South Africa and Seychelles: Cape Town, safari and the islands

Departure from Italy on a scheduled flight to Cape Town, with a stopover. Meals and overnight on board.

Arrival in Cape Town, entry formalities and private transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. An idea. A walk around the V&A Waterfront, the old Victorian harbour turned into a district of shops, restaurants and bars, with Table Mountain behind. From here the ferries leave for Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held for eighteen years, to be booked separately. For dinner, fresh fish and Cape wines at one of the restaurants on the harbour.

Breakfast and a day visiting the city privately with an Italian-speaking guide. Weather permitting, you go up Table Mountain, the flat-topped mountain overlooking the bay, with views over the city and the ocean. Then the city centre and the Company's Garden, the vegetable garden of the Dutch East India Company started in the 17th century to supply the ships. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest building in South Africa, with its Military Museum, and the Bo-Kaap, the district of colourful houses and Cape Malay culture.

Breakfast and a second private day with an Italian-speaking guide, along the Cape Peninsula. You follow the Atlantic coast through Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay to Hout Bay, where a boat trip leaves for Seal Island, weather permitting. Then the scenic Chapman's Peak road, carved into the rock above the sea, and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, as far as the Cape Point lighthouse. Lunch included. In the afternoon Simon's Town and Boulders Beach, with its colony of African penguins, and to finish the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, at the foot of Table Mountain.

Breakfast and departure with a private Italian-speaking guide for the Winelands, the wine region east of Cape Town. It starts in Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, with white Cape Dutch houses and avenues of oak trees. You then climb the Helshoogte Pass to Franschhoek, the valley where French Huguenots settled in the late 17th century, bringing their winemaking tradition with them. Wine tasting and lunch included. Last stop in Paarl, then back to Stellenbosch for the night.

Breakfast and private transfer to Cape Town airport. Flight to Hoedspruit, in the Kruger region, and a transfer of about an hour to the private Makalali reserve. Check-in at the lodge. In the afternoon, the first safari in a 4x4 vehicle, together with the other lodge guests and with an English-speaking ranger. In private reserves there are few vehicles and the rangers know the land and the animals' habits well. Back at the lodge at sunset and dinner.

Wake-up before dawn for the morning safari, in the best hours to see the animals on the move. With some luck you meet the Big Five, that is lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes, along with giraffes, zebras, antelopes and hippos. Back at the lodge for breakfast and a rest in the middle of the day, when it is hottest and the animals look for shade. In the afternoon, another safari in the shared 4x4, until sunset in the savannah. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast and departure with a private English-speaking driver along the Panorama Route, the road that follows the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment. The first big stop is the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world, with the Three Rondavels, three rounded peaks that resemble traditional huts. Then Bourke's Luck Potholes, the hollows carved by water into the rock where two rivers meet. Lunch included. Weather permitting, a stop at God's Window, the viewpoint over the Lowveld. Arrival in White River in the evening.

Breakfast and an unhurried morning in White River, a Lowveld town surrounded by fruit and macadamia plantations. Private transfer to the nearby Kruger Mpumalanga airport and a flight of about an hour to Johannesburg. On arrival, private transfer to a hotel near the airport. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, born in the late 19th century with the gold rush. The evening is free to rest before the flight to the Seychelles.

Breakfast and private transfer to the airport. Flight to Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, about five hours over the Indian Ocean. Arrival in the evening, welcome at the airport and private transfer to the resort. Check-in and dinner. On Mahé the meal plan is half board, with breakfast and dinner. Mahé is the largest of the 115 islands of the archipelago, with forested granite mountains running down to the beaches.

A free day by the sea, half board. An idea, with a rental car or an excursion to be booked separately. The morning in Victoria, the smallest capital in the world, with the Sir Selwyn Clarke covered market, full of fish, spices and tropical fruit, and the botanical garden with giant tortoises. In the afternoon the southern beaches, such as Anse Intendance, wild and open to the ocean, and Anse Soleil, a small sheltered bay. Back to the resort for dinner.

A free day, half board. To be booked separately, a boat trip in the Sainte Anne marine park, a group of small islands off Victoria, with snorkelling among coral and tropical fish. Those who prefer walking can follow one of the trails of the Morne Seychellois, the national park covering the centre of the island, with ocean views from the granite ridges. On the west coast, the Port Launay marine park has calm, shallow water, good for snorkelling straight from the shore.

Breakfast and private transfer to Mahé airport. Flight to Praslin, about twenty minutes over the sea. On arrival, private transfer to the resort and check-in. From here the meal plan is breakfast only. Free afternoon. Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles, quieter than Mahé, with wide beaches, palm-covered hills and small villages. A first swim and the sunset on the beach close the day.

A free day, with breakfast. An idea. The morning at the Vallée de Mai, the UNESCO-protected nature reserve where the coco de mer palms grow, producing the heaviest nut in the world. The trails take a couple of hours, listening for the call of the black parrot, found only on this island. In the afternoon Anse Lazio, in the north of Praslin, with large granite boulders on either side and calm, clear water. Entrance fees and transport are to be booked separately.

A free day, with breakfast. To be booked separately, a day on La Digue, about twenty minutes away by ferry. The island is explored by bicycle, with few cars and quiet roads. The best-known beach is Anse Source d'Argent, in the L'Union estate, with pink granite rocks and a shallow lagoon. Alternatively, a boat trip to Curieuse, the island of giant tortoises living free, with a walk through the mangroves and snorkelling around the small islet of St Pierre.

Breakfast and, depending on the flight time, time for a last swim. Private transfer to Praslin airport, flight to Mahé and return flight to Italy, with a stopover. Meals and overnight on board.

Arrival in Italy and end of the trip.