The Three Boutique Hotel

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

City, Safari & Beach

South Africa, Mauritius

South Africa’s culture, safari and beaches rounding off with an indulgent island escape.

15 days

from £5,010 pp

including flights

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

including flights

South Africa Safari Explorer

South Africa's wildlife at its best.

14 days

Safari Wildlife & Nature

from £5,850 pp

including flights

Romantic Safari + 2 more + 3 more

South Africa Safari & Beach

South Africa, Mauritius

A seamless South Africa and Mauritius holiday.

14 days

from £4,450 pp

including flights

Classic South Africa

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A classic South African holiday, with a few lesser-visited surprises.

17 days

from £3,655 pp

including flights

South Africa Family Holiday

Family Safari + 1 more + 2 more

The ultimate family adventure through South Africa's highlights.

15 days

from £3,495 pp

including flights

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

Historic Cape Town

First settled by Europeans in the 17th century, as a provisioning station for vessels travelling between Europe and the East Indies, there are monuments to all the stages of Cape Town’s history to visit. The original settlers were Dutch, and the Castle of Good Hope stands on the site of their original fortification for defending the nascent community. A star-fort, it was built on the coastline, but thanks to land reclamation it now lies in the heart of the city! The indigenous population were not very numerous and the early settlers were unable to subdue them or persuade them to work as labourers, so they imported slaves from the East Indies. These formed the roots of the Cape Malay community whose spiritual home is the Bo-Kaap quarter, with its distinctive houses, each painted a different vivid colour which originally identified the occupation of the owner. The Cape Malay are also Muslims, so you may hear the muezzin’s call as you tour the area. Other than Robben Island, the District Six museum is a good introduction into the history of apartheid. Originally a run-down area populated by the coloured community and a magnet for musicians, poets and artists, it was declared a white area by the apartheid government in 1965, and the buildings razed to the ground, their occupants relocated to the Cape Flats townships. Such was the international outcry at this, that the site was never developed, and today the ghostly outline of the streets and buildings can be seen in the grass that covers the area. The museum tells this story through photographs and the experiences and stories of those displaced residents: moving and educational tales.

Seal Snorkelling

For a truly unique and special wildlife experience, very little can compete with tugging on a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, then slipping into the cold Cape waters to come face-to-face with hundreds of Cape Fur seals. They are hugely charismatic and seem to love interacting with snorkellers, whizzing past you blowing bubbles, or stopping to peer straight into your mask. There's a maximum of 10 snorkellers in the trip which goes by inflatable RIB from Hout Bay out to Duiker Island, home to 10,000 Cape Fur seals. Duiker Island is in water too cold, shallow and kelp-filled for great white sharks, so you can dive in, safe in the knowledge that no shark has been sighted at the island in 20 years!

Rovos Rail to Pretoria

Leaving Cape Town at 11 am, you enjoy lunch on board passing through the particularly beautiful Hex River Valley, before arriving at Matjiesfontein. Matjiesfontein is situated on the edge of the Klein Karoo, just north of the Winelands of the Western Cape. Founded in 1884 and originally a staging post on the Imperial British railway, it soon became known as a health spa – the dry air was reckoned to be the perfect cure for chest complaints. The remoteness of Matjiesfontein is part of its appeal and perhaps also why the 21st and indeed the 20th century appear to have passed her by. A National Monument, it has been preserved exactly as it was in Victorian times. Your tour will take in a ride around the small town in a historic bus, a visit to the museum and a drink at the Lord Milner Hotel. You have dinner on board before heading to bed. The following day you arrive in Kimberley after lunch. Kimberley is one of the more remote towns right in the heart of South Africa but has played an absolutely crucial role in the nation’s history, for it was here that diamonds were discovered and men like Cecil Rhodes made their fortunes; doubtless the presence of such massive mineral wealth also helped shaped Rhodes’ belief that the area should be governed by the British Empire. The Big Hole is Kimberley’s most striking feature, a vast hole 463 metres wide and originally excavated down to 240 metres by hand, yielding 2,700 kilograms of diamonds in its life as a mine. A visitor centre has grown around the mine and offers a great introduction into this remarkable period of South African history. You rejoin the train after your tour for your final dinner on board. After another good night’s sleep, you’ll be hooked up to the steam engine that draws you the final kilometres into Capital Park, Rovos’s glorious restored Art Deco station in Pretoria, arriving at noon.

Food tour

So much about a country and a culture is expressed through its cuisine. In South Africa, much of the cuisine is a home-style cooking and to get a taste you really need to search hard. A guided tour will explore the history of this country and city, walking through the back streets to find these local tastes. Walk the streets of Cape Town and experience its history, its people and its culinary delights. Stop to taste a mixture of traditional food, South African street food and to visit some artisanal foodie and coffee shops. During your walk you’ll have the opportunity to taste some of the following items: African Soul food: pap, samp & beans, vetkoek Falooda - a traditional Muslim Rose Milkshake; a gourmet bunny chow to get a little taste of Indian Cuisine and bobotie pies - a modern take on the traditional Bobotie dish which both the Cape Malay group and white Afrikaner group refer to as their traditional dish.

Western Province Stormers Rugby Match

Newlands Stadium, on the northern side of Table Mountain near Constantia, is home to the DHL Stormers, one of South Africa's premier rugby teams. If you happen to be in Cape Town for a game, it’s a great experience to get along and see just how passionate the South Africans are about their rugby. It’s a big event, with a supporters village providing food, drink and entertainment both before the game, and long into the night after the game. It’s a family affair, and you’ll see the whole family, mother, father, sons and daughters, decked out in the blue strip of the Stormers, quite possibly with their faces painted the same blue. Visiting fans, particularly from rival South African teams, will be equally colourful and vociferous in their support, and the atmosphere never goes beyond friendly rivalry. It’s a must for any sports fan!