If you enjoy warm weather, outdoor adventures, the beach and wine, then a trip to South Africa and Mozambique is a must! There is so much to see and do in these beautiful countries, and even a month feels a little short to explore everything these countries have to offer! We did our best to outline some of the best places to see within this timeframe as well as tips and tricks we learned along the way.
We visited these beautiful countries in November-December 2022, which we thought was the perfect time of year! It is technically spring in the Southern Hemisphere but temperatures are already quite warm 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit (21-27 degrees Celsius).
This itinerary outlines the highlights of South Africa as well as a trip to Mozambique to relax by the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
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Day 1-3 GETTING TO SOUTH AFRICA
No matter where you are flying in from, it is a long flight to South Africa being at the bottom of the continent of Africa. Plan for at least two days worth of travel. We were flying from Denver, CO and took British Airways from Denver to London, England and then onward to Cape Town, South Africa. When you get to South Africa, exchange some money for South African rands, always good to have some cash on hand while traveling.
Side Note – Cape Town’s airport is a bit smaller than Johannesburg, if you can find flights directly to here, we would recommend it!
Day 4-7 CAPE TOWN
We recommend at least 3 full days to explore the Cape Town area. It is a wonderful coastal town with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean mixed with the mountainous terrain of Table Mountain National Park.
Helpful Tip – While the beaches in Cape Town are stunning, the water is COLD and we wouldn’t recommend going for a swim without a wetsuit.
We rented a car for this leg of the trip. Driving around Cape Town was quite easy, not as chaotic as some big cities. Just remember, if you are coming from America, expect to drive on the opposite side of the car and road and you will more than likely have a manual transmission. We prefer renting cars whenever possible, it allows much more flexibility for doing what you want, when you want.
We stayed close to Downtown and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront at the Westin Cape Town and would highly recommend it. Service was fantastic, a great central location and even walking distance to shops and restaurants along the waterfront. Plus, they have a sauna and indoor pool area encased in glass with stunning views of the city!
Here’s where we went –
Hike Table Mountain National Park – now, we chose to hike up to the top of the mountain, but you can also take the aerial tram that they offer. Just be prepared to wait in long lines and if it is windy (Cape Town usually is) they may close the tram. We loved hiking! It was a short but very steep trail so appropriate shoes and abilities are necessary. We did the Platteklip Gorge Trail.
Self-Drive from Cape Town to –
- Boulder’s Beach to see the Penguins
- Muizenberg Beach to see the Beach Shacks on the Waterfront
- Cape of Good Hope National Park
- Chapman Peak Drive
- Camps Bay
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai – Gansbaai is about a three hour drive from Cape Town, but the place to go diving with sharks if that strikes your fancy. We went with White Shark Projects and it was a marvelous day out on the water. We did not end up seeing White Sharks (their populations are quite low in the world nowadays) but saw many Bronze Whaler Sharks which were just as amazing.
Some of the restaurants we would recommend include:
GOLD Restaurant – A taste of Africa experience; reservations highly recommended. A little touristy, but a great way to experience the many cultural foods of the entire continent.
Codfather Seafood and Sushi – Located in Camps Bay, if you want fresh seafood this is the place to go. They walk you over to a fish case and you pick out what and how much you want and they grill it up for you!
Sevruga Restaurant – A great place by the V&A Waterfront for seafood
Day 8-10 STELLENBOSCH/FRANSCHOEK
Depending on how much you like wine and a slower pace, you will want anywhere from 2-4 days in the Stellenbosch area. Just an hour or so outside of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are the destinations for wine.
We still had our rental car for this portion of the trip and would recommend having one to be able to drive to and from town and to and from wineries. However, there are some great wine tours and the Franschhoek Wine Tram to explore if you don’t want to drive and still drink wine!
We stayed at a beautiful AirBnb on a Wine Farm that had stunning views of the mountains. It was very private, and even had a wood-fired hot tub! Staying here was a fraction of the cost of staying at some of the wineries in Stellenbosch. The road from the gate of the AirBnb up to the house was narrow and steep, so just keep that in mind before booking.
Here’s where we went –
Delaire Graff Estate – We had a lovely lunch and tasting room adventure here. Very luxurious feeling and very high-end but tasty food inspired by Asia.
Hidden Valley Wine Farm – We had an afternoon tasting here and got to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the views!
Babylonstoren Wine Farm – This place is a destination! Modeled after the history Gardens of Babylon, you can spend hours here eating at the farm to table restaurants, exploring the gardens, enjoying a wine tasting and more.
Cape Winelands Riding – We took a horseback ride for 1-hour through the lemon orchards with views of the mountains, a great way to spend a morning sightseeing.
This part of the trip we took slower to just relax and enjoy the many upcoming adventures. In the evening of your last day, drive back to Cape Town airport and arrange an evening flight to Johannesburg to start the next leg of the trip. It is only about a 2 hour and 30 minute flight. We left around 5 PM and got in at about 7:30 PM. The local airline in South Africa we used was AirLink and all our flights were on time and travel was easy.
Day 10-11 JOHANNESBURG
This trip we used Johannesburg as a pass through and really didn’t spend much time there. We were told by several South Africans along the way that we weren’t missing much. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, we also rented a car for this leg of the journey. The airport is located outside downtown and the roads were very easy to navigate. We spent the night at the OR Tambo Birchwood Hotel and Conference Center, a cheap and convenient accommodation for one night.
Day 11-15 WELGEVONDEN GAME RESERVE
In the morning we got up and drove to Welgevonden Game Reserve, about three hours from Johannesburg. Mostly highways, the drive is direct and safe, just make sure if you stop for gas or drinks, that you stick to main roads in the smaller pass-through towns. You will also need to plan to pay some South Africa Rand to use the restroom at most of the gas stations so make sure you have coins.
We arrived at the Main Gate of the reserve where they had a secure car park and transportation from the lodge we were planning to stay at – Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa. We did a lot of research on lodges before deciding.
This reserve is located in the Waterberg Mountains so the terrain was steeper than Kruger (which is coming up next!) The reserve is home to the Big Five though it can be tough to see all of them in one trip. It is a sanctuary for Rhinos which is quite rare to see across Africa. While we were there we had some close encounters with Rhinos, Lions and Cape Buffalo. For safaris, keep in mind you will be sharing a vehicle with other guests (unless you book a private vehicle for an extra cost) so sometimes balancing the arrival of guests with animal viewing priorities can get difficult. Overall, it was an amazing stay and we would highly recommend it.
Once we arrived at the lodge our next few days were completely taken care of from activities to meals! The lodge offers an all-inclusive stay complete with three meals, including alcoholic beverages, two game drives per day, a bush walk, gym facilities, sauna, pool and spa. They also come equipped with a pool that elephants come and drink out of (pool Ellies) and a watering hole wildlife viewing deck to see some animals up close!
The staff, service and accommodations were 5-star, as described. The stay is considered luxury though Welgevonden reserve, a little lesser known than Kruger, helps your money go a bit farther per night. We felt the value was there from the knowledge of the guides and caliber of facilities. (Just remember, you are in the bush, bugs are normal, especially at night!)
Day 15-16 DRIVE TO KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
The next day is a transition day spent driving between Welgevonden Game Reserve and Kruger National Park. It is about an eight hour drive so we spent the night in Lydenburg to break it up. We stayed in a converted horse barn at Mount High Luxury estate. The accommodations were clean and simple, but the private chef on site prepared some delicious food while we were there.
Side Note: From Lydenburg to Kruger, you have the opportunity to drive the Panorama Route which would be a side-trip of 3-4 hours if you choose to go, so plan accordingly. There are several beautiful waterfalls and a canyon that offer gorgeous views, but if you are short on time, we would recommend skipping and getting to Kruger to enjoy the lodge.
Day 16-18 KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
We drove from Lydenburg to Kruger in the morning and arrived at Tinga Lodge in the Lion Sands private reserve within the park. (watch your vehicle speeds driving into town, there are police monitoring). Once you arrive at the park you will check in and pay the entrance fee and let them know you are staying at the lodge. From the gates, it is about a 20 minute drive.
The next few days again will be all-inclusive from meals to game drives! This lodge was just as beautiful as the last one, though a bit pricier (the Kruger upcharge for being a tourist hotspot). Again, we felt the value was there for a luxury lodge. We had a private pool and deck off of our villa where we spotted a ton of wildlife during the day. The game drive vehicles are luxurious as well and you will never go hungry. Overall, we preferred the food at Mhondoro, but both were delicious. You will also get a traditional South African Boma dinner one time during your stay which was fun to eat authentic food and dine outside. There is no gym facility at this lodge, but a swimming pool and spa facilities. The wildlife also likes to come onto the property as it is right on the river!
Lion Sands is a private concession within Kruger National Park so we had way less vehicles on the road. They have the ability to go into the public section of the park as well as nearby Sabi Sands Reserve and so there is plenty of terrain to see! There is one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world located in Lion Sands, so there is a really good chance you will see one! We saw the majority of the Big 5 just in the two days we were there. It is a totally different landscape than the last reserve and we appreciated being able to see both in one trip!
Day 18-19 KRUGER TO NELSPRUIT
This was another transition day where we checked out of the lodge and drove to Nut Grove Manor to stay close to the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport for a flight to Mozambique the next morning. The accommodation was clean and simple.
Day 19 NELSPRUIT to VILANCULOS, MOZAMBIQUE
We drove to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport for a flight out this morning. The airport is very small but very pretty! You don’t need to arrive more than an hour before your flight.
It was a short flight to Mozambique and we landed in Vilanculos where we were met by the resort for a transfer (finally no rental car!) We decided to stay at Anantara Bazaruto Resort on the Bazaruto Archipelago on the Indian Ocean which is a National Marine Reserve. We took the boat transfer option but you can arrive in style via Helicopter or Private Plane as well.
We arrived at the resort in the afternoon and once again, the food and drink was all-inclusive along with a traditional sunset Dhow cruise on the evening of your choosing. We had a private pool villa on the beach and it was so quiet and relaxing!
Day 20-25 VILANCULOS
Included activities at the resort are gym facilities, paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear and bicycles. Otherwise, they also offer a wide-variety of day excursions to local islands, private tours, snorkel tours, scuba diving, water skiing/wakeboarding, cooking classes, spa treatments and more to fill your days. We took advantage of the Ocean Safari that included snorkeling and managed to see the elusive Dugongs (similar to Manatees in America). We also did an intro to scuba diving class which allowed us to dive with sea turtles two different times! Lastly, we did a driving tour of the island to see the local villages and massive sand dunes that call Bazaruto home.
Day 25-26 VILANCULOS to JOHANNESBURG to AMERICA
On our last day at the resort we took a boat transfer back to the airport. You will give the hotel all of your flight details and they will make sure you arrive on time. A two hour flight back to South Africa and we spent the night at the City Lodge Hotel located in the Johannesburg airport before flying out the next day to head home.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Our approach to this trip was to have it be a more relaxed way of traveling, while still seeing as much as we could. There are plenty of opportunities to shorten the trip by taking out certain locations, flying in-between safari parks, choosing one safari destination, and condensing travel days to fit your needs for vacation. It could also very easily be extended with adding more days at each location to explore or adding additional locations to the list!
MC Exploring 