We have selected our top collection of places to visit in Southern & East Africa to provide you with what we consider to be the highlights in each country. We believe it is time better spent to choose a smaller selection of destinations and experience them properly as opposed to rushing around and just scratching the surface of multiple destinations. The number of times that we have heard guests say that they wish they had taken our advice and spent more time in Cape Town for instance, or more nights on safari, is testament to this. Depending on your time available, we will make appropriate suggestions of itinerary combinations and ideal nights at each stop to make the most of your time. When people approach us, and say this is their once in a lifetime trip to Africa and they want to see as much as possible as they won’t be coming back – we hide our smiles as we have also come to realise that once you have experienced Africa, you long to come back, you want to see more, and you just can’t stay away. So, in summary, plan for 2 trips and spread the experiences!
South Africa
Cape Town – one of the world’s most beautiful cities, home to one of the 7 natural wonders, Table Mountain, and so much more to a visit than a typical city experience.
Cape Winelands – renowned for the spectacular and dramatic scenery and some of the finest wines in the world. So much more than just wine tasting…
Garden Route – a visual splendour of abundant mountain passes, indigenous forests, rivers, birdlife, lagoons and beaches. Home to premier coastal resorts and numerous wildlife encounters.
Kruger National Park – SA’s biggest and best safari destination, exceptional safari experience, luxurious private reserves, Typical African savannah, Lion and Leopard sightings renowned.
Northern Natal – Great safari locations with scenic lookouts, rolling hills and many rivers. Great Cheetah and Rhino sightings. Great year-round beach options close by with excellent diving.
Madikwe – an excellent Malaria free safari experience with easy access from Johannesburg.
Botswana
Okavango Delta – Large wetland teeming with life and offering an exceptional game experience with land and water activities. Diversity of the eco-system and remote access ensuring unspoilt wilderness.
Chobe National Park – Huge tracts of National Park in Northern Botswana where the Elephant population is renowned. Popular multi-day Chobe River Safaris are excellent.
Namibia
Sossusvlei Desert Dunes – This is a land of vivid contrasts and stark beauty making Namibia a most unusual destination of vast open spaces and extraordinary landscapes. The Namib Desert is home to the world famous red dunes at Sossusvlei.
Skeleton Coast and Kunene Region – Enjoy the rugged and majestic terrain of the ghostly Skeleton Coast or spend some time with the Himba tribes in Northern Namibia in the oasis of the Kunene River.
Southern Africa
Mozambique: Beaches – unspoilt romantic getaway with tropical waters lapping at the wild continent of Africa. A string of small islands make up the Bazaruto & Quirimbas Archipelago of abundant sea life and beautiful sand bars.
Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls – home of the mighty Victoria Falls, a natural wonder of the world and the adventure capital for adrenaline junkies.
Zambia: South Luangwe National Park – home of the multi-day walking safari, off the beaten track safari experience for those wanting to get a true wilderness experience. Combine with Victoria Falls.
Kenya
Masai Mara – home of the Great Migration between the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. One of the few places where herds of game can still be seen in vast numbers.
Amboseli – a wildlife haven with large elephant herds overlooking the towering peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Tanzania
The Serengeti – internationally acclaimed game park where wildlife roams in enormous herds and home to the Great Migration in Tanzania.
Ngorongoro Crater – the world’s largest crater, considered one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth which teems with game year-round.
Lake Manyara National Park – set on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, two thirds of the park is dominated by Lake Manyara and its vast numbers of flamingos and the parks pride of tree climbing lions.
Rwanda & Uganda
Gorilla Trekking – This incredible trekking experience tops many travellers bucket-list and for good reason. Few wildlife encounters that can match this astounding experience of spending time face-to-face with rare, wild mountain gorillas.
Hi Joan - We have arrived home safely - with just a little jet lag. Your guidance and expertise in planning this trip was invaluable. The trip exceeded all of my expectations!! I would not have changed anything. It would be difficult to pick out the best part of the trip - in that each day was so special. Rob and Heath were exceptional and a great part in making the trip so special. Londolozi was amazing. I'm not sure who we have to thank for our special Anniversary treat of lunch in the tree house; but thank you, thank you, thank you!! It still brings tears to my eyes thinking of the it!! We started the trip by saying "if" we go back to Africa only for it to be quickly changed to "when" we go back to Africa. So until next time, I thank you again for making this such a special experience!!
We were a group of three couples traveling to South Africa for the first time. We have traveled to Italy, Cuba, Mexico and other locations together and had arranged to stay in a house outside of Cape Town on our own. Redfoot Safaris was introduced to us by a friend in Phoenix that had a great experience in 2017. We communicated with Rex by email and phone and were impressed by his patience as none of us had ever been on a Safari and we had lots of questions. Rex arranged for us to have two full day tours of Cape Town and the surrounding area and we were so impressed with our guide that we engaged him for another full day. Upon arrival at Rattray on Mala Mala we could not believe how comfortable and luxurious the facilities were and the staff and their service was impeccable. Our guide, Garrett, was fantastic and a wealth of knowledge. We were exposed to a great number of animals and learned so much about their lives and their environment. It was both an educational and relaxing break and our photos and memories will be enjoyed for years to come. We highly recommend letting Redfoot make the arrangements so that the total experience can be enjoyed even though it is far from home. We would love to return and repeat the entire experience.
Our trip was just perfect - spent three days touring Cape Town and surroundings with our guide, George Meyer, who was fantastic. Other than our pick-up time, nothing was set in stone, and George allowed each day to unfold as it happened. We got to see everything on our list - and then some. From there we headed to MalaMala for a couple days safari, which were amazing - the accommodations at Rattray's were beautiful, and we saw more wildlife than we were expecting. Our safari guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and perfectly suited for our group. All details were taken care of by Redfoot/Rex, including being met at the Johannesburg airport, which was a huge help on our way home! Can't say enough about Rex, George, and MalaMala. Loved the trip!!