International · South Africa
South Africa
Safari, sea and vineyards in one journey
Overview
Overview
No other country lets you track leopard at dawn, taste Cape wine at lunch and swim in two oceans in a single fortnight. South Africa is also malaria-free in the Eastern Cape and the Madikwe reserve, which makes it the safari of choice for families with young children.
We build it as a classic triangle: Cape Town and the Winelands, the Garden Route or Kruger's private reserves, and a finish in the bush.
Plan your South Africa journey
Use our South Africa Explorer journey as a starting point, explore signature journeys, or speak to a travel designer about a route tailored to your dates and interests.
When to go
Best time to visit
May to September is prime safari — dry, sparse bush, superb sightings. November to March is Cape Town's summer for beaches and wine.
Dry season safari
May – Sep
Best game viewing; cool mornings in the bush.
PeakCape summer
Nov – Mar
Beaches, wine harvest, long evenings in Cape Town.
PeakShoulder
Apr & Oct
Both regions work well; better value and fewer people.
GoodGreen season
Jan – Feb
Lush bush, newborn game, thicker cover.
ShoulderPractical
Visa, currency, weather and flights
Visa
Indian passport holders require a South African visitor visa, applied through VFS with biometrics. Travellers with children must carry unabridged birth certificates. We manage appointments, the document set and the minor-travel paperwork.
Full visa guide →Currency
South African Rand (ZAR). Extremely favourable for Indian travellers. Cards are accepted everywhere; carry cash for lodge gratuities and roadside craft markets.
Weather
Southern-hemisphere seasons reverse: December is high summer, July is winter. The Cape has a Mediterranean climate; Kruger is subtropical.
Flights
Non-stop from Mumbai to Johannesburg in about 8h 15m, or one stop via the Gulf into Cape Town. Open-jaw (into Cape Town, out of Johannesburg) is the efficient shape.
| Period | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov – Mar | 18–30°C | Cape summer, warm bush, occasional storms |
| Apr – May | 12–25°C | Autumn — arguably the best all-round window |
| Jun – Aug | 6–20°C | Dry bush, peak game viewing, whales at Hermanus |
| Sep – Oct | 12–26°C | Wildflowers, mild, excellent value |
| Mumbai → Johannesburg | 8h 15m non-stop | South African Airways, Air India |
| Delhi → Cape Town (1 stop) | 13h – 16h | Emirates, Qatar, Ethiopian |
| Johannesburg → Skukuza | 1h 05m domestic | Airlink |
Where to stay
Hotels we recommend
Cape Town · Art villa
Ellerman House
A private South African art collection above Bantry Bay, with thirteen rooms.
Sabi Sand · Legendary safari
Singita Boulders
Perhaps the finest guiding in Africa, on the Sand river.
Stellenbosch · Winelands lodge
Delaire Graff Estate
Private-pool lodges looking straight down the Helshoogte pass.
Thornybush · Family-run safari
Royal Malewane
The highest concentration of master trackers in the country.
Eastern Cape · Malaria-free
Kwandwe Private Reserve
Big Five in a malaria-free reserve — ideal with children.
Highlights
Things to do
Table Mountain at first cable car
Up before the crowds and the cloud, down via Kirstenbosch.
Cape Peninsula private drive
Chapman's Peak, Cape Point, Boulders penguins, Constantia for lunch.
Big Five in the Sabi Sand
Two drives a day with a ranger-and-tracker pair, off-road permitted.
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
Four estates, a chocolate-and-wine pairing, lunch at a vineyard table.
Robben Island with a former prisoner-guide
The most sobering and important two hours of any Cape trip.
Suggested route
Our suggested South Africa journey
- 1
Arrive Cape Town
Ellerman House. Sunset at Signal Hill.
- 2
The city
Table Mountain early, Bo-Kaap, Robben Island in the afternoon.
- 3
Cape Peninsula
Chapman's Peak, Cape Point, Boulders Beach, Constantia lunch.
- 4
Winelands
Transfer to Delaire Graff, tasting at three estates.
- 5
Franschhoek
Wine tram, Babel for lunch, spa afternoon.
- 6
To the bush
Fly to Skukuza, afternoon drive at Singita.
- 7
Sabi Sand
Dawn and dusk drives, bush walk with a tracker.
- 8
Sabi Sand
Leopard territory, sundowners, boma dinner.
- 9
Cape or coast
Optional Garden Route or Hermanus whale extension.
- 10
Depart
Fly Johannesburg and connect home.
Gallery
South Africa in pictures
Questions
Frequently asked
Guest stories
What our travellers say
Cape Town, the Winelands and Singita in twelve nights, and it never felt rushed. Our tracker at Singita found a leopard with cubs on our last morning.
Neel & Priya Shah
Ahmedabad · South Africa Explorer, 12 nights
We chose Kwandwe because of our four-year-old. Malaria-free, brilliant with kids, and still proper Big Five.
Zoya Fernandes
Goa · Family safari, 10 nights
You may also like
