South Africa “ a world in one country’’ , also known as the ‘’rainbow nation’’.

With excellent infrastructure, regular international and regional flights, plus a favourable exchange rate, the county offers much to visitors – from cosmopolitan cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, with a wealth of historical and cultural interest, to the extreme borders of the Kruger National Park, or the rugged Cape coastline. So much in between, and how to decide on an itinerary.

Here are some suggestions:

Classic small hotel/ lodge tour with a driver and guide, or as a self-drive trip. Itineraries from 7 – 14 days for an area of your choice, or Johannesburg to Cape Town in either direction.

Drive or fly-in safaris to the Kruger National Park, on a fully inclusive basis, lodge or camping for 3 or 4 nights with regular departures.

Cape Town packages, with excursions to the Winelands, Hermanus for whale watching, or the Cederberg for walking enthusiasts.

Garden Route tours, scheduled departures with small groups, or self-drive.

Overland safaris to Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, with departures from Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Botswana is a country of spectacular landscapes and prolific wildlife – the government policy of “low impact tourism’’ strives to maintain the equilibrium between natural habitat and species. For a visitor, the main attractions are the Okavango Delta,where flood waters from the Angolan highlands disappear into the sands of the Kalahari Desert, the Chobe National Park to the north east, the dried-up Savute marsh, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, and for limited periods of the year, the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Most safaris start and end in either Maun or Kasane.

Botswana’s economy is based on diamonds and cattle and skilled Botswana craftsmen produce fine basketware.

Safaris can be conducted in different ways:

A mobile safari in the company of a small group in a modified 4x4 vehicle with a guide and tracker, and all necessary camping equipment; Scheduled safaris of between 7 and 11 days, or tailor-made private safaris.

A fully serviced ‘’Hemingway’’ mobile safari, where guests sleep in large walk-in tents with En-suite ablution facilities in specially chosen bush locations, starting from Maun or Kasane. Scheduled departures or private groups between April and December.

Fly-in lodge safaris, be they ‘’water-based’’ camps’’ or ‘’ land-based’’ luxury camps on a fully inclusive basis, with various safari activities included in the daily programme. These include game walks, fishing, mokoro excursions and safaris in open 4x4 vehicles.

Regional flights, Delta excursions, Deception Valley 2-night packages, Vic Falls / Livingstone extensions on request.

Mozambique, on southern Africa’s east coast, is renowned today for its endless stretches of beaches bathed by the warm Indian Ocean, fresh sea-food cuisine which owes much of its flavours to the influence of its past Araband Portuguese colonisers, and its excellent scuba and snorkelling opportunities. The Mozambique channel is a game fisherman’s paradise.

The Bazaruto Archipelago is made up of 4 islands – Benguerra, Bazaruto, Bangue and Santa Carolina being the main ones. The entire archipelago is a marine park covering over 1400 sq km and home to humpback whales, turtles, manta rays and dolphins whilst some 100 dugongs survive here.

Elegant, environmentally sensitve lodges on these islands offer packages with flights from Johannesburg to Vilancoulos, and short connections to Bazaruto or Benguerra.

Packages range from 3 nights to 10 nights, with dinner, bed and breakfast; cruises and non-motorized water sports are included. Deep-sea fishing and scuba diving can be arranged at the lodges.

A very popular combination is a ‘’bush and beach’’ safari, that combines the Kruger National Park with the beaches of Mozambique, with an overnight in Swaziland.
12-day safari with scheduled departures staying in lodges, restcamps and small hotels
12-day camping safari with group or on a private basis, with departures throughout the year.

For the adventurous traveller, the Capricorn Safari (24 days Johannesburg/ Johannesburg) Journeys through 5 Southern African countries – South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Highlights on this participation camping safari include : Chobe River, Victoria Falls, canoeing on the Zambezi, Lake Malawi, the beaches of Mozambique.

Namibia – ‘’land of contrasts’’ is one of the most versatile wildlife destinations and can be visited all through the year. It enjoys over 300 days of sunshine, on average. It is a photographers dream for stunning wildlife (Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s major wildlife sanctuaries) and awesome landscapes - the fascinating rock formations of Damaraland, the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, not to mention the infinite Atlantic stretches of the Skeleton Coast.

Namibia’s infrastructure is good; regional flights connect it with Cape Town and Johannesburg, as well as Maun and Victoria Falls. The main towns of Windhoek (the capital) and Swakopmund, on the west coast, are linked by 360 kms of tarred road. Interesting self-drive tours are possible, in 4x4 camping cars, or for self-drive and lodge itineraries. Fly-in safaris to lodges situated at the main points of interest are possible too.

Other possible options:

Camping safaris led by local operators, with all equipment included, between 8 and 18 days, and optional extensions to Kaokoland and the Fish River Canyon.

Private safaris for 2 or more participants; combined camping and lodge itineraries

Self-drive itineraries, starting and ending in Windhoek

Luxury train safaris on the “Desert Express’’between Windhoek and Etosha, or Swakopmund and Windhoek.

Accommodation in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, centres for ‘’andrenalin expeditions’’ into the Namib Desert; hot air ballooning, quad bike riding, scenic flights over the desert and Skeleton Coast.

Zambia is renowned for its relatively undeveloped wildlife reserves, the warmth of its people, and the mighty Victoria Falls, viewed from the Livingstone banks.

In the dry season, May to November, a walking safari in the South Luangwa National Park is a leisurely way to observe the plentiful game coming to drink at the Luangwa River. Numerous lodges, which form the starting and ending point for a walking safari, are easily accessed from Mfuwe airport, just a short charter flight from the capital, Lusaka.

Lochinvar National Park is a must for ornithologists, sheltering almost as many varieties of birds as S A’s Kruger National Park. It is also home to the rare acquatic antelope, the Kafue Lechwe, unique to this area. Fly-in birding safaris are available from Lusaka or Livingstone.

For the more adventure-minded traveller, a canoe safari on the Lower Zambezi in the company of an experienced river guide, gets you amazing photo opportunities as you paddle gently with the flow of the Zambezi. For those who prefer ‘terra firma’, there are secluded lodges overlooking the Zambezi, outside of and within the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Any of these parks can be combined with a stay at Victoria Falls, on the Zambian or Zimbabwean side, hotels and lodges from rustic to the height of luxury are available. The Falls can be viewed from the banks, and optional excursions include white water rafting, Micro-light flights, helicopter flips, elephant back safaris and sundowner cruises on the Zambezi.