Day 1 | Arrival in Cape Town
You will be met off your flight at Cape Town International Airport by a member of our Journey with Jonathan team and transferred to your luxury hotel in the heart of Cape Town.
(Option to arrive earlier than Day 1 to acclimate and enjoy other excursion options.)
Contact us us for recommendations.
Special Welcome Dinner together as a group.
(Dinner and transfers included, drinks are on own account)
Overnight stay at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2 | Cape Peninsula Excursion
With your tour guide and together with Host, Jonathan Butler we take you on a full day tour of the beautiful Cape Peninsula - an unforgettable journey to the mythical meeting place of the two great oceans at the edge of the African continent.
Breathtaking scenic beauty unfolds as you travel along the spectacular coastline of the Cape Peninsula through charming historical towns. And that meeting place is the pinnacle of Cape Point found within the Cape Point Nature Reserve, perhaps the most scenically spectacular park in South Africa.
Walk up (or ride the funicular) to the edge of Africa for one of the Cape's Peninsula's defining views. For it was here that Bartholomew Diaz, the Portuguese navigator, first rounded the Cape in 1488, searching for a trade route to India and the East. The large stone cross in the reserve commemorates his passage.
Driving through the indigenous fynbos (fine bush) one may view a host of endangered animals, mammals and plant life. For the botanist in us all there are a staggering 1016 species of plants to be found in this region. One such is the stately King Protea, the national flower of South Africa and found in full bloom around the time of your visit. All tolls and entrance fees are included. Light lunch en route included. Drinks are extra and for guests own account.
Visiting the penguin colony at Boulders Beach and make our way back to our hotel enjoying sweeping views of the valley and False Bay coastline.
Returning along the False Bay coastline to the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel to refresh before heading out for an evening of celebration as we join Jonathan and friends on his birthday. Dinner included.
Overnight stay at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 3 | Table Mountain and the Lalela Project Visit
Ascend the iconic Table Mountain this morning by cable car to enjoy eye opening views of the majestic Cape Peninsula below. The Cape Floral region of the national park is one of the richest floral regions in the world. Over 70% of the flowers are endemic to the Table Mountain. It is no wonder that the mountain was chosen as one of the new seven world wonders.
There are about 2,200 species of plants found on Table Mountain and 1470 floral species. Many of these plants and flowers are endemic to this mountain. Its fauna is no less thrilling either. Although animals such as the cape lion, mountain zebra or the leopard are no longer found here, the park is still home to caracals, rock hyraxes or chacma baboons.
The flat top peak of the mountain reaches 1,086 m above sea level, but being so close to the sea and to the city its features look more imposing.
Onto a lovely lunch spot in Hout Bay where we will be welcomed and enthralled by the ambassadors from the Lalela Project - a foundation close to Jonathan's heart. The highlight will be a tour and interactive experience at the nearby school that facilitates the Lalela Project.
Lalela provides educational arts for at-risk youth to spark creative thinking and awaken the entrepreneurial spirit. Lalela (la·le·la) v.: A Zulu word that means ‘To Listen'.
Every day after-school, in the hours when children are most vulnerable to abuse of every kind, we work to break the barriers of challenge. We start early (age 6) in developing the art of imagination and we continue through grade 12 to connect the arts to everything important in a child's life, from core academics to critical life skills. Our role in arts education is to help blaze the trail in whole brain thinking with a proven path to innovation and new job creation. Our programs create permanent change with positive outlooks, community role models and the mindset for our students to design a more certain future for themselves and their communities
Overnight stay at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 4 | Robben Island and surprise excursion
An early morning Ferry ride across Table Bay to visit Robben Island.
Jonathan will personally escort you to some really special places of interest close to his heart.
Share some of the country and that of Jonathan's personal history as the day unfolds. This is sure to be an emotional yet uplifting day of events. We start our day with a 25-minute ferry across Table Bay to Robben (Seal) Island for an escorted tour of Robben island.
Robben Island, a World Heritage Site and South Africa’s most revered national monument was a prisonfor none other than South Africa’s first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, who spent 2 decades of his life here on the island.
Our guide a former political prisoner will recount his personal story, the time spent alongside Nelson Mandela and how Jonathan and his music impacted the lives of those on the island. This stirring tour includes a visit to the Prison Block and the infamous Limestone Quarry, where prisoners toiled, as well as a drive around the island with it breathtaking views across the bay.
Back on the mainland we partake in a light but savory lunch, where we will discover traditional Cape Malay foods. You will no doubt depart with a deeper understanding and an essence of their history, culture, customs and traditions of the people who settled here more than 300 years ago.
Jonathan takes you on a personal journey through the streets of Athlone - the very town he was born and raised for the first 24 years of his life.
Through Jonathan's personal account of his childhood in South Africa you will get to know an earlier chapter in his life, one that gave Jonathan his humility, graciousness and infectious zest for life - the very essence of who Jonathan is today.
End the day with a special sunset excursion.
Overnight stay at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 5 | Cape Winelands
No tour to South Africa is complete without time spent in the Cape Winelands. We continue on the journey to one of South Africa's premier wine regions, Stellenbosch where Jonathan will share his favorite wineries with us. Visiting the selection of handpicked wineries we immerse ourselves in the history and wine making process of this region dating back from the arrival of the French Huguenots in 1688 and 1689.
Stellenbosch is a world-renowned wine route in its own right. Established more than three decades ago, its natural diversity includes mountains and valleys, each of which has different climates, soils and water-retention abilities. Therefore, the array of wines that can be produced under these very different conditions is made even more expansive. Still, the actual growing of grapes for wine production started here some 320 years ago, so this region is an established wine land that is acclaimed the world over for its excellent red, white, rosé, sparkling and dessert wines.
World renowned for its spectacular beauty, superb Cape wines and world class restaurants, our beautiful village of Franschhoek is a definite must-visit destination on any trip to the Western Cape of South Africa. Founded in 1688 by French Huguenots, our scenic gem nestles in a rich and fertile valley, between glorious towering mountains, right in the beautiful Heart of the Cape Winelands.
Overnight stay at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 6 | A Free Day in the Cape!
Everyone asked for it, so we obliged…A free day to explore on your own. We have some magical suggestions!!
Day 7 | On Safari
Depart Cape Town on flights to East Gate Airport close to our selected game Reserve.
On arrival at Hoedspruit Airport you will be met by our Game Ranger for the transfer to the Game Reserve - your private game reserve and home for the next three nights on a full board basis. (all meals, accommodations and game drives). The reserve's exclusive private the Lodge provides accommodation consisting of stylish air-conditioned suites, with extensive living areas overlooking the seasonal Monwana River.
You will be accommodated in one of the suite lodges. They include en-suite and fully equipped with shower and baths, air-conditioning and a mini-bar fridge as a standard commodity.
TYPICAL DAY AT THE SAFARI CAMP!
Two daily game drives with your skilled ranger and tracker do their best to find the animals of Africa for you to admire.
Expect a wake-up call at between 5am and 5.30am and gather for tea or coffee and rusks (cookies) before heading out at first light. If you are lucky, the big cats will still be around after their night of hunting. This is Big 5 country (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo) all of which are possible to see during a three day safari in the Game Reserve.
There are also many other species to be seen, large and small, as well as fascinating plants and colorful birds. Stop halfway through the morning game drive for refreshments from the jeep’s snack box and return at around 9am for breakfast. During the rest of the day, you are likely to see wildlife like nyala antelope and vervet monkeys around the lodges.
At about 3.30pm each day everybody convenes for high tea, before departing with the same ranger/tracker team for the day's second African bush safari.
Enjoy a sundowner drink along the way (not included in the tariff), and get out of the vehicle to stretch your legs and watch the sun go down over the distant Drakensberg Mountains.
As darkness descends it's time to return to the safety of the jeep and let the tracker scan the landscape with a spotlight picking out the glinting eyes of nocturnal animals. Return to the lodge at around 7pm; where there is time to freshen up before dinner.
Day 8 | On Safari
Another day dawns and with the prospect of some more excellent game sightings as you head out for your morning Game Safari Drive.
Enjoy varied activities and relaxation together with a full board of sumptuous meals exquisitely prepared by the Private Game Lodge's chefs. An early evening night drive catches the nocturnal animals in view. A perfect day ends around the lodge "boma" sharing story and song with Jonathan.
Day 9 | On Safari
By now you really getting into the excellent game sightings and sharing stories of the day's activities over shared meals together.
Two full Safari Drives including a sunset celebration. Another perfect day in the African wilderness ends around the lodge campfire.
Overnight in your suite at your private Game Reserve
Day 10 | On Safari and End of Tour
An early rise to catch the morning dew on the reserve, in time for a final game drive to bid farewell to the wild inhabitants before heading back for a hearty breakfast at base camp.
Alas the last day on Safari draws to a close as your ranger takes you out and back to Hoedspruit Airport to connect with your respective flights in Johannesburg International Airport. A fond farewell sends you off with the anticipation of your next visit.
Departure from the Game Reserve at approx. 11:00am for Hoedspruit Airport and return to Johannesburg. Arrival at 3:30pm
(schedule your International flights from or after 6pm to allow sufficient transfer time)