Kalahari Holidays Kalahari Safari Kalahari Tours Kalahari South Africa Kalahari Vacations Kalahari

West Coast + Namaqualand + Richtersveld + Kalahari
CPS14C

14 NIGHTS
FROM $4,524
International flights quoted separately
This private tour from Cape Town visits the spectacular wild flowers of Namaqualand, which flower from mid August to mid September each year (although exact timing depends upon the spring rains). Also whale watching off the West Coast; scenery & night skies of remote Richtersveld & Great Karoo; & Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Kalahari. Less 10% for 4+ pax.
HIGHLIGHTS
Wild Flowers South Africa Wild Flowers Namaqualand Wild Flowers Tours Karoo Richtersveld Safari
• Table Mountain • Cape Point • West Coast National Park • Paternoster
• Whale Watching • Cederberg Mountains • Vanrhynsdorp Succulent Nursery • Namaqualand Wild Flowers
• Richtersveld • Kgalagadi Safari
Day 1
You will be met at Cape Town Airport and transferred to your hotel in this beautiful city, within sight of Table Mountain.
 
Check in and relax in your magnificent surroundings.
Day 2
Today is free for independent sightseeing in Cape Town.
 
You will be given a day pass for the red route of the convenient Hop-Off Bus which stops at all Cape Town’s key sights and beaches. Start by ascending Table Mountain by cable car to enjoy one of the world’s most famous views.
 
Continue to Camps Bay beach and then explore the shops and many other attractions of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is also the centre of Cape Town’s nightlife.
Day 3
Today enjoy a full day private tour to the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where two oceans meet.
 
We start with a short boat trip from Hout Bay to view Cape Fur seals at Seal Island and continue via Chapman’s Peak Drive, when open, to spectacular Cape Point where you may see see baboons, ostrich and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November).
 
On the return journey we pass through naval Simons Town and visit the resident penguin colony at Boulders Beach. We also make a short stop at the world famous Kirstenbosch Gardens, before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 4
At leisure to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town independently.
  
Choose one of the many optional local activities such as a visit to Robben Island, the infamous prison home of Nelson Mandela (advance booking essential in season); explore the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront or simply relax on golden Camps Bay beach – the choice is yours!
Day 5
Today you will be introduced to the stunning scenery of the Western Cape as you travel for 3-hours from Cape Town to the Postberg Nature Reserve in the West Coast National Park, which surrounds the Langebaan Lagoon - a Ramsar Wetland of international importance.
 
In this area, depending upon the rainfall, from mid August to mid September you may see spectacular fields of wild flowers. Whale watching is also possible from August to November and you can see antelope in the park year round. Thousands of seabirds also roost here.
 
Continue to Cape Columbine Nature Reserve and Paternoster, a peaceful fishing village that has sustained a local community for many decades, and check into your hotel in this rural community.
Day 6
This morning we leave Paternoster and travel throught the Piekernierskloof Pass to Clanwilliam.
 
Here we visit the Ramskop Wild Flower Garden, which boasts over 350 different species of indigenous wild flowers and wonderful views of the Cederberg Mountains. The best viewing is between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its warmest.
 
Check into your hotel in this region of dramatically beautiful rocky mountain scenery, where we can also visit a Bushman painting site.
Day 7
This morning we leave Clanwilliam and travel 4-hour to Namaqualand (picnic lunch included). On the way we visit the Vanrhynsdorp Succulent Nursery, the largest of its kind in the world and the centre for the preservation of a variety of indigenous succulents.
 
We continue via the small towns of Bitterfontein and Garies to Namaqualand to see the wild flowers that bloom each year during August and September. This spectacular natural phenomenon occurs for only a few weeks, with the quality and timing of the floral displays depending upon the mid-year rainfall. Check into your hotel in the heart of the wild flower region.
Day 8
When they are in bloom, a full day to enjoy viewing and photographing the spectacular wild flowers of Namaqualand, including the Goegap Nature Reserve at Springbok as well as more remote regions such as Kamieskroon - depending upon where the flowers are the best, picnic lunch included (please note flower areas only open at 11am).
 
As you approach the wild flowering areas, expect to see miles and miles of both brightly coloured and delicate flowers, carpeting what is normally an arid semi-desert landscape – a truly remarkable sight. Linger in areas that take your interest and absorb the atmosphere of quaint rural towns in this vast and desolate part of South Africa.
Day 9
This morning we leave Namaqualand and travel for 5-hours through the Northern Cape via Port Nolloth to the Richtersveld, a mountainous desert landscape through which the mighty Orange River winds - marking the border between South Africa and Namibia.
 
Check into your rustic rest camp situated amongst the rugged kloofs and high mountains of the Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. Your guide has an allowance to cover breakfast & dinner for each day you are in the park.
Day 10
At leisure to enjoy the rugged wilderness environment of the Richtersveld, where the scenery varies from flat sandy plains to craggy mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River.
 
Water is extremely scarce in this harsh Martian landscape, where only the hardiest of lifeforms survive, but notwithstanding this the Richtersveld is regarded as the only arid biodiversity hotspot on earth, with an astonishing variety of plant, bird and animal life.
Day 11
Today we leave the Richtersveld and cross the Orange River into Namibia, travelling through the vast and arid Kalahari, one of the world’s last unspoilt ecosystems and one of Africa’s greatest wilderness areas.
 
In this land of far horizons, marvel at the gigantic nests of the sociable weaverbirds set high in camel thorn trees and stop to examine some of the amazing succulent desert plants which have adapted to survive in such harsh conditions, before checking into your guest house.
Day 12
We leave Namibia today and cross the border into South Africa as we enter the malaria-free Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a visionary 3.7-million hectare joint venture between South African and Botswana.
 
There are several rest camps, with accommodation in simple but comfortable air-conditioned chalets and tents. Your guide has an allowance to cover your breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner every day you are in the park.
Days 13 To 14
Today is devoted to game viewing, as we explore the vast Kgalagadi National Park. As you will have the services of an experienced private driver/guide throughout your safari, you will have the flexibility of discussing preferred routings and travelling times with him each day. However we recommend setting off early each morning as the camp gates open (05h30 to 06h00 depending on the season), to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day. Because of the heat, all game drives will be in an air-conditioned vehicle with your guide.
 
Wildlife is plentiful in the red sand dunes and semi-desert of this vast game sanctuary, which is twice the size of the Kruger National Park. Of the many species of mammals and reptiles that have successfully adapted to the harsh desert conditions, the most famous is the black-maned Kalahari lion. Kgalagadi is also renowned for the magnificent oryx, cheetah and leopards - which are more easily seen in the sparse vegetation. You will see some of Africa’s most unusual animals in the Kalahari and many of the “great cats” – lion, cheetah and leopard – but the vegetation does not support elephants, rhino or buffalo.
 
We hope to see some big cats before returning to camp for breakfast. The rest of the morning can be spent relaxing at camp, reading or bird watching, before enjoying a picnic lunch (included) and setting out again at the time of your choice (usually the late afternoon) for another game drive.
 
We should see large herds of antelope including springbok, eland and blue wildebeest. We also hope to see the brown and spotted hyena, black-backed jackals, curious meerkats, yellow mongoose, porcupines, honey badgers, bat-eared foxes, Cape foxes, African wild cats and many other interesting animals. Bird life is also prolific, with over 260 species, including 20 different raptors.
Day 15
Enjoy some final game viewing in Kgalagadi before your 4-hour transfer to Upington Airport for your flight home.