13-Day Cape Town, Kruger & Mozambique | Bush & Beach
A 13-day Cape Town, Kruger, and Mozambique itinerary combines cosmopolitan city life, Big Five safaris, and tropical beach relaxation. Typically, this includes 4 days in Cape Town/Winelands, 3-4 days in Kruger (or private reserves like Sabi Sands), and 4-5 days on Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago or Vilanculos.
From bustling Cape Town to the serenity of hunting for the Big Five in the wilderness and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters off the coast of Mozambique, this nearly two-week vacation will be the vacation of a lifetime for you and your loved ones.
If you and your family would like to return home after a vacation free of stress, this well-planned itinerary will take you to some of the most beloved sites in southern Africa and include stays at luxurious accommodations. In order to make sure you never have to make a decision more difficult than, say, what to eat for dinner or when to go to bed, experienced personnel will be by your side throughout the entire process.
Wine, nature, cuisine, culture, adrenaline sports, history, and a laid-back vibe are just a few of the things that have made Cape Town a popular tourist destination. Furthermore, Mozambique’s Kruger National Park and the Bazaruto Archipelago will restore your appreciation for nature’s complexity and beauty by letting you see settings that have remained mostly unspoiled for millennia.
A Detailed 13-Day Cape Town, Kruger & Mozambique Itinerary
Days 1-3: Explore Cape Town | 3 Nights
Your representative will be waiting at Cape Town International Airport to transport you to the Cape Grace, your home for the next three nights.
The Cape Grace, a magnificent hotel on the V&A Waterfront, is situated next the yacht marina and is within striking distance of the heart of Cape Town. As an added bonus, it has first-rate amenities like a spa, pool, wine cellar, and whisky bar in addition to picturesque views of the port and Table Mountain.
With a customisable schedule that includes Robben Island, Table Mountain, and other city history stops, there’s a lot to look forward to. On the other hand, you can spend a full day seeing the Cape’s top attractions, like Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak drive, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, Kalk Bay, the Constantia Winelands, and more. Your journey through southern Africa is only beginning.
Days 4-6: Seek Out the Big 5 | 3 Nights
Leave the Cape Grace behind after breakfast and make your way to Cape Town International Airport to catch a flight to Skukuza Airport via Johannesburg. Your subsequent move to Dulini River Lodge will be attended to by an agent who is now standing by.
Dulini River Lodge is a five-star tent lodge in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, where you may relax in style. Morning, midday, and evening game drives, in addition to guided walking safaris, provide great game watching under a shaded canopy of ebony trees while overlooking the running Sand River. In addition to the best food and most discreet service, there are photographic walking safaris for those who are passionate about photography.
Day 7: Overnight in Johannesburg | 1 Nights
Your journey back to Johannesburg will begin with a final morning at the Sabi Sands before you make your way to Skukuza Airport. Staying at the Intercontinental Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport Hotel is a great idea because of its convenient location, just a short walk from arrivals. After your safari, you can relax and rejuvenate in time for your trip’s beach portion. Go for a relaxing spa treatment or a swim in the pool. Quills Restaurant serves a delectable dinner to round off the day.
Day 8: Fly to Paradise Across the Mozambique Channel | 5 Nights
Get on the plane to Vilanculos, Mozambique, as soon as you finish breakfast. Your 10-minute helicopter transfer to the Bazaruto Archipelago will begin when a representative escorts you to the aircraft. As you glide leisurely over the waters below on fishing dhows, you’ll catch a glimpse of paradise across the Mozambique Channel. As you land on tropical Benguerra Island, you’ll hear the gentle rustle of palm trees as you step off the boat.
Enjoy a moment of tranquillity in your beachfront thatched en suite cabana before stepping out onto your patio to survey your surroundings. Benguerra Bay’s gentle waves are within stepping distance of your private deck, and behind you, enshrouded in the reds and rich terracottas that so distinguish the Arabic tones of this East African dream, is your queen-sized bed draped with mosquito netting, as well as an open-plan bathroom and outdoor shower. Benguerra Island Lodge is the perfect island retreat, situated on the north-west shore of Ilha de Benguerra, the second-largest island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, surrounded by palm trees and shielded by a natural acacia forest.
After a leisurely stroll over the gentle, forgiving sands, you may relax in the shade of your thatched sala, take a dip in your plunge pool, and then arrange for a massage at the Sala Nela Spa. Then, take a leisurely stroll over to the Dhow Bar, which is actually an old wooden dhow that has been transformed into a bar. Sit back, listen to the gentle lapping of the tide, and attempt to escape to another world as you listen to the whispering palm trees, hear the sun setting into the ocean, and see if you can.
Days 9-12: Range Over the Corals of Two Miles Reef
Immerse yourself in the vibrant underwater world of Two Miles Reef, where schools of colourful fish dance in the sunlight, and explore a coral reef forest while a hawksbill turtle gracefully passes by. Over there, a moray eel stares at you from its crack, while clown fish peek out of their rocky homes.
Benguerra stands out as an underwater paradise for snorkelers and scuba divers due to the amount and variety of marine life, as well as the pristine beauty of the surrounding coral of the Bazaruto Archipelago. Stop by the lodge’s state-of-the-art dive center after breakfast and have a conversation with the instructor there about the day’s plans. You may swim alongside dolphins and manta rays while marvelling at the vibrant corals, lionfish slithering through fossilised trees, and snapper, barracuda, whale shark, and kingfish in the crystal-clear waters.
Another option is to take a ride on one of the lodge’s fully-equipped boats and learn the ropes from the helpful, experienced skipper. You can fish in the harbour with light tackle or cast your lines quickly over the reefs out on the open ocean. Ride your horse gracefully down the shoreline or take a leisurely stroll along the beach. Spend some quiet time reading a book on your sun lounger, then unwind in your Jacuzzi or get some Z’s. Then, as the sun goes down, take a sunset cruise on a traditional dhow while pink flamingos reflect the fading light.
Day 13: Bid Farewell
As you soar towards Vilanculos in your helicopter, ready for your connecting flight to Johannesburg and the rest of your journey home, keep this in mind: no matter how much things change, certain things never change. Here, not a single thing has changed. When you return, you will find the same palm palms lining its white sand beaches, the same abundant acacia forest canopy, and the same fishing dhows navigating its waterways far below you. It will happen when you least expect it.
End of the 13-Day Cape Town, Kruger & Mozambique Itinerary