, and don’t forget to save space for the snacks and drinks on the game drives and early morning coffee with rusks.

Overnight at Sango Safari Camp

Your days in paradise will be all about getting out there and searching for exciting or interesting wildlife experiences with your guide. You can choose to explore via game drive vehicle, mokoro or on foot. Of course, nothing in Africa is scripted, and every day will produce something different – perhaps a hunting leopard, fighting hippos or a fish eagle that has caught a barbel (catfish). Or perhaps you will hit the jackpot and encounter painted wolves (African wild dogs) with pups. Your guides know the area well and will work hard to meet your expectations. But of course, nature makes the final call about what you get to see. Expect early-morning wake-ups, afternoon snoozes back in camp, evening drinks around the crackling fire, and dinner and bed.

Overnights at Sango Safari Camp

You will make the most of your last morning in Khwai with an early morning game drive or bush walk followed by another delicious breakfast and check-out. You will then be transferred back to Maun airport for your onward plans.

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