The Ultimate South African Luxury Trilogy

Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, clear customs and immigration, then meet your guide in the arrivals hall. Transfer to the hotel and Check In.  You have the rest of the day at leisure to rest and recover from the long flight.
Accommodation: Ellerman House Cape Town (or Similar)

Situated below Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Cape Town offers a rich cultural and industrial heritage, grand splendor and and assurance of activity & excitement. This Cape Town tour includes all the ‘must-sees’ of any Cape Town half day tour, this option is a geographical and cultural extravaganza, showing you Cape Town, from its historical beginnings to the dazzling, modern city it is today.  included in your tour is a visit to the Castle of Good Hope, a walk through the colorful Bo Kaap (Malay Quarter) and a return cable car ride to the summit of Table Mountain.
Accommodation: Ellerman House Cape Town (or Similar)

A tour of the Cape Peninsula is a fantastic way to experience some of South Africa’s most stunning natural beauty and unique wildlife. Here’s a brief overview of the highlights you can expect on such a tour:

**Maiden’s Cove**: A scenic lookout, recreational area, and beach nestled between Clifton and Glen Beach in Camps Bay, Cape Town. It is widely celebrated for its panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Twelve Apostles mountain range, and Table Mountain.

**Chapman’s Peak Drive**: This scenic drive is renowned for its breathtaking views of the coastline and mountains. Stretching 9 kilometers along the Atlantic Ocean, it offers numerous viewpoints where you can stop and take in the stunning landscapes, making it a perfect photo opportunity.

**Boulders Penguins**: Visit the charming colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach. This unique beach allows you to get close to these adorable creatures in their natural environment. The boardwalks make it easy to navigate the area while enjoying the sight of the penguins waddling around.

**Cape Point Nature Reserve**: A visit to Cape Point is a must for any traveler. The reserve boasts dramatic cliffs, diverse flora and fauna, and stunning ocean views. You can hike to the lighthouse for panoramic views of the coastline or explore the various trails that wind through the reserve.

These attractions collectively make for an unforgettable day trip around the Cape Peninsula, showcasing the region’s natural wonders and wildlife. Each stop provides a unique experience, highlighting the beauty and diversity of this part of South Africa. Enjoy your adventure in the Cape Peninsula!
Accommodation: Ellerman House Cape Town (or Similar)

Embark on a delightful wine tasting tour through the picturesque regions of Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands of South Africa. Each of these areas offers a unique experience steeped in rich history, stunning landscapes, and world-class wines.

Start your journey in Paarl, known for its majestic mountains and lush vineyards and learn all about Paarl Rock, and how it got its name.

Next, head to Franschhoek, often referred to as the “French Corner” of South Africa. This charming village is famous for its French Huguenot heritage and is home to some of the country’s finest wine estates. Visit the view point and after a tour of the town, enjoy a wine tasting at one of the prestigious wine estates.

Finally, conclude your tour in Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa and a hub for wine lovers. The Stellenbosch Wine Route is a must-visit, featuring over 150 wine estates. Here, you can indulge in tastings at renowned estates such as Fairview, Spier or Tokara, where you can also enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.

This wine tasting tour through Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch promises not only to tantalize your taste buds but also to immerse you in the rich culture and beauty of the Cape Winelands. Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or a casual enthusiast, this experience will be unforgettable.
Accommodation: Ellerman House Cape Town (or Similar)

Bespoke train safaris through the heart of Africa combine magnificent scenery with the glamour and excitement of the golden age of leisure travel. In a series of journeys lasting from 48 hours to 16 nights, Rovos Rail links some of the continent’s greatest destinations with a variety of off-train excursions.

Each train has accommodation carriages, dining cars (±42 seats), a lounge car (±26 seats), small gift shop, smoking lounge (±11 seats), and observation car (±32 seats) with an open-air balcony. Maintaining the spirit of a bygone era, there are no radios or television sets on board. The three types of suites available – Pullman (7 m2), Deluxe (10 m2), and Royal (16 m2) – offer passengers privacy and comfort with double or twin beds and fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard.

All travelers are welcome – singles, couples, and groups. The dining cars are made up of two-seaters and four-seaters, where guests eat together or individually. The lounge and observation cars – with their big picture windows, sofas, and booths – make for great mingling areas or quiet corners to while away the days.

Many of the passengers enjoy the formality of fine china and glassware, crisp linen, and silver, and dress accordingly. Days on board are smart casual, while evening attire is more formal. On long journeys, guests enjoy themed evenings where they can dress up accordingly or opt for smart casual.

An enthusiastic team of chefs oversees the very important task of ensuring guests’ every need is catered for. There’s an emphasis on fresh local ingredients, and traditional dishes are a specialty. Meals are served in one sitting only in the dining cars and are complemented by a selection of fine South African wines. The bar menu is comprehensive, although special items such as French Champagne need to be requested in advance.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail

Observation Cars:
The observation car seats ±32 passengers. With its open-air balcony, big picture windows, bar, sofas, and booths, it has great mingling areas or quiet corners to while away the days. On most days, afternoon tea is served at 16:30 in the lounge and observation cars, while bar service is from ±07:00 to 01:00.

Lounge Cars:
The lounge car seats ±26 passengers. With its big picture windows, sofas, and wingbacks, it has great mingling areas or quiet corners to enjoy while away the days. On most days, afternoon tea is served at 16:30 in the lounge and observation cars, while bar service is from ±07:00-01:00. On some of the long journeys, an onboard historian hosts lectures in the lounge car. At one end of the carriage, there is a small gift shop, which is a smart, subtly-lit glass affair selling bespoke memorabilia.

Dining Cars:
The dining cars seat ±42 passengers each. Depending on the number of passengers on a journey, the train is set up with one or two dining cars. They are made up of two-seaters and four-seaters, where guests eat together or individually. Meals are served in one sitting only. Breakfast: 07:00-10:00 • Lunch: 13:00 • Formal Dinner: 19:30. All meals are served at these times unless otherwise stated in the itinerary. Hot breakfast items are made to order, while lunch and dinner are four-course meals complemented by fine South African wines. The bar menu is comprehensive, although special items need to be requested in advance.

Club Cars:
The Club Car area was created by demolishing the end suite in a Deluxe carriage. This was done specifically to host the smokers on the train in a public area and as an overflow facility adjoining the Observation Car. With a glass passage wall, guests can comfortably watch the scenery on both sides of the train.

Accommodations: 
The Deluxe Suites accommodate one or two passengers in double or twin beds and have their own lounge area and en-suite bathroom with shower, toilet, and basin. A dedicated host/ess is available at all times and services the suites daily. A bar fridge is filled with the on-board beverages of the passengers’ choice.
Accommodation:  Rovos Rail

For Rovos Rail passengers, a highlight of their journey is a visit to the private station at Capital Park, Pretoria. The once-bustling hub of steam locomotion is now the headquarters for Rovos Rail. The gracious railway station serves as the departure or arrival point for most of the train journeys.

The property boasts an ever-expanding railway museum – showing a historical collection of train paraphernalia – in addition to its other comprehensive facilities and will, with the addition of semaphore signals and a footbridge, recreate the atmosphere of a fully-fledged railway system. It is intended that, with time, this facility should become the foremost working train museum in the world.

The eyes of rail enthusiasts will be drawn to the vast carriage and locomotive sheds where teams of dedicated personnel keep the rolling stock in perfect order. This roofed workshop of 10,000 m2 straddles 15 railway lines with concrete inspection pits below, and is the ultimate repair and maintenance facility for any train operation. The low, red-bricked buildings alongside the new 300 m platform house laundries, gleaming stainless-steel kitchens, and well-stocked storerooms. This is the busy hub of a provisioning operation that is world-class in terms of efficiency and attention to detail.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail

The train arrives at Capital Park Station around mid-morning.  Once disembarked your guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel where you have the day at leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel amenities or do some optional touring.

AtholPlace Hotel & Villa is situated in the heart of Atholl, one of the most beautiful parts of Johannesburg and only a short distance from the commercial center of Sandton. It consists of a the 9-room AtholPlace Hotel and the exclusive-use 4-bedroom AtholPlace Villa. Breakfast is included at both properties and at AtholPlace Villa guests have the option of booking full board at a surcharge, with a private Chef preparing lunch and dinner on request.

Experience & Activities:
Johannesburg, lovingly called Joburg or Jozi, is the ever-evolving pulsating heart of South Africa’s Rainbow Nation. Once but a humble mining camp, it now proudly claims the title as Africa’s most prosperous and vibrant metropolis. From AtholPlace House & Villa guests can easily walk to nearby Sandton City. A full day experiencing the vibrant African city of Johannesburg is a must (but likely not time enough). Whether by car, bicycle or on foot, trusted local guides in Maboneng, Soweto and Newtown help you to explore the colorful street art, local food, music, world-class shopping and a UNESCO World Heritage site too.
Accommodation: Atholplace Hotel & Villa (or Similar)

Today you transfer to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport where you board the Lodges Private Jet and fly to Tswalu. This is booked on a Seat in Plane rate and other guests will be sharing the flight with you.

Tswalu is a vast, magical land of infinite possibility, with sweeping vistas and a liberating sense of space. The green Kalahari is nature at its most diverse and surprising, and to spend time here is to be touched by exuberant, soulful beauty. It offers an escape to a place that’s governed by the ancient rhythms of the seasons, rather than the clock and the calendar. It offers a vision of hope that brings together conservation, research and unrivalled safari experience.

At Tswalu you’ll encounter species you may have seen elsewhere, along with drier area specialist species that you probably haven’t. While zebra, buffalo and giraffe will be familiar if you’ve been on safari before, this will likely be your first opportunity to capture iconic Kalahari images such as dainty springbok with a backdrop of red sand, or the silhouette of a gemsbok atop a dune. Many of the species found at Tswalu are of particular significance to the San people, as evidenced by their inclusion in ancient galleries of rock art.

There is a timeless quality to Kalahari – it’s a place where humans have wandered and wondered since the dawn of creation.

Wildlife & Experiences:
Tswalu is unquestionably one of the best places in southern Africa to see cheetah in the wild. The vast open spaces and antelope herds of the Kalahari readily lend themselves to high-speed pursuits. Visiting Tswalu also gives you front-row seats for sightings of species that prove elusive elsewhere, from aardvark and pangolin to Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra.

Their gregarious nature and amusing antics (think early morning sunbathing and playing chicken with scorpions) have made meerkats extremely popular as subjects of wildlife documentaries. Tswalu’s two habituated colonies have accepted the presence of humans without letting it disrupt the important business of grooming and foraging.

Meerkats are just one of the smaller predators which abound at Tswalu: aardwolf, African wild cat and brown hyena are also frequently seen.

It’s your last day in this unique part of the world where you can enjoy the peace and tranquility of the morning sunrise over the Kalahari. Spend the day enjoying all the lodge has to offer.

After a final morning game activity you transfer back to the airfield and fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town depending on your international departure flight.