SOUTH AFRICA & MOZAMBIQUE

SOUTH AFRICA & MOZAMBIQUE

TOUR CODE: ETA2SM233

9 Days 8 Nights






Itinerary At Glance

DAY 1: Johannesburg OR Tambo>>>>> Muldersdrift (56 km) Hotel Meet and Greet

16:00- Embark on your guided tour aboard your minibus: He will accompany you all along your circuit from Johannesburg OR Tambo to Maputo 

Personalized meeting at your hotel. Our guide will give you your travel documents while reviewing the itinerary. He will answer all your questions and give you all the advice and information you need during your trip.

Overnight: Misty Hills (Delux Superior – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 2: Muldersdrift (88 km) Johannesburg Orientation • Soweto Tour • Museum: Apartheid Museum • Museum: Hector Peterson Memorial

Breakfast

Orientation tour of central Johannesburg. ‘The city that never sleeps’ is an apt phrase to apply to downtown Johannesburg where a buzzy vibe exists no matter what time of day or night. The inner city is packed with high rise office blocks and sky-scraping buildings that are comparable to other city centres around the world. The Carlton Centre is a 50-storey building that only just misses out in the world’s 100 tallest buildings list and has a wrap-around deck that offers superb 360 degree views. 11 Diagonal Street is another building that will catch your eye – standing 80 metres high and created to look like a diamond, it reflects views of the Central Business District from each angle and was designed by the world-famous architect Helmut Jahn. Ponte City Towers is a 54-storey residential skyscraper known for its hollow cylindrical design that affords its tenants spectacular views of Johannesburg.

Get a taste of vibrant and gritty street life with a tour of Soweto. This township is located to the south-west of Johannesburg and is the biggest in the city, made famous for its role in the struggle against apartheid. Its roots trace back to the early days of gold mining when many migrant workers arrived in Johannesburg at the turn of the 20th century. As the ruling National Party tightened its hold on apartheid and forced black people out of white areas the township grew and today Soweto still supports close to 4-million people. Highlights of South Africa’s political history to be found in Soweto include the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial, honouring the student protests of 1976; Walter Sisulu Square, where the Freedom Charter was signed; Vilakazi Street whose former residents includes two Nobel Peace Prize winners; and the brightly coloured Soweto Towers.

Walk the path of racial segregation at the Apartheid Museum. This museum is dedicated to recounting the history of the rise and fall of apartheid in 20th century South Africa and focuses on the policy of racial segregation that was first enforced in the country in 1948, providing a very real image of what it was like to live in such a society. Repressive measures such as limiting the freedom of movement of non-whites and the Population Registration Act led to growing resistance from the disenfranchised and more punitive measures from the government, culminating in several state of emergencies being declared in the 1980s before apartheid was ended in the 1990s. The museum is suffused with personal narratives and whispered conversations that show a glimpse of the characters of people that helped shape our country, while interactive multimedia displays recreate the experience of racial segregation. (Closed from Monday to Wednesday)

Honor those who lost their lives in the liberation struggle at the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial. A short distance away from where police opened fire on students on 16 June 1976 in Soweto you will find this moving museum, dedicated to those who lost their lives in protest against the enforced use of the Afrikaans language in schools. During the protests and the riots that followed, over 500 people were killed, including Hector Pieterson, a 12-year-old boy. A South African news photographer captured the iconic image of a dying Hector Pieterson, cradled in the arms of a fellow student with his terrified sister running beside them and the photograph instantly became a symbol of the resistance against apartheid. The museum displays this image and other photographs of the events of that day as they unfolded, together with extensive commentary and audio-visual presentations.

Overnight: Misty Hills (Delux Superior – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 3: Muldersdrift >>>>>Kruger (432 km) Panorama Route

Breakfast

Travel to Kruger

We recommend a visit to the awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon. Stretching over 26 kilometres and with a depth of up to 800 metres, it is the third largest canyon in the world. The pristine countryside surrounding the canyon is filled with unusual and beautiful natural features, including: The Three Rondavels, rounded hills shaped like Xhosa huts; the impressive rock formations of Bourke’s Luck Potholes; and the small village of Pilgrim’s Rest. Now a historic landmark, the town was the first location that gold was discovered in South Africa where it was mined until 1972.

Dinner: Hippo Hollow Country Estate

Overnight: Hippo Hollow Country Estate (Standard Room – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)

 Kruger

4×4 game drive Full Day (Schedule) (Hippo Hollow)

Breakfast

Full day 4×4 game drive in the Kruger Park. Your scheduled departure will leave from Hippo Hollow hotel at dawn as you set out in an open 4×4 safari vehicle for a short drive to one of the park’s gates and into the Kruger National Park. It is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, stretching across a vast 18 989 square kilometers in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. With over 12 000 elephants, 27 000 African buffalo and 1 000 leopards, the Big Five is well represented. White rhino sightings are frequent, while spotting a black rhino may require some patience and a bit of luck. Lions are plentiful with over 2 000 stalking the plains. Overall, the Kruger supports 147 free roaming mammal species. Of the 517 species of birds here, 253 are resident and the reserve supports six diverse eco-systems. Your morning safari concludes at one of the rest camps inside the reserve giving you the opportunity to stretch and refresh. The 4×4 vehicle will allow you to get very close to the surrounding vegetation while your experienced ranger follows fresh animal spoor. Your safari concludes in the late afternoon before returning to the Hippo Hollow hotel.

Dinner: Hippo Hollow Country Estate

Overnight: Hippo Hollow Country Estate (Standard Room – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 4:Kruger >>>>> Maputo (259 km) Mac Mac Falls

Breakfast

Travel to Maputo

Tumble into the enchanting delights of the Mac Mac Falls. These striking, scenic falls boast not one, but two twin panels of water that plummet and cascade down 70 m of rock face in Mpumalanga’s beautiful Sabie area. They are a well-loved stop along the renowned Panorama Route as they boast an awesome viewing platform as well as a crystal-clear pool where visitors can take a dip and soak up the verdant mountain scenery. The falls are named after a Scottish miner who once panned gold in the area during the 1870s gold rush in South Africa and today you will still find tombstones near the falls that are etched with this name. Besides the gorgeous views, you can also take a gentle stroll along the Secretary Bird Walking Trail that meanders through indigenous bush, and admire the endemic birdlife of the region such as robins, thrushes, greenbuls and cuckoos.

Overnight: Pestana Rovuma Hotel (Standard room – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 5: Maputo City Tour

Breakfast

Acquaint yourself with the eclectic vibe of Maputo. Steeped in history and combining a number of different cultural influences, this city is a highly interesting place to explore. It is the capital of Mozambique and showcases a magical blend of Portuguese architecture, African ingenuity and exotic shopping. Your tour will include stopovers at the fortress, one of the oldest buildings in the city containing a museum on colonial history; Central Market, for everything from fresh fruit and veggies to curios; The railway station, housing one of Maputo’s most imposing buildings boasting impressive wrought-iron lattice work, pillars and verandas that grace the pistachio-green exterior. You will also pass by the City Hall and Iron House.

Overnight: Pestana Rovuma Hotel (Standard room – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 6: Maputo • Ponta do Ouro • Afternoon at leisure

Breakfast

Lap up the diversity of dynamic and colorful Maputo. Formally known as Lourenço Marques, this vibrant capital city has a rich architectural heritage as it attracted the attention of some of the world’s most forward-thinking architects at the turn of the 20th century. Its long, straight streets are lined with pretty flame, jacaranda and acacia trees and lovers of architecture will delight in the numerous art deco buildings dotted around such as the Clube Ferroviário and the Gil Vicente Theatre. Maputo has however mostly been marked by its colonial architecture, including the beautiful Central Train Station with marble pillars and a massive central dome and the Iron House, made entirely of iron and designed by Gustav Eifel. Two museums worth a visit are the Natural History Museum that takes stock of all the animal species in the country and the Museum of Colonial History, located within the Fortress of Our Lady of the Conception, one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Burrow your feet into the sand at Ponta do Ouro. This quaint little town is located in the southern-most section of Mozambique and not far from the border of South Africa. It is regarded as one of the top 10 attractions on the African continent and is surrounded by sea, pristine beaches and casuarinas trees. Scuba diving and surf fishing are two of the most popular activities here due to the easily accessible and world-renowned coral reefs and the abundance of marine life in the water. Dolphins and turtles are frequent visitors, with the former known to frolic with swimmers, and there are plenty of open-air markets and little shops where you can while away the time. After a good dose of sunshine and salty sea air, head off to one of the rustic restaurants in the town to quench your thirst and have a bite to eat. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Pestana Rovuma Hotel (Standard room – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 7: Maputo (1 km) Sight Seeing

Breakfast

Trace the fascinating history of Mozambique at the National Museum of Arts. Situated in the cosmopolitan Bairro Central region of Maputo, this museum takes you on an intriguing journey through Mozambique from its early beginnings as a port of call for Persian and Indian traders to the days of Portuguese colonialism, the struggle for independence and the civil war that ripped through the country. Renowned artists who have works on display in the museum include Bertina Lopes, Chichorro, Chissano, Estavao Mucavele, Celestino Tomas and Victor Sousa, and there are also workshops where visitors can watch local artists create their masterpieces. In addition there is a library and document archive that can be accessed by the general public.

Overnight: Pestana Rovuma Hotel (Standard room – Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 8: Central Serengeti >>>>Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast with your packed lunch drive game en-route to Ngorongoro Crater. Descend into the Crater for a Crater tour. This 100 square mile natural amphitheatre is a host to an astonishing array of wildlife. The Crater once a gigantic volcano is the largest intact caldera in the world.

The Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area is home to more than 30 000 protected animals. It is an area of spectacular beauty and excellent game viewing, a truly unique safari destination in Africa. When you lucky enough you may be able to see rhino, elephant, lion, buffalo as well as large herd’s zebras and wildebeest. 

A picnic lunch will be taken in to the Crater. Later in the evening drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Farm House

  • Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 9: Maputo (0 km)

Breakfast

End of our services

Note: Distances indicated in the itinerary are calculated from the GPS coordinates for each service included in the itinerary, they are given as an indication. The photographs displayed in the itinerary serve as a general illustration of the destination and providers only and do not constitute a contractually binding description of specific services.

Arrival in Zanzibar

*Pick up & Transfer to Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort>>> Arrival Time: TBC

Welcome to Zanzibar Island a semi-autonomous state which united with Tanganyika in the 1960’s to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25 to 50 kilometers off the coast of the mainland and consists of many small islands and two large ones. Unguja being the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar and Pemba Island. Its historic center, Stone Town which is located at Zanzibar city in Unguja Island is a World Heritage Site and Wonders of the World.

Zanzibar Island is known to offer the world’s most beautiful beaches. Miles and miles of white sandy beaches dotted with palm trees, surrounded by the clear azure water of the Indian Ocean. This Africa’s tropical paradise offers a laid-back beach life, but also a diversity of activities and colorful cultures and history. The Old Stone Town is an amazing mix of cultures where Food lovers and culture enthusiasts visit interesting cultural places like Sultan’s Palace, the Old Slave Market, Darajani or Forodhani food market and as you look forward to exploring the Spice farms, Prison Island to mention a few that will all together make a memorable holiday.

  • Meal Plan: Full Board


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Inclusions

  • Transportation in a 4WD with safari -driver/guide
  • Meals and accommodation as stipulated in the Itinerary  
  • All park fees and government taxes
  • Game Activities as per the itinerary
  • Local flight from Manyara>>Zanzibar>> 
  • Regional Flight Maasai Mara >>> Kogatende
  • Return Transfers to & from Airport

Exclusions

  • Your International Flight /You will be advised time for booking
  • Travel Insurances 
  • Tips and gratuities 
  • Any other expenses of personal nature 
  • Alcohol drinks