Jan Harmsgat Country House

South African Grand Tour

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Three weeks, one unforgettable road trip across South Africa’s greatest highlights.

21 days

from £4,295 pp

Go Local in South Africa

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Real people. Real stories. Real South Africa.

19 days

from £6,690 pp

South Africa Safari Explorer

South Africa's wildlife at its best.

14 days

Safari Wildlife & Nature

from £5,850 pp

A South African Fortnight

Classic Safari + 1 more + 2 more

A two-week classic adventure through the best of South Africa.

14 days

from £3,595 pp

The Best of South Africa

Romantic Classic + 3 more + 3 more

Cape Town, wine & wildlife: South Africa's highlights over 11 days.

11 days

from £3,225 pp

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 1 more + 2 more

Waterfalls to Waterfront

South Africa, Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls, Kruger & Cape Town.

11 days

from £4,950 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

Sanbona safari

The enormous reserve of Sanbona covers mile upon mile of some of the most stunning Karoo scenery. Folded ridges of cracked rock cross the landscape, and riverbeds carry dense foliage across an otherwise inhospitable landscape. Unlike the game-dense famous wildlife areas, such as the Kruger, there is no race here to try and spot the Big Five, as you’re unlikely to find all of them. With good luck and good ranger skills, you may see some of the elephant and white lions that call the reserve home, but there is so much more here than a quest for the Big Five. There are remarkable rock formations and your ranger can give you a crash course on local geology here; there are also San rock art sites to admire, and the vast, inspiring landscape to enjoy. You’re also likely to see some big game, like eland, oryx (with their magnificent horns) and zebra as well, and your ranger will take the time to teach you all about these animals and their place in the Sanbona ecosystem. Sanbona is a safari experience for those who appreciate more than just the Big Five, and for whom solitude, massive landscapes and huge skies are a major draw.

De Hoop Nature Reserve

Most South Africans have never heard of De Hoop Nature Reserve, which is amazing when you consider how beautiful it is, and what a great experience it offers any visitor. But it does mean that it’s never overwhelmed by tourists, allowing you to enjoy its peace and solitude. The reserve is dominated by vegetated dunes covered in the fynbos vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest and most biodiverse of the world’s plant kingdoms. In amongst the dunes you’ll find all manner of flora and fauna, from proteas (South Africa’s national flower) to herds of bontebok, eland and zebra. The reserve has a long coastline of white sand beach, and during the whale season it’s one of the best places to see whales breaching from the shore. The park can be explored in a variety of ways. You can drive yourself around its network of roads, or alternatively mountain bike or hike its paths; snorkelling off the beaches and in the rock pools is also a possibility. De Hoop can be done as a daytrip from somewhere like Swellendam, or you can base yourself in the reserve for a night or two to take full advantage of everything it has to offer.

Montagu

Montagu is a town situated on R62, a road that cuts across some of the arid Little Karoo. It is a historic town, and many of the buildings date back to early settler days, giving the town lots of character and atmosphere. There are cruises along surrounding rivers on offer, and the wine estates of the region are just starting to come to prominence; most of them offer tastings and cellar tours. The surrounding mountains are a haven for hikers with many popular, self-guided walks available. Within the town itself you might like to visit Montagu Nature Garden, with its quiet paths and attractive plants and flowers. Montagu makes a great daytrip from somewhere like Swellendam and there are accommodation options available in the town itself.

Cape Agulhas

Cape Point is not, as many think, the most southerly tip of the African continent – that honour goes to Cape Agulhas, which is also recognised as being the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The landscape around Cape Agulhas is austere – rocky ridges running through flat valley floors scoured by a wind that blows unhindered from Antarctica. These winds and the local currents have caused many a shipwreck along the coast and the remains of some are still visible. So it is no surprise that Cape Agulhas is marked by a lighthouse. For those who appreciate dramatic scenery and geographical quirks and extremes, a drive down to Cape Agulhas makes an interesting inclusion on a trip to South Africa.