RSA, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland (18 days), Feb. 20 - March 9, 2013 | By-Air Tours

Date: Feb. 20 - March 9, 2013
Trip duration: 18 days
PRICE PROMOTIONAL: 3595 USD 670 USD tax
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Black land - Africa Uncovered!

"When a man follows the rhythm of Africa once, he realises that the same music can be heard on the rest of the continent" Karen Blixen „Out of Africa”

Africa is still the most mysterious, inscrutable and fearful continent – it is governed by its own rules and in many countries these rules are the rules of the jungle. Poverty, famine, barbaric traditions and bloody civil wars effectively scare off the tourists. However, Africa does not have to be the place for trouble-makers and lovers of the irrational risk; it is said that if you hear Africa once, you will be sentenced to it for ever. One does not have to write excellent reports as Kapuściński did, nor be a bicycle fanatic like Kazimierz Nowak. Our world is shrinking and a trip to Africa is nowadays affordable and within your reach.

The culture of native tribes of the Republic of South Africa, playing the drums, the Zulus, dancing barefoot and making lots of dust go up in the air, singing parallel to the voices of savanna; the new and a bit primitive taste of wild animals’ meat; starry nights by the fire, full of African stories and legends; the magic of Drakensberg and Kruger National Park, the oldest one in Africa – this is the Republic of South Africa at the first glance. At the second glance, we can see the gold and diamonds from the mines, the neon lights from Sun City (which is called the African Las Vegas); we can be beguiled by the promise of a great prize in the casino complex surrounded by tropical gardens. During our African excursion we will see the hippos, crocodiles, water birds, dolphins, rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, ostriches, seals and penguins on the Cape of Good Hope; we will visit the national parks, gigantic trees, rope bridges, villages of cannibals (until recently), feasts with oysters and African wine; never-ending fields of sugar cane and plantations of tropical fruits in Mozambique; wild beauty of Swaziland women hidden in the mountains; inviting waters of the Indian Ocean and the unique African rhythm, which – once captured – is repeated in the music of the continent.

In Africa there are more animal species than in the North and South America and more than in Europe and Asia together. The picture of harsh, barren African land turns out to be an illusion – only in the Republic of South Africa there are twice as many species of flowers than in Brazil; and in Knysna, thanks to 65,000 hectares of green forest there is a unique amount of oxygen in the air. In the Republic of South Africa in the town called Modjadjiskloof there is the biggest baobab tree in the world – with a diameter of 47 metres and 22 metres tall – and it is estimated to be 6,000 years old. The tree, which is empty inside, has a bar and a shop with wine in its trunk, and the houses built on its branches can sleep up to 20 people. A party in the tree? Only in the Republic of South Africa! Not only does the baobab tree fascinate the visitors. This part of the African continent is called “the birthplace of mankind” because in Sterkfontein Caves in Gauteng the fossilized, prehistoric human relic 3.5 million years old have been found!

The Republic of South Africa is the native country of such people as J. R. R. Tolkien, Charlize Theron and John Maxwell Coetzee, a modern writer. Moreover, from this country rooibos comes – it is called the “red bush”, and its brew contains a lot of iron and antioxidants, very important in the natural medicine. However, let’s be honest, this is the FIFA World Cup which made this southernmost African country so important. It is possible not to know what rooibos is – but everybody must have heard of the vuvuzela!

Day 1: TORONTO

Meeting at the Toronto airport and departure to Johannesburg.

Day 2: FLIGHT

Whole day flight.

Day 3: JOHANNESBURG

Arrival in Johannesburg. Whole day free to relax.

Day 4: JOHANNESBURG – GOLD REEF CITY – LESEDI CULTURAL VILLAGE (B,D)

After the breakfast panoramic visit to the City of Gold – Johannesburg. Trip to Gold Reef City, a settlement which gave rise to Johannesburg. In the afternoon we will visit the Lesedi Cultural Village, where we will see the culture of five different African tribes. After the performances of local dances and songs, we will have dinner (African specialty: meat of the wild animals). In the evening, by the fire, African stories will be heard. We will spend the night in the houses covered with grass, which are suited to the needs of the tourists.

Day 5: SUN CITY – PRETORIA / TSWANE (B)

After breakfast we will travel to Sun City – “Las Vegas of Africa”. We will stop at the local fair where souvenirs may be purchased. Later we will visit Lost City and Fal Valley, tropical gardens and the casino complex. Then we will visit Pretoria: Jacaranda City (80,000 jacarandas), Voortakes Monument, Paul Kruger’s home, Church Square, the city centre and Union Buildings. We will spend the night in Pretoria.

Day 6: MPUMALANGA (“THE PLACE WHERE THE SUN RISES”) – PANORAMA ROUTE (B, D)

After breakfast we will depart to Mpumalanga. We will cross the war fields from the times of Boer Wars – the place where the idea of commandos was born. Later we will visit the museum in Laydenburg with the mysterious clay head covers from the 12th century. We will take the Panorama Route, one of the most beautiful routes in South Africa. Then we will watch Three Rondavels in Blyde River Canyon (a miracle of nature), Bourke’s Luck Potholes (fantastic geological forms made by water), God’s Window with a unique tropical rainforest, Berlin Falls and Lisbon. We will stop for a while at the viewing site with Pinnacle Rock and we will spend the night in a hamlet in Drakensberg.

Day 7: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – SAFARI (B)

After breakfast we will go to Kruger National Park – the oldest and the largest reserve in the south of Africa. In the morning we will take a minibus for a photo – safari and we will spend the afternoon at a campsite in the park. In the evening there is a possibility of a night jeep safari (price: $30). We will spend the night in the bungalows in one of the camps in the park.

Day 8: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – MOZAMBIQUE – MAPUTO (B)

Between 6.00 and 12.00 a.m. there will be a minibus safari and breakfast in one of the camps. Later we will travel to Maputo through a tropical fruit plantation and endless fields of sugar cane. We will tour the city, where the time stopped at the times of the Portuguese Carnation Revolution. In the free time you can swim in the Indian Ocean. We will stay in the hotel. In the evening, there is an option to have seafood dinner and see Maputo by night.

Day 9: SWAZILAND – ZULULAND – HLUHLUWE / UMFOLOZI OR MKUZ (B)

After breakfast we will cross the border of Swaziland and drive through the Kingdom of Swaziland – a forgotten place, hidden in the mountains, with the proud Swazi and their beautiful women. We will visit a Swazi family (gifts such as clothes or sweets are welcome). Later we will return to the heart of the Zulu Land and spend the night at a wild animals' farm in KwaZulu Natal Lodge.

Day 10: ST LUCIA – DURBAN (B)

After breakfast we will go to St Lucia and take a boat trip on the lake to see hippos, crocodiles and water birds. We will drive through Dolphin Coast to Umshlanga Rocks and pay a short visit to Sharks Board (the institution which is responsible for protecting the beaches against sharks). There will be a free time to swim in the Indian Ocean or to walk on the famous Golden Mile. Next we will tour Durban, the city called “Bombay of the South”, which is a lively harbour with the atmosphere characteristic for the region of Indian Ocean; a melting pot with the mixture of Asian, African and European cultures. We will spend the night in Durban.

Day 11: LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS – ZULU VILLAGE – CROCODILE FARM – AQUARIUM (B)

In the morning we will go to Land of a Thousand Hills and visit a traditional Zulu village, where we will see a fascinating culture of this tribe. There will be a performance of traditional dancing and singing. Later we will visit a crocodile farm and a terrarium, as well as the producer of Swazi Candles. In the afternoon we will visit a dolphinarium and a unique aquarium which is situated in the old ship. Later we will do some shopping in the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere.

Day 12: ROYAL NATIONAL PARK – DRAKENSBERG – GOLDEN GATE (B, D)

Early in the morning we will say goodbye to the tropical atmosphere of the Indian Ocean. We will leave the land of the Zulu and enter the land of the Basutu where Drakensberg will welcome us, provided the weather is good, with a view on peaks of the Giant’s Castle and the world's second-highest waterfall, the Tugela Falls (850 metres high). We will visit San paintings - rock drawings which are thousands years old and were drawn by the ancestors of Bushmen who wanted to show the successful hunting. The impressive magnitude of Drakensberg (3,300 metres above sea level), Golden Gate Canyon created by nature from a gold-coloured sandstone together with the infinite space will charm everybody with its magic. During our visit to Sutu village we will learn the culture and customs of the tribe which not so long ago used to be a cannibal tribe. We will spend the night in a hotel in the park.

Day 13: LESOTHO KINGDOM (B, D)

After breakfast we will cross the border with Lesotho. We will drive through Basotho villages where we will be able to see the shepherds in their traditional hats and tunics, travelling on little mountain horses – the only means of transport in this mountainous region. We will visit Maseru, the capital of the country which is home to the king. We will stop for a while in the place where Pope John Paul II gave his blessing to the crowds of people during his visit to Lesotho. We will also visit the school (small gifts are welcome: pencils, crayons, pens, etc.). Later we will see one of the villages which used to be inhabited by the cannibals, and we will also visit sangoma - the local shaman. After the hard day we will spend the night in the historical hotel from the times of gold rush in the town of Cradock.

Day 14: PORT ELIZABETH (B)

After breakfast we will go to Port Elizabeth. During the city tour we will visit the sights and places of interest: Fort Frederick, houses of craftsmen and Campanella tower built to commemorate the arrival of the settlers in 1820. We will also visit Cape Recife, the seaside nature reserve. Later we will stroll on the beach and, when the tide is low, we will stroll on the coral reef. In the evening there is an option to visit the tavern and taste the local beer. We will spend the night in a hotel by the beach.

Day 15: TSITSIKAMMA – KNYSNA - OUDTSHOORN (B, D)

After breakfast we will go to Tsitsikamma, a place where you can find the last African Forest Elephant. We will also see 800-year-old Great Tree and another one, older, which has been knocked down. We will enter Tsitsikamma National Park and take the Otter Trail over the rope bridge over Storms River. We will drive over Bloukrans Bridge, the largest bridge of the continent, to the mouth of Knysna River and the brave ones can try the world’s highest bungee jumping – 216 metres. We will taste the fresh oysters and the local wine in the restaurant that owns the oyster farm. Later we will take Montaque, the mountain route which is used to transport the ivory from the central Africa to the coast. If you wish, you can taste the ostrich meat for dinner. We will spend the night in a bed and breakfast with a swimming pool on the farm in Oudtshoorn, the city of the ostrich breeders.

Day 16: ODTSHOORN – KLEIN KAROO DESERT – KALITSDORP – ROBERTSON – VINEYARDS (B)

After breakfast, we will visit Cango Cave with its wonderful collection of stalagmites and stalactites. We will visit an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn. Wines, brandy and sherries from Cape province are famous in many countries and Napoleon III used to drink only Cape Colony Sherry. We will visit the local vineyards famous for excellent wines and port. We will spend the night in Cape Town.

Day 17: TABLE MOUNTAIN – CAPE OF GOOD HOPE – THE ISLAND OF SEALS –PENGUINS BEACH - SIGNAL HILL (B)

The Mother of the Cities is situated between Table Mountain and Table Bay. We will take the cableway to Table Mountain and we will admire the beautiful panorama. Later we will drive along the picturesque coast to Hout Bay to the viewing site Chapman’s Peak and then we will take a boat to the Island of Seals. We will drive to Cape of Good Hope, the place where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. We will visit the place where famous travelers Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama put the first crosses on the African continent. On the way back to Cape Town we will visit Simons Town on the Penguins Beach where every time of year you can find 4,000 penguins. Then we will go to Signal Hill and welcome the sunset with a glass of local wine. We will spend the night in Cape Town.