BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA - Mercury Holidays
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YOUR TOUR DOSSIER
BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA
TRIP OVERVIEW
With landscapes stretching from the majestic plains of the savannah to the breathtaking coastline of the Cape and wildlife, arguably
unsurpassed anywhere on earth, the claim that South Africa is a ‘world in one country’ seems completely justified. This tour offers a once in
a lifetime opportunity to explore cosmopolitan Cape Town, discover the beautiful Winelands region, soak up the unforgettable scenery along
Chapman’s Peak Drive and see the Big Five on safari at the famous Kruger National Park.
ITINERARY & DETAILS
This document aims to give you all the information that you require for a smooth DAY 9: Port Elizabeth to Kruger B/D
and comfortable trip to South Africa. Please take the time to read this dossier Fly from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, where you will be transferred to the
to familiarise yourself with all the aspects of our tour. It includes important town of Mpumalanga for the remainder of today. Your retreat within this idyllic
information such as flight details, visa requirements and travel insurance. space will serve as the perfect base from which to explore Kruger National Park.
Your included meal guide: DAY 10: Kruger Natioanal Park B
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the tour awaits today: a guided safari drive in
Kruger National Park. One of the biggest, oldest and quite simply one of the best
DAYS 1-2: UK to Cape Town B wildlife parks in the world, Kruger boasts the greatest variety of animals including
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight via Johannesburg to Cape the famed Big Five.
Town. On arrival the following day, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
DAY 11: Kruger National Park B
DAY 3: Cape Town B Today is at leisure to unwind within your hotel, alternatively optional excursions are
Embark on a fantastic full day tour around the Cape Peninsula. Joining one of available (at a fee), including a unique safari on elephant-back.
the most spectacular coastal drives in the world, Chapman’s Peak Drive travel
to the World Heritage Site of The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and then DAY 12: Kruger to Johannesburg B
on to Cape Point where the mighty Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet in harmony Today, travel along the magnificent Panorama Route, one of South Africa’s most
amidst dramatic scenery. You will also visit the beautiful marine protected area of stunning scenic drives. With awe-inspiring vistas, the route follows the impressive
Boulders Beach where the sandy shores are home to a breeding colony of over Blyde River Canyon, passing plunging waterfalls, spectacular natural landmarks and
2,000 endangered African penguins. old mining towns before arriving in the city of Johannesburg.
DAY 4: Cape Town B DAY 13: Johannesburg to UK or extension B
Enjoy a day in Cape Town at leisure, in which you can unwind upon its Enjoy a short sightseeing tour of the city, with a stop at the Apartheid Museum for a
surrounding beaches, experience this city’s lively cultural scene or undertake fascinating insight into South Africa’s struggle which culminated in the country’s first
an excursion to get the most from Cape Town’s unique location, including an democratic elections. Later in the afternoon, head to the airport for your scheduled
opportunity to voyage upon the South Atlantic Ocean to spot great white sharks. flight back to the UK or continue on to your chosen extension.
DAY 5: Cape Town to The Cape Winelands B/D
Today tour the breathtakingly beautiful Cape Winelands, first stopping at the
town of Franschoek, then to elegant Stellenbosch, home to South Africa’s most
prestigious university. Take some time to explore this delightful town before
enjoying a cellar tour and tasting at the award-winning Boschendal Wine Estate.
DAY 6: The Cape Winelands to Wilderness B/D
Departing The Cape Winelands, take a scenic drive into the heart of the gorgeous
Garden Route and into the picturesque coastal town of Wilderness. Spend the
remainder of the afternoon relaxing at your hotel.
DAY 7: Wilderness B/L
This morning, take a ferry across Knysna lagoon to the Featherbed Nature
Reserve. Stopping at some magnificent viewpoints, your guide will describe the
area’s fauna, flora, history and shipwrecks followed by a leisurely-guided walk
around the area.
DAY 8: Wilderness to Port Elizabeth B
Depart for the Tsitsikamma National Park, a section of the Garden Route famed
for luscious forests and dramatic coastlines. In the afternoon head to Port
Elizabeth, a city known for its friendly residents, laidback coastal ambience and
bold colonial architecture.
For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723 1
BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA TOUR DOSSIER
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS & MAP
Hotel information 1 Number of nights spent
Cape Town (3 nights): 4H Hollow on the Square
9 Ryk Tulbagh Square. Hans Strijdom Avenue City Center Cape Town Kruger National Park
Contact number: 0027 21 421 5140
<
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Please Note: On the 12/06/18 departure guests will stay at: 3
4H Premier Hotel Cape Manor (3 Nights) 1 Johannesburg
1 Marais Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape. PO Box 21, 8060
Contact number: 0027 21 430 3400
Please Note: On the 08/11/18 departure guests will stay at:
4H The Rockwell Suites (3 Nights) Indian
32 Prestwich St, De Waterkant, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa South Africa
Contact number: 0027 21 421 0015
Ocean
Stellenbosch (1 night): 4H The Lord Charles Hotel
Cnr Main Road (M9) & Broadway Boulevard(R44) Roads Somerset West
Cape Port
Contact: 0027 21 855 1040 Winelands Elizabeth
1
Wilderness (2 nights): 3H The Wilderness Hotel Cape 3 Wilderness 1
•
N2 George Road, Wilderness, George Town 2 Africa
Contact number: 0027 44 877 1110
Please Note: On the 20/09/18 departure guests will stay at:
Tsitsikamma
3H The Dunes Hotel
Keurboomstrand Road, Keurboomstrand Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
Algoa Bay
6600 South Africa
Contact number: 0027 044 535 9606 Coach
Port Elizabeth (1 night): 3H The Kelway Hotel Air
Brookes Hill Drive, Humewood, Port Elizabeth
Contact number: 0027 41 584 0638
Please Note: On departures 12/06/18, 16/08/18, 11/10/18, 06/12/18,
Accommodation
20/09/18 & 08/11/18 guests will stay at: All accommodation is 3H or 4H and features an en suite bathroom,
air-conditioning/heating, TV and coffee making facilities. Mercury Holidays has
3H Garden court Kings Beach Hotel visited and inspected all of the hotels to ensure that they meet the high standards
La Roche Dr, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 6013, South Africa of service which we require for our clients. If the hotels detailed are not available,
Contact number: 0027 41 582 3720
alternatives will be used of a similar standard.
Mpumalanga, near Kruger (3 nights): 3H Ingwenyama Lodge Please note: the hotels listed are provided for guidance only and final
Plot 64, White River, 1240, South Africa confirmation of your accommodation will be sent in a document,along
Contact number: 0027 13 750 7000 with your final flight information, approximately 10 days before you travel.
Meals
Johannesburg (1 night): 4H Indaba Hotel Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch
William Nicol Dr, Johannesburg, 2021, South Africa and dinner where stated will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotels.
Contact number: 0027 11 840 6600 International meals will also be available.
ON YOUR ARRIVAL
On your arrival in Cape Town you will be met by a representative from our local agent, African Eagle, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”.
The Mercury Holidays/South Africa representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any
queries, however if you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:
African Eagle Emergency contact information
72 Bevan road, Rivonia Please find below the emergency contact details for African Eagle
Johannesburg, South Africa 24 hour: 00278 3449 5744 or 00278 1039 2847
Telephone Number 0027 82 325 0201
E-mail duty@ae.co.za
WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR TOUR
Visas your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as
A visa is not required for your trip to South Africa. Further advice should be soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you
sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Health and Vaccinations
Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity. It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements
applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general
Insurance information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as
insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information
must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk,
insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we
have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange Physical Accessibility
your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal
‘WK830’ for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, often on foot, and includes some
For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723 2
BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA TOUR DOSSIER
climbing of stairs and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for Currency Exchange
anyone with walking difficulties. The currency in South Africa is the South African Rand (ZAR). It is important that
you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you
Tour Guides arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival at each order to withdraw money in your local currency.
destination and will have a regional guide with you during your stay in each
place, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. There will be two Personal Expenses
separate guides in total. You will be met on your arrival at Cape Town airport and You will need extra money with you to cover any lunches or dinners which are not
this guide will remain with you until your departure from Port Elizabeth on Day 9. mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry
You will have a different guide who will meet you on arrival in Johannesburg on and any extra drinks or snacks. Approximately £300-£400 per person will be
Day 9 and remain with you until the end of your trip. sufficient for the duration of the tour.
Tipping Credit Card Information
It is customary to tip both your driver and guide approximately £6 (100/120 As normal practice you will be asked for your credit card details on check-in at
ZAR) per person per day in total and £6 (100/120 ZAR) per person per day for the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have
the ranger. Tips will be collected at the end of your tour. Tipping for restaurants a credit card you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners
(recommended 10%) and the porters at your hotels will be at your discretion. Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.
Tips are accepted in the local currency, US dollars, Euros and British pounds.
Itinerary Changes
Group Size The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only.
will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed
tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to of them. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the
operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed;
your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
WHAT TO PACK
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat • Long sleeve shirt and long trousers
• Waterproof lightweight jacket • Swimwear
• Comfortable walking shoes • A plug adaptor - the voltage in South Africa is 220 Volts with plugs and sockets
• Camera and charger/spare batteries having 3 round pin connections
• A plug adaptor • Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters,
• Binoculars stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• Mosquito repellent
• Anti-bacterial hand gel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Your initial flight is to Cape Town International Airport via Johannesburg with South Africa Airways (SA), departing from London Heathrow Terminal 2.
IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to
you approximately 10 days before departure.
Baggage Allowance
Each passenger is entitled to 23KG of hold luggage plus 1 item of hand luggage Airport Extras
not exceeding (Max 8kg - 56cm/36cm/ 23cm) in size and 1 personal item such If you wish to arrange Airport car parking, lounges or accommodation at
as a handbag, briefcase or laptop case. Weight restrictions will be finalized on preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extra
E-ticket receipt. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay Tel. 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.
extra at check – in. Check-In should be at least 3 hours before departure.
FOR CLIENTS TRAVELLING TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18
Children travelling with both biological parents must travel with: A child travelling with just one of the parents listed on his or her birth
• Valid passport of travelling parent and child certificate must also present:
• Visa, if required • Parental consent affidavit not older than 4 months or:
• Birth certificate listing both parents (note: these must be the original documents • Letter of special circumstances issued by director-general of home affairs in
or certified copies of the originals) the event that a parent or parents are incapacitated or deceased and no legal
guardian has been appointed as yet.
For full details of requirements for travel to South Africa, please visit dha.gov.za
For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723 3
BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA TOUR DOSSIER WEATHER AND CLIMATE Weather can vary quite considerably throughout the year, so please familiarise yourself with the climate charts below. For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723 4
YOUR TOUR DOSSIER
VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE EXTENSION
If you have not yet booked this fabulous extension, there is still time to do so, please contact 0843 224 0723
TRIP OVERVIEW
Travel to Zimbabwe and witness the awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur of the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ on this three night extension to Victoria
Falls; one of the world’s most sensational natural wonders.
ITINERARY & DETAILS
This document aims to give you all the information which you will require Any alternative hotels or board basis will have been confirmed at booking. Please
during your Victoria Falls extension. speak to our reservations department if you are unsure. Final confirmation of your
hotel will be sent in a document approximately two weeks before you travel.
Your included meal guide:
B = Breakfast Personal Expenses
Day 13: Johannesburg B You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any meals not
After breakfast enjoy a short sightseeing tour of the city, with a stop at the Apartheid included, drinks and personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, and any
Museum. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. extra snacks.
Day 14 : Johannesburg to Victoria Falls B Visas
After breakfast fly to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You will be met by a A visa is required for entry into Zimbabwe. We work closely with The Travel
representative and taken to your hotel to settle in. Early this evening, enjoy a Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call
sundowner during a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River before them on 01270 250 590 and quote “Mercury Holidays”. The cost of the visa is
returning to your hotel for the evening. approximately £90 per person. Applications take 10-15 working days to process
and are valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
Day 15 : Victoria Falls B
This morning you will depart your hotel for a half day tour of the falls. Your guide
Currency Exchange
will take you to vantage points where the finest views can be appreciated whilst
The Zimbabwean dollar is no longer valid currency. Transactions are conducted
educating you on how the falls were formed and the local customs and traditions
in US Dollars ($) and ATMs will dispense this currency. It is advised to carry small
surrounding them. Return to your hotel to relax.
denomination notes as change is rarely available in smaller businesses.
Day 16 : Victoria Falls B
Today has been left at leisure for you to simply relax or choose to further
explore this fascinating area. WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Day 17 : Victoria Falls to the UK B
Depart for your return flight to the UK, via Johannesburg.
Hotel Information
Your stay in Victoria Falls will take place at one of the following hotels:
4H A Zambezi River Lodge (3 nights): Enjoy the many facilities offered at the
A Zambezi River Lodge, nestled on the banks of the Zambezi River. The lodge’s
award-winning restaurant has a wrap-around deck metres away from the river.
Rooms are comfortable and well-decorated rooms and most have balconies facing
the river and pool while the rest face the national park and gardens.
Hotel information: 308 Parkway Drive, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Telephone: 00263 13 44561
5H Victoria Falls Hotel (3 nights): The Victoria Falls Hotel overlooks the Victoria
Falls Bridge and the gorges. Situated in acres of private garden, the atmosphere
of the hotel has earned international acclaim.
Hotel information: Mallet Drive, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Telephone: 00263 13 44751
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Please note: Final hotel and flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 10 days before departure.
For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723
YOUR TOUR DOSSIER
DURBAN BEACH STAY EXTENSION
If you have not yet booked this fabulous extension, there is still time to do so, please contact 0843 224 0723
TRIP OVERVIEW
Spend 5 nights in South Africa’s eastern coastal city of Durban located in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The city is known for its African, Indian
and colonial influences. A relaxing break to explore Durban at your own pace is the perfect way to complete your tour.
ITINERARY & DETAILS
This document aims to give you all the information which you will require Any alternative hotels or board basis will have been confirmed at booking.
during your extension in Durban. Please speak to our reservations department if you are unsure.
Hotel (5 nights) Please note: the hotels listed are provided for guidance only and final
Your stay in Durban will take place at the 4H Blue Marlin Hotel on Half Board. confirmation of your accommodation will be sent in a document, along
with your final flight information, approximately 10 days before you travel.
The Blue Marlin hotel is perched at the top of a green hill in the welcoming town
of Scottburgh, with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean and offers a private Personal Expenses
walkway down to the beach. You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal
purchases such as souvenirs and laundry plus any meals and drinks that are not
The accommodation at Blue Marlin features 122 modern rooms, which are included.
equipped with selected DSTV channels, coffee and tea facilities, ceiling fans, a
bath and/or shower – as well as a daily cleaning service. Sea facing rooms Tour Guides
boast unrivalled views of Scottburgh Beach. Your stay in Durban is not escorted by a tour guide. All internal transfers
are included.
Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, PADI dive centre, seasonal
entertainment, pool bar, spa (at a fee) and games room. Please note
This extension takes place after your main tour.
Hotel Information
180 Scott St, Scottburgh, 4180, South Africa
Telephone: 0027 39 978 3361.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Weather can vary quite considerably throughout the year, so please familiarise yourself with the climate charts below.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Please note: Final hotel and flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 10 days before departure.
For any further enquiries or for more information call us on 0843 224 0723
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