Intinerary for 7 Days in South Africa - W/ Best Safari
 

I'm planning my first trip to SA for next November. We have 7 nights to spend. It will probably be the only time we are able to make it to SA. Originally I was planning to:

Fly into Cape Town, spend three days there,
two days on Garden Route,
and a day and 1/2 or 2 days at Addo or somewhere around there.
We would then fly out of Port Elizabeth.

However, I noticed a post here said you can fly from Cape Town to Joh for pretty cheap. What I'm wondering is where would be the best safari experience for us? Would it be better to spend 4 days Cape Town, then fly to Joh and go to Krunger OR would Addo, Lalibela, etc be just as good for 2 days? I cannot afford Shamwari. We don't mind driving and like the scenery but would like to get the best intinerary possible for our 10 year anniversary trip.

Any adivce would be great. Thank you!

Hello J,

There are very cheap flights from CPT to JNB -- try Kulula or 1Time for the best deals. If you book far enough in advance, you can fly for R299 per person (about $50). This is also true for flights from Joburg to Nelspruit for the Kruger Park/Sabi Sands area.

I don't think Addo and Lalibela can compare to the Sabi Sands or Kruger. The game-viewing is simply not of the same calibre. If this is likely to be your only safari, I would certainly go for the Sabi Sands, or maybe Phinda (near Durban), where you'll see a greater variety (and quantity) of wildlife.

Since you only have seven nights, I would suggest choosing your second option and spending 3 or 4 in Cape Town and the Winelands and 3 on safari. Two days is too short for your only safari experience.

Since your time is so limited, you may want to look into the new direct flight from Cape Town to Nelspruit -- it's a lot faster, though not as cheap.

Cheers,
Julian

I was facing similar time limits, and ended up spending 4 days in cape town(including one day in the wine lands which is about an hour away). And four nights on safari in Kruger. You can fly from Cape town to an air strip close to Kruger(I dont have my itinnerary in front of me) on SAA.

Hi - with so little time you would do well to keep to just one route - do what we did last year and it worked vy. well. Flew into Cape Town and then flew onto Port Elizabeth. Went on a three night 'Tusker Safari' at Amakhala - 40 mins. from PE airport.
It is next door to shamwari and shares part of its viewing land. Also takes in a day at Addo - booked through Rainbow Tours - helpful staff. Don't underestimate road distances - you could fly back to Cape Town and from there do a couple of nights in the winelands and the rest in Cape Town.
Pls email if I can be of help - Amakhala was a good first safari for us and has a range of accommodation.

Hey J,
Have you already booked your flight? If not, it may make sense to fly into Joburg. Once you're in Joburg you can make arrangements to get to Kruger from there, then head to Cape Town/Garden Route Etc. I'm going for my twelfth time in March so if you are looking for things to do, I have plenty of ideas. Heres a list of some of the cool things to do...you'd be surprised how much you can pack into a small time!!

Check out a rugby game in Cape Town. It's a really cool experience

-Book a lunch/dinner at MOYO for a unique dining experience (IN A TREETOP!) Request to eat in a tree...African singers, dancers, and drummers perform for you while you eat. This is no skimpy meal. The food options are spread out in a several hundred foot buffet table. You will be stuffed for the rest of your trip. Food is native to South Africa. It's a really neat experience but make reservations ahead of time.

-Visit the Rhode's Memorial-beautiful views and great history. Cute cafe nearby.

-Great sun tanning at Clifton

-Visit District Six for a cultural experience.

-Cork Bay is a cute area with beautiful scenery, neat shops, artsy stuff

-As for table mountain, you can take the cable car-but you can also hike the mountain if you are more adventurous.

-World of Birds and the Botanical Gardens are terrific

-If you like artsy stuff, see if any Ndabas are happening around town.

V&A Waterfront
Malay Quarter
District Six
Hout Bay harbour
Chapman's Peak
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Camps Bay
Signal Hill
Rhodes Memorial
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point
penguins at Boulders beach
Table Mountain
Greenmarket Square
Long Street

Have a wonderful trip and if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail...
[email protected]