11 Days in Southern Africa: Cape Town, The Kruger, & Victoria Falls

This travel journal is part of our TravelStore Passport Diaries Podcast. Watch the full episode below, and for more episodes, visit our Passport Diaries Podcast page or follow us on your favorite podcast platform.

The rumors are true: The perfect itinerary for visiting Southern Africa does exist and includes extra special amenities and experiences just for TravelStore clients!

Join us for a conversation with Sherwin Banda of African Travel Inc. as he takes us through a custom-built 11-Day itinerary he calls “The Splendors of Southern Africa.” On this trip, you will experience stunning sights, exciting excursions, decadent cuisine, thrilling animal encounters, and the most luxurious accommodations of your life. As Sherwin puts it:

“If you’re going to go to Africa just once, this is the itinerary we would want you to have. This is the ideal itinerary for people who are looking for their first time visit, for people who are looking to return to a different part of Africa that they’ve not seen, and for those people who just fell in love and want to go back again.”

The collaboration between African Travel and TravelStore was born from a realization that there was a gap in African Travel’s offerings. “At African Travel, we’ve always been known to do experiences from scratch because we like understanding what the clients need” says Sherwin. “But there was a gap in our service offering for people who wanted to join a small group, but have the same guide throughout the experience and having all the amazing inclusions that everybody would want if they were going to Africa.

“So, we came out with our Concierge Collection and we were speaking with TravelStore about doing something unique for the Travelstore clients. Together, we came up with a fully escorted program hosted by TravelStore to my native homeland: South Africa. And I call it “The Splendors of Southern Africa” because as a first time visitor, we have included the epic experiences of the destination.”

THE INTINERARY

Cape Town, South Africa

Our adventure begins in Cape Town, the lively capital of South Africa. Our home base is the incomparable Cape Grace Hotel located right on the Waterfront. “The Cape Grace Hotel is probably one of the most beautiful properties on the Cape Town waterfront precinct” Sherwin shares. He also laughs, noting he used to be jealous of the property when he previously worked as the General Manager at Table Bay, a competing Waterfront property. When describing the location, Sherwin likens it to “…something like maybe the San Francisco Marina, where there’s a lot of restaurants and shopping experiences where you can just walk to. It is a great place for people who want to go and self-explore.” On day 1 guests can relax at the hotel and meander through the shops and sights along the waterfront before the itinerary kicks off the next day.

The next few days in Cape Town are designed to bring guests straight to the beating heart of Cape Town’s culture. The itinerary includes: a ride up a slowly rotating funicular to the top of the iconic Table Mountain for breathtaking views; a journey down to Boulder’s Beach to meet South Africa’s most adorable residents – the African Penguin colony; and a culture-centric visit to a local township to meet its residents, enjoy delicious meals, and make music. The Cape festivities conclude with a full day out to the Cape Winelands for wine tasting and a first-hand look at the French and Dutch-influenced winemaking history of South Africa .

Kruger Nature Reserve

After the 4-night immersion into Cape Town, we’re off to explore the wild side of South Africa at Kruger Nature Reserve. The Kruger is a conservation haven for the many unique and wondrous animals of South Africa. It is known for the Big Five – lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant – which you will have many opportunities to track during morning and afternoon game drives.

Our home during our stay in The Kruger is the Sandringham Lodge in the Timbavati area. The lodge is a brand-new addition to the Sabi Sabi collection. In addition to its luxury accommodations, heavenly spa, and world-class service, the rooms have a very special and unique feature:

“Let me tell you why we love this lodge” insists Sherwin:

“Imagine when you get to the lodge, there is this beautifully decorated, luxurious setting of a safari lodge… but there’s something better that this lodge has that no other lodge has: every single room has its own sleep-out and viewing deck. Up on the deck, it has a beautiful four poster bed and you hear the sounds of the bush… You are 35 feet in the air, so it’s completely safe, and you can see and hear animals below. It’s so beautiful – the view of sleeping under the night skies is magical just in itself. So imagine having a nighttime flashlight and you could see what’s happening up at night from the safety of your room. Now, to me, that’s a cool experience.”

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

After three nights at Sandringham, we hop on a plane and arrive at Victoria Falls River Lodge.

“One of the best things that I love about arriving at Victoria Falls River Lodge,” says Sherwin, “is the vehicle drops you off up river. Then you get onto boats and you come down the Zambezi River and you arrive by boat at the lodge. Just looking at the surroundings and what you might find as you come down the river is itself an epic arrival experience.”

At Victoria Falls River Lodge, guests stay in a luxury tent camp of the highest caliber. The first night, Sherwin’s itinerary takes guests on a sunset cruise on the river. From this vantage point, guests will see animals drinking at the riverbank in their natural habitat.

The following morning, guests arrive to Victoria Falls to witness one of Mother Nature’s most impressive works of art. “The locals call Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya” says Sherwin, “it means ‘the smoke that thunders’ because when the water falls over the precipice of the falls, it comes with such a force that when it lands at the bottom, it’s a loud bang, and then what looks like smoke – it’s like this plume of what looks like a plume of smoke, but it’s actually just water.”

Guests are highly encouraged to wear raincoats and not make the same mistake Sherwin made when he was a younger. “The first time I went to the falls as an adult, I wore jeans… it was not a smart choice of clothing.” Laughs Sherwin. He said by the end of the day exploring as much of the area as he could, he was completely soaked through. But, the experience of seeing the massive wall of water cascading over the edge of the fall and crashing below into a plume of “smoke” is well worth the sight no matter the fashion choice. “It’s something that will stay with you forever once you’ve seen it. It absolutely is.”

“I believe that together with TravelStore, we have put together an itinerary and an experience for TravelStore guests that will bring Africa to life.” Say Sherwin. “There is something for everyone. And TravelStore are the dream makers and we are happy to be partnering with them for this. I’ll say it again: You can leave Africa – there’s no way Africa is ever going to leave you. All you have to do is just come.”

Listen in to our full interview with Sherwin Banda of African Travel to hear more about this wondrous excursion to Southern Africa!

Photos and videos of South Africa in this episode were provided by Gail Woloz of Gail’s Travel & Safaris. Gail is an Independent Affiliate Travel Advisor with TravelStore and African Travel Specialist @gailwoloz