Victoria Falls, Cape Town and the Garden Route

Our adventure begins in London Heathrow, as we board our flight to Cape Town. On arrival on Day 2, we transfer to the Sun Square City Bowl Hotel, where we enjoy a welcome drink and some time to settle into our new surroundings.

On Day 3 we are introduced to Cape Town on a guided tour, taking in its highlights. We travel to the summit of iconic Table Mountain by cable car (weather permitting), where we are afforded outstanding views across the city. Our next visit is to the Diamond Works, where we witness the art of diamond cutting first hand, seeing the expert craftsmanship that is required to create the jewellery and learning the history of gold and diamond trading in South Africa. The rest of the afternoon is free. Surrounded by pristine beaches and verdant vineyards, Cape Town is one of the most thriving destinations in South Africa, and is known as a cultural hotspot.

On Day 4, we head to South Africa's southwesternmost promontory for a tour of the Cape Peninsula, discovering the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Chapman's Peak. We also visit Boulders Beach, a breathtaking area of white sands and clear waters that's home to a colony of African penguins.

After breakfast, we make the journey to Oudtshoorn along the magnificent Garden Route. Named for the remarkable natural beauty of the lush scenery it cuts through, this famous stretch of coastline runs between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, at the southernmost tip of Africa. We visit the Cango Caves where we take a tour of the eerie caverns, adorned with beguiling rock formations, before continuing to our hotel for the night, the Surval Boutique Olive Estate in Oudtshoorn.

Oudtshoorn is famed for its ostrich population, and we encounter these fascinating birds on a guided tour of an ostrich farm on Day 6. We continue east along the Garden Route, pausing at the peaceful coastal town of Sedgefield for a wine tasting and lunch at Benguela Cove, on the shores of beautiful Swartvlei Lake. Later this afternoon we arrive in Knysna, set on the beautiful and rugged Paradise Coast. Our base for the next 2 nights is the 4-Star Rex Hotel, located close to the waterfront. On Day 7, after a morning at leisure to discover Knysna's scenic charms, we enjoy a boat trip on Knysna Lagoon, cruising the calm waters to Knysna Heads, which flank the narrow channel between the lagoon and the ocean beyond. We reach Featherbed Nature Reserve and disembark for a nature walk, with a specialist guide on hand to teach us about the history, fauna and flora of the area. We settle down for a delicious lunch beneath a canopy of beautiful Milkwood trees before our return to Knysna.

We travel along the final stretch of the Garden Route today on our way to Port Elizabeth. En route, we visit Monkeyland Sanctuary. Set within an indigenous forest area, the sanctuary cares for more than 700 primates, including capuchin monkeys and endangered black and white ruffed lemurs. We also visit the Birds of Eden Sanctuary, home to an array of colourful African birds. Arriving in Port Elizabeth, we board our internal flight to Durban. On Day 9, we embark on a 2-night adventure aboard the Pride of Africa, one of the most luxurious trains in the world, to Pretoria. We pause after lunch to visit the famous ceramic collection at the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery, before we settle in this evening for a journey through some of South Africa's most diverse and beautiful landscapes.

We disembark this morning to visit Spionkop Lodge, where we have a choice of 2 excursions. You may like to embark on an escorted tour of the historic battlefield itself, site of a futile battle in 1900 between Boer forces and British troops. Alternatively, enjoy a game drive in the 11,000 acre Spionkop Reserve, with the opportunity to spot a variety of wild animals. Our next excursion is to Nambiti Reserve, a private retreat home to the magnificent 'Big Five'. We embark on an incredible game drive across the savannah and grasslands here. Next, we travel northwest across the Highveld grasslands, arriving in Pretoria, the seat of South Africa's government on Day 11. Our journey ends at the Rovos Rail Station and we transfer to the Arcadia Hotel for 1 night.

We transfer to Johannesburg this morning, where we board our flight to Livingstone in Zambia. A short drive takes us across the border into Zimbabwe, where we check into our hotel for 3 nights, the A'Zambezi River Lodge, located in a peaceful spot on the shores of the Zambezi River. On Day 13, we experience one of the highlights of our holiday as we visit the breathtaking Victoria Falls. Known as 'the smoke that thunders', these impressive waterfalls span the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, plunging dramatically into a chasm and down a series of basalt gorges to create an iridescent mist that can be spotted from more than 10 miles away. This evening, we are treated to a cruise along the Zambezi River, allowing us to admire the majestic African sunset as it casts a golden glow across the waters. Day 14 is at leisure before we enjoy a Boma farewell dinner, a traditional part of African bush culture which combines delicious food with a host of cultural entertainment.

Today we transfer back to Livingstone airport for our flight to London Heathrow. Travelling via Johannesburg, we arrive on Day 16.