Signature South Africa: Cape Town, Rovos Rail, Kruger & More

Welcome to Africa! We are delighted that you have chosen to visit our beautiful country and we will ensure that the start of your journey with us is a superb experience. You can relax because we are the airport experts and we will get you to where you need to be. Your private service includes a complimentary refreshment, whilst we enjoy a conversation about your travel arrangements. This is the ideal time for you to ask any questions you may have about your holiday. Bags too heavy? No problem, a complimentary porter is available at your request. There are many airport facilities available to you. Whatever you need, we'll take you there. Connecting flight, transfer vehicle or car hire? You won't need to stress, we will co-ordinate and assist you to your next service. Even when you have left the airport, our relationship does not end there. Because you have booked our Gold Welcome service, you are guaranteed access to our nationwide emergency backup and support infrastructure. We are with you all the way.

The Taj Cape Town opens to a precinct that includes the national and provincial parliaments, Government Avenue leading through the 350-year-old Company Gardens from St George's Cathedral, the cosmopolitan crafts of St George's Mall and Greenmarket Square and a diversity of culture, art, entertainment and cuisine. Taj Cape Town has two spectacular restaurants - Mint and The Bombay Brasserie - and an unforgettable seafood, champagne, Guinness and oyster bar known as The Twankey Bar. A fitness centre comprises a fully equipped Technogym, heated indoor pool, two saunas and male and female changing areas

Taj Cape Town's 176 exceptional rooms and suites offer an oasis-like retreat from the lively bustle of the city centre. The historic structure of Taj Cape Town is home to the exquisite Heritage Rooms and Suites, Tower Rooms and Suites, the Presidential Suite and the Taj Club.

This morning you will be picked up from your hotel for a half-day Cape Town City tour. No visit to Cape Town is complete without a tour of the "Mother City". Sense the depth of history as you drive past Parliament Buildings, City Hall and the Slave Lodge before stopping for a short visit of the Castle of Good Hope (optional), originally built as a maritime replenishment station and now the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa! Alternatively, we walk around the Grand Parade square which has its own historical significance. We hear of the brief history of District Six en-route to a visit at the Company Gardens where we walk through the landscaped gardens. Learn more about the history of the Bo-Kaap and its people as we move up the cobblestoned hills to the Malay Quarter, and marvel at the ice-cream colours of the quaint Bo-Kaap homes. Trace the moves of a professional diamond cutter as he creates every girl's dream stone with a visit to a diamond cutting factory. After learning more about the history of diamonds and gold in South Africa, we drive past the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Stadium, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay as we make our way to Table Mountain where you have the option of either admiring the views from the lower cable station or purchasing a ticket (for own account) to reach the summit. After delighting in this photo opportunity, return to the hotel or stay on top of the mountain and find your own way back to your hotel.

The Wine and History Exploration Tour departs at 08h00 with wine tastings, shopping and lunch at some of the most outstanding wine estates in the Cape. The first stop is Rustenburg Estate. Founded in 1682, this very exclusive Estate offers an extremely special atmosphere with spectacular gardens and exceptional wines. This is followed by a visit to the beautiful Delaire Graff Estate set in the most stunning grounds and manicured gardens. After a wine tasting at Delaire Graff Estate, travel to Franschhoek for lunch at a local restaurant. Next we stop at L'Ormarins, home of Antonij Rupert Wines for more wine tasting, followed by a visit to the Franschhoek Motor Museum, where we look back at more than 100 years of motoring history, with its unique and exciting collection of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and memorabilia. Depart for Cape Town, arriving at approximately 17h30.

This morning you will be collected from your hotel. You drive along the exquisite stretch of coastline known as Millionaire's Paradise - from Clifton to Camps Bay, to the exclusive beach hamlet of Llandudno - towards the charming working harbour of Hout Bay. Wind along the legendary Chapman's Peak Drive, hugging the cliffs and relishing the breath-taking ocean views, before visiting the wild and beautiful Cape of Good Hope Section of the Table Mountain National Park, an integral part of the world-renowned Cape Floral Kingdom.

After lunch (own account), you meander along the coast and end your day at the penguin colony at Boulder's Beach, where you get to watch these entertaining, waddling characters before returning to Cape Town late this afternoon.

The "Pride of Africa" train departs from Platform 23 Cape Town Station at 04:00pm on its journey to Pretoria, covering with stately ease a 160 year old pioneering trail forged out of the African bushveld. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining other guests in the midway Lounge car or the Observation carriage at the rear of the train.

From Paarl in the heart of the winelands, the train starts to gain altitude almost imperceptibly, and reaches the first mountain terrace and the town of Worcester. Dinner will be served in the dining cars at 7:30pm. Around midnight, you reach the first of four tunnels that will take you through the Hex River Pass. Be careful while walking through the train as it passes through a third tunnel, 13.5 km long. If you are in your suite, you may wish to turn on a light. For refreshments, the pub in the Lord Milner Hotel is recommended. At 7:00am, the train departs Matjiesfontein.

Cape Town, internationally known for the majestic beauty of Table Mountain, is the "Mother City" of South Africa, being the site of the first European landings and settlement in Southern Africa. The subtle interplay of sea and mountain that characterizes the Cape of Good Hope moved intrepid explorer Sir Francis Drake to call it "the fairest Cape in all the circumference of the globe", a description that settles quickly into the consciousness of all visitors.

Breakfast will be served in the dining cars from 07:00 until 10:00am. Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village of special interest is the museum
on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel. The train travels through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system. At 01:00pm, lunch is served in the dining cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars at 7:00pm.

Breakfast will be served in the dining cars from 06:00 until 08:30am. The train arrives in Kimberley at 8:30am. Here you will disembark and proceed by coach for a tour of the city, the "Big Hole" and the Mine Museum. Rejoin the train at Kimberley Station at 12:00, lunch is served as the train travels northeast towards Klerksdorp and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld. On most occasions, there is a spectacular display of flamingos (approximately 23 000). The "Pride of Africa" finally leaves the Northern Cape and the Free State as it crosses the Vaal River into Gauteng province, climbing steadily towards the skyscrapers of Johannesburg, the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. It is on the heights of the Witwatersrand, some 1 800 m (6 000 feet) above sea level, that the greatest goldfields in history were discovered before the turn of the century. Tea in the lounge and observation cars and Dinner will be served in the dining cars at 7:30pm.

Kimberley was among those South African towns besieged by the Boers during the Anglo Boer War (1899). The British Army under Lord Methuen attempted to relieve the town but suffered two serious setbacks at the battle of Modder River (28 November 1899) and Magersfontein (11 December 1899). The famous Black Watch regiment suffered terribly during this campaign, exposed to the intense heat and unable to advance or retreat under withering Boer Mauser fire. Finally, they broke and fled, a humiliating defeat, which lead to the siege being maintained for another two months. Rhodes was among the town's citizens who lived through the siege.

Breakfast will be served in the dining cars from 07:00am until 09:30am. The train continues the journey towards Pretoria passing through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Arrive at Rovos Rail Station in Capital Park, Pretoria at 10:00am where your journey ends.

Pretoria, known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of Jacaranda trees that line the wide city streets, was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Wessels Pretorius, son of one of the original Voortrekkers, Andries Pretorius. The city and its vicinity provide a solid frieze, marking the progress of the Afrikaner people and their interaction with other cultures. Two structures that dominate the Pretoria skyline are the Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker to serve as the Government's administrative headquarters, and the Voortrekker Monument, a massive granite shrine commemorating the Voortrekkers. Pretoria was named capital of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek in 1860 and became the Administrative Capital of the Union of South Africa in 1920. It maintained this status when South Africa became a Republic in 1961.

Opening early 2010, Legacy's latest hotel and all suites development is located adjacent to the prime location of Nelson Mandela Square. This is Legacy's fourth hotel on the cosmopolitan square in the heart of the Sandton business and leisure district. One could speak of the opulence of the rooms, the restaurant and lounge, pioneering fitness centre and health spa but we would suggest you come and see for yourself. Guests can enjoy the endless edge swimming pool, or perhaps, even the convenience of luxurious shopping at the Legacy Corner Mall, Michelangelo Towers Mall and Sandton City a lift trip away. We'd prefer to just call this the "Legacy Lifestyle".

Today you will enjoy a Half Day Private Johannesburg City Tour. Set off for Constitution Hill, home of South Africa's architectural marvel, the Constitutional Court and site of Johannesburg's Old Fort Prison (closed Sundays). Explore the inner city of Johannesburg learning about the gold rush and visit the Top of Africa, the 223m high Carlton Centre, with views as far as the capital city of Pretoria, before exploring the Maboneng Precinct, a wonderful example of urban regeneration on the eastside of Johannesburg. Return to your hotel via the lush, upmarket suburb of Houghton.

Narina has a distinctly African feel. The main deck is on stilts overlooking the Sabie River, and the suites are connected by an elevated wooden walkway. The lodge comprises 9 suites. Game sightings are exceptional at Narina. In winter, elephant and buffalo are seen daily, with large herds making their way down to the river in a cloud of dust. Lion prides are frequently seen, lazing in the shade of large figs and leopards make an occasional appearance. Resident wildlife includes bushbuck, nyala, kudu, warthog, baboons and vervet monkeys. Hippos and crocodiles are present in the river, and are often seen on the sandbanks. The large sycamore fig tree in front of the main deck attracts a myriad of birds, including broad billed rollers, green pigeons, trumpeter hornbills and lilac-breasted rollers. The focus of a visit to Narina Lodge is on personal privacy, safari game drives and indulging in delicious food at every opportunity.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.