South Africa Trip

SOUTH AFRICA ITINERARY

JANUARY 2013

Wednesday 23 Coach trip to London Heathrow for the Virgin Atlantic flight to Cape Town.

Depart Heathrow Flight VS603 2105 hrs.

Thursday 24 Arrive Cape Town International 1055 hrs.

Private transfer to the Winchester Mansions Hotel. For three nights on a BB basis.

Winchester Mansions is situated at the Sea Point Promenade facing the Atlantic coastline, only minutes from the V&A Waterfront.

http://www.winchester.co.za/default.aspx

Explore Cape Town including V&A Waterfront area on hop on / off bus.

Friday 25 Ferry to Robben Island. Explore Downtown Cape Town.

Saturday 26 Europcar deliver a hire car to the hotel. Explore Table Mountain National Park, including Cape Point.

Sunday 27 Leave Cape Town via Muizenburg, Strand, Gordons Bay overnight at Hermanus on a BB basis.

http://www.windsorhotel.co.za/

Monday 28 Drive to Swellendam via Pearly Bay, Cape Agulhas, overnight stay at Swellendam on a BB basis.

Tuesday 29 Drive to Oudtshoon for 2 night stay on a BB basis. Visit Ostrich Farm.

Wednesday 30 Drive scenic circulat tour. Visit Cango Caves, drive through the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert. Visit Vineyard for wine tasting, and return to Oudtshoon.

http://www.yamkela.co.za/

Thursday 31 Short drive to Mossell Bay for a relaxing day staying at The Point Village on a BB basis.

http://www.pointvillagehotel.co.za/

FEBRUARY

Friday 01 Drive via George to Knysna for 2 nights at the Ar Deco Lodge.

http://www.travelknysna.com/accommodation/guesthouse/ardeco.html

Saturday 02 Explore Knysna including taking the ferry trip to The Heads.

Sunday 03 Drive to Port Elizabeth stay overnight at the City Lodge Hotel.

Monday 04 Port Elizabeth Airport, return the hire car before boarding the Comair flight to Johannesburg.

Depart Port Elizabeth Airport Flight BA6242 1330 hrs Arrive O.R.Tambo Airport 1505 hrs

Collect hire car. Drive to the suburb of Rosebank to spend the next two nights at The Courtyard Rosebank Hotel on a BB basis.

Tuesday 05 Take train into centre of Johannesburg. Explore Johannesburg on hop on off bus. Visit The Apartheid Museum and the Old Fort Prison at Constitution Hill.

Wednesday 06 Drive from Johannesburg down the Escarpment and on to Hazyview (roughly 5 – 5½ hrs)

Spend two nights at Rissington Inn. Accommodation in a superior room on a BB basis.

Rissington Inn is an award-winning, stylish but relaxed and informal country lodge. It features a fully licensed bar and an a la Carte restaurant, serving superb food seven days a week. All rooms have their own bathrooms, ceiling fans, private entrances, verandahs and breath-taking views, withcolourful gardens, a swimming pool and walks down the valley. Rissington is in an area where spectacular bird and game sightings are possible.

http://www.rissington.co.za/?go=Home

Friday 08 Drive to Kruger National Park (about 1½ hrs), to spend two nights at Rhino Post Lodge. Accommodation inclusive of all meals and game viewing activities.

Evening meal in the bush.

Rhino Post Safari Lodge is situated on a 12000 hectare private wilderness concession in the Kruger National Park. The concession shares a 15km unfenced boundary with the famous Mala Mala and Sabi Sand reserve with an abundance of wildlife moving freely between the two reserves. The concession is noted as an excellent game viewing area with encounters with the Big Five and good sightings can be expected. Set on the banks of the Mutlumuvi riverbed, Rhino Post Safari Lodge is an elegant 16 bed lodge built using natural materials of stone, wood, thatch and canvas to create an authentic bush ambience. Each luxury suite is exquisitely decorated and includes a spacious bedroom with impressive views of the riverbed from the bathroom, outdoor shower and decked patio. Following a game drive, guests can relax in the revitalising swimming pool, take in the views from their shaded patio and watch the abundant wildlife amble down to the waterhole. Sumptuous meals are served in the camp’s dining area, which is set under magnificent Tamboti trees. The lounge, with its extensive wine cellar, cosy fireplace and bar, is the perfect spot for a sundowner.

http://www.krugerpark-direct.com/skukuza/rhino-post-safari-lodge

Monday 09 Two game viewing trips with guide.

Sunday 10 Return to Rissington Inn for a further overnight stay in a superior room on a BB basis.

Monday 11 Drive to Johannesburg, to spend a further night at the Courtyard Rosebank on a BB basis.

Tuesday 12 Drive to Sun City (approx 2½ hrs) to spend four nights at the Cabanas Hotel in a lake-facing room on a BB basis.

The most relaxed and casual of the Sun City Hotels, Cabanas offer informal yet comfortable accommodation with direct access into the tropical gardens and lakeside. The full facilities of Sun City Resort are available, including the spectacular Valley of the Waves.

http://www.sun-city-south-africa.com/cabanas-hotel

Wednesday 13 Enjoy facilities of Sun City

Thursday 14 Explore Pilanese National Park.

http://pilanesberggamereserve.com/index.html

Friday 15 Enjoy the facilities of Sun City.

Saturday 16 Drive to Johannesburg, return hire car to the airport before boarding the Virgin 

Atlantic flight to London Heathrow.Depart O.R.Tambo International Flight VS602 2125 hrs

Sunday 17 Arrive London Heathrow. Coach trip to Poole

3 week Europe Trip to Italy, 
through France and returning through Switzerland and Germany.
31st March ... 21st April 2011

One of our first stops a local market near Cannes South of France - a good place to relax.

Monte Carlo - the view over the harbour from the Palace was impressive with the countless boats over £1m - reminds me of Poole.

One of the many .. many churches in Lucca  (Via San Paolino) - absolutely enormous - a lovely place to stroll around and get lost - as we did - but as the old town is enclosed by a massive wall - the way back to the hotel is best found by way of a walk along the top of the wall.

Can't believe how strong I am holding up this absolutely enormous building, the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans much more than I ever imagined. Definitely a wonder of the world as far as I  am concerned.

We climbed to the top of this Federico 11 Tower which was rebuilt after the Germans demolished it.

This Monastery was very difficult to find but we were given a private tour as viewing is by tour only and we had missed the last one - unfortunately the guide spoke little English and our Italian was not up to it - but a beautiful place.

Florence El Duomo - well the bell tower part.

Florence Santa Croce - inside we saw some amazing pictures.

A view of  Suri in front of the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Fiume Arno, Florence.

Suri admires the gold in the window in one of the many jewellers ( madielle) on the ponte vecchio bridge, Florence.

We stayed on the outskirts of Rome at Rebibia and got the Metro in for each of the 2 days we visited. Here we are checking out the Colosseum - unfortunately too many tourists around.

The Roman Forum was amazing - so many centuries of the Roman Empire open for inspection and imagination.

Impossible to miss the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuelle 11 - close to the Forum.

Throwing my coins into the Trevvi  Fountain - the hope is to return again - needless to say we did return as we were lost in the streets of Rome the very next day.

One of many meals - here in the centre of Rome.

Inside the Vatican after queueing for over one and half hours - it was worth it but very crowded  and very tiring.

Inside St Peters Basilica - Suri caught the light as it shone through one of the upper windows. Another queueing job - unfortunately half of the Cathedral was closed off  for a private function / service.

Guarding the Vatican - in their multicoloured outfits.

After Rome we visited Hadrian's Villa (c AD 134)- absolutely amazing - in an out of the way place near Tivoli - and covering such a large area of ground - it certainly must have been impressive in its day.

Chilling out with strawberries - we had a punnet most days - very tasty and very cheap.

We stayed just outside Venice at Padua and got the train in for each of the 2 days we visited - the views from every angle were magical.

Suri standing on one of the many bridges near St Mark's Square over the canals with an amazing backdrop.

Venice - The Bell tower - impressive even if it did fall down about 100 years ago.

Noticeably Venice was cooler on day 2, I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the water as I had expected it to be dirty, smelly and very polluted  - but not when we visited - 

Suri waiting for her Gondola ride.

After Venice we headed up to the Italian Lakes - not sure what I am planning here at Lake Garda - needless to say the water was a tad on the cool side.

The castle at Sirmione was well worth a visit and on this day it was free to the public.

Lazing on the balcony at our Hotel Meandro on the shores of Lake Garda - one of many great hotel finds.

One of many stops in the Alps to take in the fantastic scenery, here Suri poses in front of a waterfall in the background.

Stopping off in Switzerland on our way back - Berne was a surprisingly pleasant place.

Lunch in Berne.

We had a lovely time wandering around the old part of Zurich, here beside the Ferris wheel we stopped for  a BBQ style lunch.

Still in Zurich looking for the Gnomes.

 

The Algarve 3rd - 13th February 2011

The Marina at Albufeira - shame that most of the shops are still not let - but a lovely place all the same.

Looking for Bill 'n' Ben at the Marina.

The view overlooking  Alufeira beach was stunning.

A different perspective on things.

The sandy beaches all along the Algarve coast were just lovely.

Faro  Se Cathedral within the grounds - a little ghoulish maybe but these were the bones / skulls of children used as part of the wall.

In the Jardin Manuel Bivar in the centre of Faro Suri found a beautiful tree with amazing flowers - not sure what the tree was called.

Praia das Marinha was a great place to start our cliff top walk to Benagil - a definite must do to anyone visiting the area.

Suri was fascinated by the Almond trees which were just coming into bloom and some still had the fruits on from the previous year - which we had to try - some were sweet but many were bitter.

The cliffs on the Algarve where truly spectacular.

The amazing stacks looked beautiful - and the sea was calm whilst we were there.

Posing on the ramparts of the Castle in Silves - a must visit place - later we had a lovely lunch at the Cafe Ingles - just down the hill outside the castle - highly recommended.

A particularly large statue of King  Sancho I of Portugal situated outside of the gates to Silves Castle, which he captured c1189.

Checking out the bells at the Se Cathedral - Faro.

A fantastic view of the beach at Luz.

The amazing multi coloured rock formation at Luz was just spectacular.

A couple of worms in Albufeira - close to where we were staying.

Another cliff top scene close to Rei das Pralas.

Lord Baden Powell outside the Igreja da Nossa Senhora - this was the start of rather a long but must do walk from Ferragudo along the coast and return.

A rather obvious sign within the Fortazela (fort) at Sagres.

A novel way to show off the lovely pottery just outside Sagres - not up to the standard of Poole Pottery of course.

Together at Luz.

What a way to travel - by this outdoor double escalator down to the beach at Albufeira.