13/11/2024
SOUTH AFRICA'S BLUE TRAIN AND BIG FIVE SAFARI - 10 NIGHTS FROM £5,299
Explore the true meaning of luxury with an itinerary that brings together some of South Africa’s most iconic sights and experiences. Lap up the Table Mountain views in Cape Town, savour the gourmet delights of Stellenbosch’s Winelands and step back in time on the magnificent Blue Train, before capping off the adventure with three nights in a secluded game reserve that’s something of an insider secret.
CAPE TOWN - 2 NIGHTS
Arrive into Cape Town with 2 nights to explore at leisure. Maybe take a cable car up to the top of Table Mountain of head down to Boulders Beach to see the most famous local residents, the African penguins and enjoy the variety of places to dine.
STAY - VICTORIA & ALFRED HOTEL - Loft Room - Bed & Breakfast
STELLENBOSCH - 2 NIGHTS
Transfer to Stellenbosch, a 45-minute trip, where picture book scenery provides a backdrop to acre upon acre of lovingly tended vineyards. In this paradise for food-and-drink lovers, it seems right that your accommodation for the next two nights is on a family-owned wine farm that can trace its history back 300 years. There’s so much to do on-site, from self-guided walks and bicycle rides to wine tastings and exhibitions of contemporary African art, that you may find it hard to tear yourself away to discover the appealing university town – and its artisanal food scene – in the heart of this celebrated wine region.
STAY - SPIER HOTEL - Luxury Room - Bed & Breakfast
THE BLUE TRAIN - 2 NIGHTS
Transfer to the station to board The Blue Train, your five-star hotel on wheels for the next two nights and 1,600 kilometres, for one of the world’s most iconic railway trips. The experience is all about, as they put it, ‘surrendering to the luxury of slow’, immersing yourself in the view from the picture windows as you travel through some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. These provide a perfect backdrop to the onboard indulgences, from afternoon tea in the Lounge Car to post-dinner brandies in the Club Bar.
STAY - THE BLUE TRAIN - Deluxe Cabin - All Inclusive
PRETORIA - 1 NIGHT
The Blue Train rolls into Pretoria station at midday, where your butler will es**rt you to the Arrivals Lounge for your onward 20-minute transfer to your hotel. You have the afternoon at leisure to soak up the gentle charms of ‘the Jacaranda City’, a nickname it owes to the purple-flowered trees that line many of its streets, which is one of South Africa’s three capitals. There are botanical gardens and leafy parks, historical buildings and world-class museums and a towering statue of Nelson Mandela waiting to be discovered.
STAY - IVORY MANOR BOUTIQUE HOTEL - Deluxe Suite - Half Board
MADIKWE GAME RESERVE - 3 NIGHTS
eave the city behind and head north for the start of your safari adventure. You’ll spend the next three nights in Madikwe Game Reserve, a remote malaria-free wilderness 4-hours drive away on the border with Botswana, where you’ll stay in a tented camp overlooking a river where elephants come to bathe. Your game drives are included and Madikwe, as well as the Big Five, is now home to a thriving population of endangered African wild dogs, more than 340 species of birds and a plethora of mammals of all shapes and sizes from aardwolves to zebras.
STAY - THAKADU RIVER CAMP - Tented Suite - Full Board
This is an independent itinerary and can be fully customised to suit your requirements.
Includes private transfers throughout.
FROM £5,299 PER PERSON
Based on May 10th 2025 departure
Fly from London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh or Dublin with Turkish Airlines from £5,299pp
Fly from Newcastle with KLM from £5,399pp
GARY BARLOW'S WINE TOUR: SOUTH AFRICA IS ON ITV AT 2PM EVERY DAY THIS WEEK OR YOU CAN WATCH ON ITVX AT ANY TIME
For alternative dates, departure airports, airlines or durations or any other pricing queries please call me on 01945 640099 or email [email protected]
