South Africa. May 2025
 

Plan to spend 3 weeks of May 2025 in South Africa. Looking for recommendations. After some research have a few ideas. Flying into Joburg on 2nd May. Commence safari on 3rd May to finish in Cape Town on 19th May. We are departing by cruise ship 22nd May from Cape Town.
Have ideas to visit the following, Botswana - Zambezi Queen for 2 nights, Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls (2 nights only) unless do safari from Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park. Will fly between parks. Wanting a combination of at least one luxury stay and remainder 3.5/4star. Budget approximately US$7000 per person. 17 nights in all. Would be 18 nights in all in first night in Joburg considered the first night of safari.
Any help would be appreciated

The best advice I can offer is to phone or e-mail the person whoo has planned all my safaris to Southern Africa.
Her name is Liesl Matthews and her company is SOUTHERN DESTINATIONS, based in CapeTown.
Give her the exact info you posted here and see what she comes up with.
I wonder about the Zambezi Queen; you are better off at a camp in Botswana with that time, if you want to see animals.
You can take a boat cruise from Victoria Falls on that same river.

With your budget you might want to spend the time only in South Africa, at a few camps.
Have you looked into the prices of luxury camps in Botswana?

Just for fun, here are the rates at a camp that is often called the best in Africa; I am NOT suggesting you stay here!


https://www.mombo.co.uk/rates/


May is a good time for a price break, and the game viewing will probably be awesome.

https://www.southerndestinations.com

Even if you do not book with Liesl and her team, you will learn a lot from an e-mail or phone exchange.

Thank you for your import. Have sent an email to Leisa at Southern destinations.

For your convenience I definitely recommend car rental to get around as opposed to public transport, you could take a nice road trip from Joburg to Cape Town to enjoy the scenery. I remember once renting from Pace Car Rental, I picked up the car in Joburg and was able to drop it off in Cape Town. Once there, I spent a few nights at Home Suite Hotels Sea Point (such a great experience) and they're great with recommending fun activities and events to tourists to get the full Cape Town experience.

thank you for your recommendation for the hotel in CT. Driving would be wonderful, except that husband not confident driving anywhere but in Australia. So will be doing conducted safaris. Have had lots of recommendation from users. Thank you.

For a first visit I would try to maximize the time of game viewing. I know many rent a car for the Garden Route but that's never interested me much although we did visit Hermanus on a day trip for whale spotting, and spent a few days in the Winelands on a couple of visits tot he country.

We also had an "interesting" experience on the Blue Train!!!!

We made a number of trips to SA in the last decade and we loved every single minute of every day. If I had to choose favorites I would, of course, include CapeTown and surroundings and a few of the game parks in Sabi Sands (Londolozi is a personal favorite) and Tswalu, which are both on the very high end price wise (very different landscapes) but for me, worth years and years of of saving up for a trip that would be embedded in memories for years to come..

Johannesburg has so much potential but I think it would be great if one has a friend or contact to show you around that city.

Your itinerary sounds fantastic! Starting with Joburg, consider a luxury stay at The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, renowned for its elegance. In Chobe, the Chobe Game Lodge offers a luxurious safari experience. For the remaining stays, lodges like Elephant Plains in Kruger or Victoria Falls Safari Lodge offer excellent 3.5/4-star accommodations. With your budget, you'll have a comfortable and memorable trip!

Regarding the SASSA care dependency grant, while it's unrelated to your travel plans, it's a crucial program in South Africa providing financial aid to caregivers of people with disabilities. It ensures access to essential resources and support for vulnerable individuals.