Zimbabwe, South AfricaSouthern Africa Family Journey: In Search of the Big Five
Welcome to Cape Town–your arrival transfer to the hotel is included. Check in and get excited to meet your fellow travelers during a welcome meeting this evening where all families can bond before the Journey ahead.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Arrival Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Southern Sun Waterfront
This morning, set out on a daylong tour of the Cape Peninsula, a rocky headland jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. Begin at the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive, which snakes its way along the Atlantic. Then visit the notorious Cape of Good Hope—where many an unfortunate ship met its watery doom during the Age of Exploration—and climb up to the lighthouse at Cape Point for fantastic views. Finish the tour at Boulders Beach and watch thousands of African penguins waddle about their business.
Cape Point and Boulders Beach Excursion
Travel to Cape Point to enjoy a stunning vista and visit the penguins at Boulders Beach. Cape Point National Park is filled with varied wildlife. Many different kinds of birdlife, from sea birds to giant raptors wheeling overheard, can be easily seen. In the summer months (November-February) keep an eye out for southern right whales out to sea.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Southern Sun Waterfront
Spend the day at leisure, discovering the charms of Cape Town on a variety of optional excursions. Choose to hop on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway for a quick ride to the summit, taking in incredible views of the Atlantic seaboard. Pay an eye-opening visit to the Iziko Slave Lodge—a museum devoted to the history of slavery in South Africa. Wildlife lovers can head to the Two Oceans Aquarium to gush over the variety of its marine residents—from adorable clownfish to translucent jellies.
Free Time
Enjoy a day of your leisure in this cosmopolitan and charming city.
Optional Activities - Day 3Show
Accommodation
Southern Sun Waterfront
Fly from Cape Town to the Greater Kruger National Park and settle into your lodge, located at the gateway to the famed wildlife reserve.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Sanbonani Resort Hotel
Rise early and climb aboard an open jeep for a safari in Kruger National Park—home to a mindboggling array of large mammals. Spot trumpeting elephants, swaggering lions, graceful giraffes, and perhaps elusive leopards as you ride through this epic wilderness. We’ll criss-cross savanna, scrubland, and riverbanks on our daylong excursion, following the tracks of the majestic creatures that inhabit the park. At over 19,000 sq km (7,500 sq mi), South Africa’s Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most impressive animal reserves in the world. With 147 species, Kruger has more species of large mammals than any other park on the continent.
Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive - Full day
Hop in a 4x4 safari vehicle and get yourself one step closer to the surrounding nature. Be ready to spot elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, zebras, and many other species in this impressive South African national park.
Pop-up Top: Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride.
Accommodation
Sanbonani Resort Hotel
Venture out on another early morning safari drive, looking for the creatures you didn’t get a chance to spot the day before. The afternoon is free to explore the Kruger region as you choose. Relax by the pool at our lodge, or opt to experience the area by zip-line.
Pop-up Top: Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride.
Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive - Half day
Hop in a 4x4 safari vehicle and get yourself one step closer to the surrounding nature. Be ready to spot elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, zebras, and many other species in this impressive South African national park.
Free Time
Spend the day relaxing at the lodge or opt to see the area from above by booking the Tree-top challenge or the Aerial Cable trail.
Optional Activities - Day 6Show
Accommodation
Sanbonani Resort Hotel
After breakfast, head to Chimp Eden for an encounter with our closest relatives in the animal world. Run by the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa, Chimp Eden is the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in the country, and harbors more than 30 rescued chimps. Legendary ethologist and National Geographic grantee Dr. Jane Goodall devoted her life to the study of chimpanzee behavior; at Chimp Eden, we’ll get an opportunity to see rescued chimps living in a safe and secure sanctuary and learn why Jane was so captivated by them when she first began her research in 1960. Later, settle in for the drive to Johannesburg, arriving in the evening.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Family Journeys Moment: Jane Goodall Institute South Africa - Chimp Eden Tour
Chimp Eden, run by the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa as the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa. This is a home for orphaned and rescued chimps as well as those displaced from their natural habitats in other parts of Africa. Tour the facility and visit viewing areas for two different 'camps' where a guide will introduce you to the chimps and tell you about their history and behaviour. If you're lucky, you'll get to see baby Amari, who is just a few years old.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Zebra Country Lodge
Step back millions of years in time on a visit to the Cradle of Humankind, where the fossils of some of our earliest known human ancestors were discovered. Here, National Geographic Explorer-at-Large Lee Berger excavated the Homo naledi, a recently defined species of hominin. Descend into the otherworldly Sterkfontein Caves, where the remains of “Mrs. Ples” and “Little Foot”—both more than two million years old—were found; then venture to the Maropeng Visitors Centre to gape at the actual skeletal remains and embark on an immersive journey through the evolution of our species. This evening, feast on a traditional South African braai (barbeque).
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Family Journeys Moment: Cradle of Humankind Experience
Just north of Johannesburg, the Cradle of Humankind is a UNESCO World Heritage site where some of the oldest hominin fossils ever have been found. Some date back as far as 3.5 million years. Visit the Sterkfontein Caves where “Mrs Ples”, a 2.1-million-year-old Australopithecus skull, and “Little Foot”, an almost complete Australopithecus skeleton that is more than 3-million years old, were both found. Then, spend time at the Maropeng Visitors Centre, where you can see fossils, view stone tools that are up to one million years old, and follow a self-guided, interactive tour of the centre.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Foodie Moment: Traditional South Africa Braai (Barbecue)
Enjoy a spread of grilled meats, vegetables, homemade salads, and the opportunity to taste some of delicious South African flavours as you become acquainted with the Kruger area.
Accommodation
Zebra Country Lodge
Catch a flight to Zimbabwe and check in to your hotel. Set out with a local guide for a tour of Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls on Earth. Scottish explorer David Livingstone named them after Britain’s Queen Victoria, while their older, indigenous name is Mosi-oa-Tunya—“the smoke that thunders.” You can hear the falls’ mighty roar from up to 24 miles away; and standing at one of the cascade’s overlooks, you’ll be drenched by its powerful spray.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Victoria Falls Guided Tour
Head out for an unforgettable experience at Victoria Falls. Explore the rainforest and learn about the geology, history, and local legends of this world wonder. After your immersion, get up close to the falls and discover the beauty of “the smoke that thunders.” Be sure to have your camera ready!
Accommodation
Explorers Village Lodge
The day is free to explore Victoria Falls and its surroundings. Embark on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River; or embark on a canoeing excursion on the river. You can also take a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana to seek out its resident elephants. This evening, celebrate your journey with fellow travelers at a farewell dinner featuring a performance of local music and dance.
Free Time
With so much to see and do in Victoria Falls, we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like a helicopter ride, a full-day excursion to Chobe National Park, and a sunset cruise. Your Expedition Leader has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Farewell Boma Dinner
Join your group for a traditional Boma dinner under the stars. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the drummers and dancers throughout the evening as you reminisce about the fantastic adventure you've had with new found friends.
Optional Activities - Day 10Show
Accommodation
Explorers Village Lodge
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
