Day 01: NOV 12, 2016: Cape Town Arrival

Our exciting photo safari of South Africa as we arrive at the southern tip of great African continent. We are warmly received and transferred to our hotel. At 7PM we meet for dinner at the Clipper Restaurant.

Overnight: The Commodore (5 nights) (D)

Day 02: NOV 13, 2016: Cape Town City Tour & Bo-Kaap

As the best time for the photography is early in the morning and late afternoon, we will depart at a time to avoid the popular stops at the busiest times. Today we explore the historical and cultural sights of Cape Town, visiting the impressive Castle of Good Hope and Cape Town City Hall., stopping at the beautiful St. George’s Cathedral. We then explore the Bo-Kaap, also known as the Cape Malay quarter, home to street markets, characteristic cobbled streets and colourful houses, which will provide us with excellent photographic opportunities. We will also visit the Bo-Kaap Museum, a building, constructed in 1763, which has been restored to represent a typical Malay-style dwelling in the 19th century. (B, L)

Day 03: NOV 14, 2016: Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour

Today we embark on a full day photographing the Cape Peninsula, departing early in order to optimize lighting conditions.  From Cape Town we head towards Kirstenbosch, which is best in the morning for all the bird life. We then head to St James Beach in Muizenberg to capture the fabulous technicolour Bathing Boxes, which make for great photographic subject matter. We continue to Kal Bay, a little resort and fishing community filled with brightly coloured boats, antique shops and galleries. We then enjoy a Capetonian Fish and Chips lunch in the town of Simmons. We then head to Boulder’s Beach, home to the famous Jackass penguins and make our way to the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve. We get to Cape Point later in the day when the light is better in some spots, away from the crowds. We return to Cape Town via the breath-taking Chapman’s Peak Drive, which is cut into the enormous cliff, stopping at the top of the drive to enjoy the cliffs and Hout Bay harbour at sunset; we continue along the Atlantic Seaboard through Bakoven and Kloof Neck returning to our hotel in the evening. (B, L)

Day 04: NOV 15, 2016: Full Day Township Tour & Robben Island

We start the day at Cape Town's oldest township, Langa, photographing the shacks and interact with the people that live there as they go about their daily routine. We visit a Sangoma (traditional healer) who is kind enough to allow us photograph him and his natural medicines. We also visit the spaza shops and butchery. Everybody here is very friendly and they do not mind having their photographs taken. At the township of Khayelitsha, we meet and mingle with the locals and capture candid, posed and journalistic style photographs.  In the afternoon we head to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela and many other famous anti-apartheid activists were imprisoned. Today the island is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the tour we shall take a walk back to the hotel, passing through the photogenic Victoria & Albert Waterfront. (B, L)

Day 05: NOV 16, 2016: Visit to Full Day Winelands

Today we explore the Cape Winelands, visiting the historical towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. Stellenbosch is situated in an exceptionally beautiful area dominated by the soaring peaks of the Hottenstot-Holland mountain range and is the largest and most established of all the vineries, We then head to Stellenbosch, also known as Die Eike Stad (Town of Oaks) with its Oak lined streets and historical Cape Dutch style buildings. Here we will enjoy a wine tasting and spend some time photographing the historical farm buildings and beautiful gardens. We continue to Franschhoek, a town influenced by the French Huguenots of old. Franschhoek has earned the reputation for itself as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, and we will enjoy our lunch here. We conclude our day in Paarl, which derives its name from the massive, rounded granite rocks directly to the west of town, that were witnessed by an early explorer as they glistened like pearls after a rainstorm, Paarl being the Dutch word for pearl. (B, L)

Day 06: NOV 17, 2016: Cape Town/Cango Caves/ Oudtshoorn

We depart Cape Town early and head to the Cango Caves, which we explore on a guided tour. Here we will photograph the vast caverns, delicate and sometimes majestic stalagmites and stalactites and dripstone caverns. The scenic tour, while not for the fainthearted, is a relatively gentle stroll through the caves while marvelling at their uniquely dramatic rock formations.

Overnight: La Plume Guest House (1 night) (B, L)

Day 07: NOV 18, 2016: Ostrich Farm Tour

Today we will be driven through an ostrich camp featuring Zimbabwe Blue Ostriches on a farm tractor, a unique experience that will allow us the chance to capture these magnificent birds with our cameras. Afterwards we continue to Knysna, stopping for photos of the entire mountainside and the coastal zone along the way.

Overnight: Premier Hotel Knysna the Moorings (2 nights) (B, L)

Day 08: NOV 19, 2016: Featherbed Nature Reserve

Today we take a ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, featuring an abundance of plant, bird and small wildlife, including the rare Blue duiker, and a variety of marine life, including dolphins and seals. We will enjoy a photo walk through the Milkwood Forests up to steep sandstone cliffs overlooking the wild Atlantic Ocean heading to the restaurant set on the edge of the lagoon for a sumptuous buffet lunch. (B, L)

Day 09: NOV 20, 2016: Tsitsikamma National Park/Port Elizabeth

We head in the direction of Port Elizabeth, passing through Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley onto Tsitsikamma National Park, which lies between mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. A place of lush indigenous and commercial forests, deep river gorges and ravines and abundance of fynbos and bird life, it is a favoured destination for nature. We then continue to Port Elizabeth.

Overnight: Beach Hotel Port Elizabeth (1 night) (B, L)

Day 10: NOV 21, 2016: Port Elizabeth/Johannesburg (flight)

In the morning we take a flight to Johannesburg and immediately embark on tour of the Soweto Township, which was notorious during the apartheid era. We visit the Hector Peterson Museum,  Nelson Mandela’s House, the Soweto Theatre and visit an informal settlement.

Overnight: Holiday Inn Sandton (1 night) (B, L)

Day 11: NOV 22, 2016: Johannesburg/Hoedspruit (flight)/Timbavati Reserve

Today we take a flight to Hoesdpruit Airport. Upon arrival we are driven to Motswari Game Camp, located in the Timbavati Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park region. We can look forward to unforgettable game drives and walking safaris. Meals are served in a variety of locations from alongside the trail to traditional boma dinners under starlit African skies around a roaring campfire.

Overnight: Motswari Game Lodge Luxury Bungalow (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 12: NOV 23, 2016: Timbavati Reserve

We start with an early morning game drive, as this is the time when the animals are most active. The Greater Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves on the continent, boasting more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve, in addition to 517 bird species. (B, L, D)

Day 13: NOV 24, 2016: Timbavati Reserve/Sabi Sands

Today we transfer to the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, falling into the Big 5 wilderness of the greater Kruger National Park. The big five game animals are the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and the White or Black rhinoceros. For the next two days we will enjoy game drives, bush walks, birding, river walks and hippo tours, visits to local villages, Boma dinners and astronomical observations under the clear skies at night.

Overnight: Lion Sands River Lodge on Superior Luxury Room all-inclusive basis (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 14: NOV 25, 2016: Sabi Sands

We spend another day enjoying the various activities in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. (B, L, D)

Day 15: NOV 26, 2016: Sabi Sands/Johannesburg (Flight)/Home

After spending two fascinating weeks photographing South Africa’s immense diversity, we are transferred from Lion Sands River Lodge to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport for our flight to Johannesburg to connect to our flight home. (B)

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Departure Dates & Prices

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Notes

Inclusions

Participants

This tour operates on a minimum of 05 and a maximum of 07 participants

Customised Itinerary

If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you.

Contact Info
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call 1-604-264-7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1-800-663-0844.

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