Personalized Best of South Africa Safari

What to expect on this itinerary
The Rainbow Nation is yours to explore on this astounding 12-day adventure leading from Cape Town to Madikwe Game Reserve. Tailormade to spotlight the fascinating local culture, remarkable history, and heritage, as well as the wondrous unspoiled wilderness, this journey across South Africa is set to reveal a country more beautiful than one may believe made possible through participating in an array of enchanting activities.
Customizable Itinerary
Cape Town - Paradise on the Shores of the Western Cape
Table Mountain climbs to the clouds from Cape Town city’s borders, velvety beaches hug the coastline that wraps around Cape Peninsula, and emerald wilderness havens sweep slices of the Western Cape’s cosmopolitan jewel destination. You will gaze upon these mesmerizing scenes as your airplane approaches the international airport and you transfer with your private driver to an accommodation tucked away in Bantry Bay. With views of the sparkling sea ahead and scenes of the soaring mountains behind, you will feel swept away by the paradise shores of the Western Cape.
What's Included:
Cape Town - Unraveling the History of the Rainbow Nation
Cape Town - Beauty Beyond the City’s Borders
Franschhoek - Seclusion in the Emerald Franschhoek Valley
Franschhoek - The Fabulous Flavors of Franschhoek’s Wines
Kapama Private Game Reserve - The Starry South African Sky
Kapama Private Game Reserve - Searching the Bushveld for the Big Five
Kapama Private Game Reserve - Unique Animal Encounters in Kapama
Madikwe Game Reserve - Your Second Stay in Wildlife Paradise
Madikwe Game Reserve - Meandering through Majestic Madikwe
Madikwe Game Reserve - Fine Dining amongst the Green
Madikwe Game Reserve - Slow, Radiant Mornings in the African Bush
Trip Highlights
- Witness the wonderful scenes of Cape Town from atop Table Mountain and discover the history of the Rainbow Nation at iconic cultural landmarks peppering its diverse districts
- Discover the fascinating untamed wilderness that surrounds Cape Town city as you cruise along the Cape Peninsula towards the spectacular tip of Africa at the Cape Point Nature Reserve
- Find refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city in the evergreen rolling hills of the Franschhoek Valley, where some of the country’s finest vineyards are grown to produce exemplary wines
- Cruise across the luxuriant Franschhoek Valley to elite wine estates, alongside a knowledgeable guide, for superb wine tasting tours of prestigious vintages led by sommeliers as well as tours of the wineries’ cellars
- Soak up the splendors of the African wilderness from the comfort of your game reserve camp in Kapama, gazing upon the bright stars in a region unaffected by light pollution
- Ride through the forested lands of Kapama during sunrise and in the evening to discover the marvelous animals and curious critters dwelling in the bushveld, as well as search for the famous Big Five
- Journey across the golden pastures and emerald grasslands of Madikwe in search of more marvelous wildlife encounters
- Tuck into an array of delectable South African dishes prepared by master chefs and enjoyed alongside panoramas of Madikwe’s spectacular environments
Starting Price
$8,100 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 50 reviews
The trip was absolutely amazing – truly the trip of a lifetime. The accommodations were perfect for us – the Cape Town hotel with its proximity to the V&A Waterfront and the boutique guesthouse in Franschhoek, which was also within easy walking distance to restaurants and the wine tram. The safari lodge was incredible – the food, service, safari drives, and our very comfortable glamping tent. The other lodge was also very comfortable, with great customer service.
Our tour guide in Cape Town was the best – very knowledgeable, accommodating, and personable – and truly worked to make our trip extra special. The foodie tour was great – the most food we have ever had on a trip – with nice variety and local selections.
The transfers were without a glitch.
We can't say enough to thank our travel agent and her agency for making this a perfect trip.
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This was an unforgettable trip that my wife and I will always cherish. It was our second time visiting Cape Town and we truly enjoyed exploring different parts of the city that we hadn’t seen before.
I highly recommend experiencing a safari at Matetsi in Zimbabwe. It was absolutely incredible. While in Zimbabwe, a visit to Victoria Falls is an absolute must.
Zicasso's travel planner and her team were fantastic, addressing any concerns we had and recommending excellent restaurants for dinner, which made our experience even more special.
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Zicasso's travel partner planned a trip for us that exceeded even our very high expectations. We started our search by contacting three travel agents and explaining what we wanted in terms of timeline, cost, and experiences. Our travel agent came back with a plan that was exactly what we were looking for. He clearly understood that our main goal was a variety of experiences, a trip that included Cape Town and Victoria Falls, safaris where we could have a chance of seeing the Big Five, no driving of our own, a pace that would not leave us exhausted, a price that would not break our budget, accommodations that were comfortable but not extravagant, and to end our trip sitting by a beach for several days. He managed to do all that and more.
The result was a 33-day trip in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique that included all of the above, plus two days of whale watching, two days in the heart of South Africa's wine country, with multiple winery visits and tastings led by a very knowledgeable guide, three safaris (11 safari days in total), and six days relaxing by the Indian Ocean at an amazing, intimate, foodie paradise complete with free daily massages.
He also arranged all transfers ‒ car and large and small planes ‒ and had someone help us find a good deal on our transatlantic flights. Every vendor he selected was excellent and there was not a single glitch the whole trip, despite the numerous transfers.
What impressed me the most was his knowledge of all the properties and the thought he put into the ones he suggested, including the order of our stays. For example, he gave us plenty of time to relax and explore the Cape Town, Hermanus (whales), and Stellenbosch (wine) areas before going on our safaris. He then had our first safari stay be a tented camp. It was very comfortable and we enjoyed it immensely, seeing four of the Big Five there. Then, he stepped us up to somewhat fancier accommodations for our second safari, also an amazing experience, where we saw the last of the Big Five and the quite rare wild dogs (or painted wolves as they are sometimes known). Our last safari stay was one he had to talk me into because it seemed like the accommodations were fancier than what we were looking for or needed. However, he assured me that the experience would also be a step up, and wow, was he right. While the accommodations were great, what made the experience perfect was the knowledge of our guide, his tracking ability, and the unique location of the reserve, which even in drought conditions had a river running through it that attracted lots of animals we hadn't seen elsewhere. Our safaris were all on private land adjoining unfenced game reserves, so the animals could travel freely back and forth. We weren't faced with a slew of other vehicles vying to see the animals and we were able to go off-road to better track the animals we were following.
The back-and-forth dialogue with our agent in the planning process was something I truly appreciated. While some people might want to just set a budget and get a final itinerary (which I'm sure our agent can do), I wanted a more interactive process where he would give us different options and we would discuss the pros and cons, and then come to a decision. No question was too stupid and he never tried to rush us. I would book with him again in a heartbeat and have already recommended him to several friends.
On top of all I've already mentioned, he was fantastic when we had to delay our trip for a year because I learned shortly before we were going to go that I had to undergo chemotherapy. He was great in helping me make my claim on my travel insurance and in working with the properties so I was out very little money at all. And amazingly, when I was finally cleared to go, he was able to rebook almost exactly the same itinerary we had originally planned. There were also some other nice surprise extras he arranged, but I won't spoil them for you by saying what they were. I will say, however, that I can't imagine a more perfect trip or a more perfect travel agent to work with!
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