SOUTH AFRICA: BATTLEFIELDS & BODEGAS - £7,995 FROM - The Ultimate Travel ...
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SOUTH AFRICA:
B AT T L E F I E L D S & B O D E G A S
18 MARCH – 1 APRIL 2020
FROM
£7,995
PER PERSON
Tour Leader: Andrew Cumming
D R A M AT I C S C E N E RY A N D
E X H I L A R AT I N G A DV E N T U R E
South Africa is often described as ‘a world in one country’, and this tour
combines four of her most enduring attractions: wildlife, battlefields, wine and
culture. From the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, to the rolling vineyards of the
winelands, the spectacular coastal scenery and battlefields rich in history, South
Africa needs little introduction.
In the course of the tour we explore not only Cape Town itself, but also the
beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and the dramatic scenery of
the Cape Point Nature Reserve. We then venture to the Cape Winelands to see
some of its most historic wine estates and cellars.
We will get in touch with nature at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, a South
African Natural Heritage Site. Bushmans Kloof is a sanctuary to more than 130
ancient Bushman rock art sites and home to many endangered species of flora
and fauna. Exhilarating activities include nature drives and walks, canoeing and
swimming in rock pools.
Our next stop is the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay, a special treat for nature
lovers, surrounded by ocean, lagoons, untamed forest, and lush countryside, with
monumental mountains rising gracefully in the background. We will take a boat
trip to see dolphins and visit pristine beaches, walk in the beautiful Featherbed
Nature Reserve and visit bird and elephant sanctuaries.
We end in Kwazulu-Natal, steeped in history and literally littered with battlefields;
vestiges of the struggles of the Zulu Civil Wars and the clashes between the Boers
and the British. Visit the most well-known sites where the legendary Battles of
Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift took place on the same day, lodging the Zulus firmly
at the top of great warrior nations.
Isandlwana Battlefield
Knysna Lagoon Boulders Bay
15-DAY ITINERARY, DEPARTING 18 MARCH 2020
18 March London / Cape Town wonderfully well-preserved areas 22 March Cape Town & Stellensbosch
interspersed with quaint towns and
Suggested flight (not included in the harbours. Highlights of the trip to Full day excursion to Stellenbosch,
cost of the tour) British Airways flight Cape Point include one of the world’s a picturesque university town
BA 43 to Cape town departing London most spectacular drives, Hout Bay, surrounded by mountains and
Heathrow at 18.15 hrs. Chapman’s Peak, Noordhoek Beach, vineyards. The town has a blend of
the Cape Point Nature Reserve and historical, beautifully preserved Cape
19 March Cape Town two lighthouses on the tip of Africa. Dutch and Victorian architecture and
Arrive in Cape Town at 07.45 hrs. See Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, oak-lined avenues as well as the many
Transfer to the Queen Victoria Hotel, famous for its colony of urban African enticing art galleries and shops. Visit
overlooking Cape Town Harbour, penguins, plus Kalk Bay – essentially South Africa’s most famous wine
where four nights are spent. The a fishing village, still a lively working farms, Babylonstoren, one of the
hotel is a haven of calm, luxury and harbour and one of the best places to oldest Cape Dutch farms, L’Ormarins,
understated opulence amongst the buy fresh fish straight off the boat. and La Motte, located in the beautiful
hustle and bustle of Cape Town’s wine valley of Franschhoek.
popular V&A Waterfront. Lunch at Harbour House Restaurant.
Dinner at Gold Restaurant, an Lunch at La Motte, home to the finest
Lunch under own arrangements. African 14-course menu in a wines and recognised internationally
Afternoon tour of Cape Town, resting safari lodge setting. for exceptional quality. It is famous
at the confluence of the Indian for its picturesque setting, traditional
and Atlantic oceans, sandwiched 21 March Cape Town cuisine and historical charm. Return
between the slopes of the iconic to the hotel for dinner under own
Morning tour of Robben Island, arrangements.
Table Mountain and the glistening which needs no introduction with
sapphire waters of Table Bay. Take regards to the significance of its
the cableway up Table Mountain 23 March Cape Town / Cederberg
place in South Africa’s and indeed
and enjoy a guided orientation walk, Mountains
the world’s history. As ‘home’ to one
taking in the magnificent views. After of the world’s most famous prisoners, Check out of the hotel and transfer
descending the mountain take a tour statesmen and leaders in Nelson to Clanwilliam and Bushmans Kloof
of the ‘Mother City’ from Signal Hill Mandela, Robben Island is quite Wilderness Retreat where two nights
– where the Noon Day Gun is fired possibly the most well-known are spent. A haven of staggering
at midday every day except Sunday island-prison on the planet. beauty and timeless tranquillity
– through the colourful Bo-Kaap or where abundant wildlife roams free,
Cape Malay Quarter, past the Grand Lunch at Mayo Restaurant. Continue Bushmans Kloof is set in the heart
Parade and City Hall to the Castle of to the world-famous Kirstenbosch of the Cederberg Mountains, only
Good Hope and the South African National Botanical Gardens, 270km from Cape Town. Here wide-
Cultural History Museum. Dinner spectacularly sited on the lower open plains, majestic rock formations
under own arrangements. slopes of Table Mountain. The gardens and crystal-clear waterfalls provide
contain 9,000 of the country’s 18,000 the setting for a unique wilderness
20 March Cape Town species and has formal gardens and experience. The five-star Relais
Full day exploring the Cape Peninsula lawns as well as a wild section of & Châteaux lodge has won many
which offers a spectacular combination mountain forest. Return to the hotel international awards, including being
of beaches and mountains, with for dinner under own arrangements. voted as Best Hotel in the World.
020 3411 4595 | ENQUIRY@THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK
Fugitives’s Drift Protea, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon to enjoy 25 March Cederberg Mountains / just a short half-hour drive from the
the various activities on offer at the Plettenberg Bay hotel and one of South Africa’s most
lodge. Dinner at the lodge. picturesque and naturally beautiful
Check out of the hotel and transfer
seaside towns. Perched on the edge
with a packed lunch to Cape Town for
24 March Cederberg Mountains of a lagoon, the vibrant and bohemian
a domestic flight to George.
town was established in the gold
Day to enjoy the activities at the
rush of 1804 and is a hub of local
lodge. The reserve offers walking, On arrival transfer to Plettenberg
arts and crafts. Dinner under
river walks, canoeing and swimming Bay and check in at the Old Rectory
own arrangements.
in crystal clear natural rock pools, Hotel where three nights are spent.
bird watching, rock art excursions, This heritage building, located just
27 March Plettenberg Bay
game viewing and sunset game drives metres from the beach, dates from
in open 4x4 game vehicles. It is the 1777 and was later used as a rectory Excursion to the stunning
perfect environment for painting, by the Anglican church until the Featherbed Nature Reserve in
photography and quality downtime. present rectory was built in 1939. Knysna. Take the ferry across the
Bushmans Kloof is a malaria- and The beautiful building is now being Knysna Lagoon to the Western Head.
predator-free area, ensuring guests returned to its former glory and is From here you will be taken up a
are safe to experience wildlife and the focal point of this boutique hotel. beautiful 4x4 trail into the Reserve,
herds. Only the rare and secretive Lunch and dinner at the hotel. inhabited by the Knysna turaco,
Cape leopard roams the most remote endangered dwarf chameleon,
of the mountains. Bushmans Kloof 26 March Plettenberg Bay Brenton blue butterfly and illusive
today protects one of the largest forest elephant. The smallest
Morning boat ride by cat-style boat
private herds of Cape mountain antelope, the blue duiker, and South
to some of the best spots along the
zebra in the world, an animal saved Africa’s national bird, the blue crane
coastline to see dolphins. Other
from the brink of extinction. The can also be viewed here. You can
sightings may include seals, pelagic
Cape mountain zebra is identified also choose to take a short, guided
birds as well as sharks, big fish,
by its bold black and white stripes, tour through the coastal forest into
penguins and octopus in their
as opposed to its savannah-dwelling nearby sea caves.
natural habitat.
cousin, the Burchell’s zebra, which
Buffet lunch at the Reserve’s famous
has brown ‘shadow’ stripes, and Lunch at Bramon Wine Estate. This
outdoor restaurant under a canopy
a creamy undercoat. The wildlife afternoon visit the Birds of Eden
of Milkwood trees. Visit an elephant
reintroduction programme has also sanctuary which is home to about
sanctuary where guides will provide
seen the return of the magnificent 220 different types of birds with
in-depth information and insight
bontebok, red hartebeest, grey rhebok more than 3,500 birds living in the
into African elephants. You will be
and the ostrich. Smaller creatures sanctuary. The award-winning bird
introduced to the elephants in the
such as the bat-eared fox, African sanctuary provides a home where
sanctuary’s forest area, and here you
wildcat, Cape fox, caracal (African caged birds can live a life of free-flight
will be able to touch and interact with
lynx), Cape clawless otter, baboon, in a habitat as large and natural as is
the elephants. Dinner at the hotel.
rock hyrax (dassie), klipspringer, possible. The feathered inhabitants
aardwolf and aardvark also roam of the aviary are comprised of a
the plains and rocky outcrops of mixture of exotic as well as African 28 March Plettenberg Bay /
the reserve. All meals included plus birds. Remainder of the afternoon at Rorke’s Drift
afternoon high tea. leisure with the option to visit Knysna, Transfer with packed lunch to Port
020 3411 4595 | ENQUIRY@THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK
TOUR PRICES PER PERSON
Tour Price £7,995
Single Supplement £2,340
PRICE INCLUDES
• Accommodation throughout as
shown in the itinerary
• Breakfast daily; 12 lunches; 8 dinners
• Domestic flights
• All entrance fees, visits, excursions
and transportation as per
the itinerary
• Gratuities in restaurants for
included meals
• Porterage
• Gratuities to driver/s
Cederberg Mountains • Gratuities to guide/s
• Local English-speaking guide/s
• The services of your tour
leader throughout
Elizabeth for a domestic flight 30 March Rorke’s Drift PRICE EXCLUDES
to Durban.
Continue exploring the battlefields
• International flights
On arrival transfer to Fugitive’s of Hlobane and Khambula. In the
early hours of 28 March, 1879 two • Travel insurance
Drift Lodge where three nights
are spent. The Zulu War of 1879 is British columns mounted an • Items of personal expenditure (e.g.
famous throughout the English- attack on the abaQulusi telephone calls / laundry etc.)
speaking world for the great battles stronghold on Hlobane Mountain.
• Government levies or taxes
of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. The Their advance was observed by
introduced after costing and
spectacular Fugitives’ Drift property, a the abaQulusi and their allies who
publication of this programme
Natural Heritage Site, overlooks both attacked the one section of the
• on 20/06/19
Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and British force on the summit,
includes the site where Lieutenants forcing the British to retreat down
Melvill and Coghill lost their lives a mass of enormous boulders now
attempting to save the Queen’s known as ‘Devil’s Pass’. While the
Colour of the 1/24th. battle was in progress, the main
Zulu army appeared while en
Afternoon at leisure with optional route to attack the British camp Please note we have not included the
included activities. Dinner at at Khambula and a section was cost of the international flights in the
the hotel. detached to join the battle. They tour price. Please contact us for prices
advanced up Ntshenteka Nek should you wish to book them
and attacked another section of through us.
29 March Rorke’s Drift the British force, which suffered
Accompanied by knowledgeable heavy casualties.
experts, explore the battlefields of
the Anglo-Zulu War and the Reserve. Lunch at the lodge. Continue to
Visit Isandlwana, site of Britain’s most Nqutu where the Imperial Prince of
famous colonial defeat at the hands France was killed by Zulus. Farewell
of the Zulus wiping out a substantial dinner at the lodge.
British force including the 1st
Battalion, 24th Foot. 31 March Rorke’s Drift /
Johannesburg / London
Lunch at the lodge. Visit Rorke’s Drift,
site of one of the greatest victories Morning at leisure.
against overwhelming odds. Just
over 150 British and colonial troops Depart for Johannesburg
successfully defended the garrison International Airport with picnic
against an intense assault by 3,000 lunch. Suggested flight (not included)
to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The massive British Airways flight BA 56 departing
Zulu attacks on Rorke’s Drift came Johannesburg at 19.20 hrs.
very close to defeating the tiny
garrison but were ultimately repelled. 1 April Johannesburg / London
Dinner at the lodge. Arrive London Heathrow at 05.25 hrs.
YO U R TO U R L E A D E R
ANDREW CUMMING
Born in China, Andrew Cumming was brought up in Hong Kong, Japan
and Malaysia. After long service in the British Army and having served
in the Balkans in 1992 as the commander of the first British contingent
of troops, Andrew has a particular interest in military history and the
battlefields of South Africa. He and his wife Gilly now live in Wiltshire.
Andrew has led previous tours for the Ultimate Travel Company to
Bosnia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
020 3411 4595 | ENQUIRY@THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK
25–27 VANSTON PLACE LONDON SW6 1AZ
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