South Africa

As an appetizer, try a classic train journey, travelling overnight in luxury as you enjoy the scenery from Pretoria to Cape Town. Set between the ocean and flat-topped Table Mountain, South Africa’s second city is among the most beautiful in the world. Head up the mountain – by cable car or hiking among the cliffs – for spectacular views surrounded by 1,500 species of flora. Then perhaps go shopping with some of Cape Town’s up-and-coming designers, or head out to a nearby township to listen and chat with local jazz musicians over a braai barbecue feast.

We can arrange a visit to Robben Island with an anti-apartheid activist who was imprisoned there with Nelson Mandela. And we’ll introduce you to other eminent political figures to gain a deeper understanding of South Africa’s long journey to democracy.

Since a few oenophile French Huguenots joined the first settlers on the Cape, this region has produced superb wines. We’ll design a tasting route around your preferences (how about chauffeured motorcycles with sidecars?), meeting vintners who proudly pour some of their best.

As a main course, the Garden Route lives up to its fame, linking magnificent beaches, mountains and river valleys. In the northwest, arid Namaqualand is transformed each spring into a sea of wildflowers – heaven for painters and photographers. On the eastern Cape you can explore the battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu Wars in KwaZulu Natal. Or head to Lesotho, one of Africa’s few remaining kingdoms, to explore the breathtaking mountains on foot or horseback.

Of course South Africa offers myriad safari options. Kruger National Park has elegant lodges and limitless wildlife; we can fly you to a private camp with some of the country’s top guides. For an even more exceptional experience we’d recommend one of the Singita private reserves, or Makanyane Safari Lodge in the Madikwe region, or the Ulusaba Private Game Reserve. Everywhere, the diversity of game is amazing: black and white rhinos, lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, cheetahs and even rare African wild dogs. We can arrange private lessons with a National Geographic photographer. 

As for dessert, why not head to the coast for whale watching in De Hoop Nature Reserve? Or diving (safely) among the great white sharks at Gansbaai? Or learning to surf on the beaches of the Eastern Cape? We’ll let you peruse the menu a while…