Conservation Cheetah Safari in South Africa

Your adventure begins on arrival at Cape Town International Airport where you will be met by a representative from Ker & Downey Africa who will assist you with your private transfer to the historic Cape Grace. This award-winning hotel is the ideal location from which to explore the vibey V&A Waterfront, Two Oceans Aquarium and Old Clock Tower – all located on your doorstep. You can also take a ferry across to the historic Robben Island from the V&A Waterfront. For dinner, we suggest a gourmet Cape-style meal at the in-house fine dining restaurant, Signal. On day 3, we have arranged a full day guided tour out to the Cape Winelands. Your morning will be spent at the Ashia cheetah Sanctuary, renowned for its incredible conservation initiatives. You will have a unique opportunity to learn about the reintroduction of Ashia cheetah’s to game reserves and national parks, as well as various research programs. During the 2-hour tour, you can witness the world’s fastest land mammals in the running field during their exercise schedule. Lunch will be served at the fabulous Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl – a historic wine farm in the heart of the winelands, surrounded by the Drakenstein Mountains. After lunch, your dedicated guide will take you to 3 fantastic farms in the area for a tasting of some of South Africa’s award-winning wines. On the tour, you will drive past the iconic Victor Verster Prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. You will return to Cape Town in the late afternoon.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before your private transfer back to the Cape Town International Airport. You will board your scheduled flight to Port Elizabeth Airport, where a Ker & Downey Africa representative will be awaiting your arrival and assist with your transfer to the Samara Private Wildlife Reserve. Here, you will spend 4 days exploring this extraordinary private concession that is committed to nature conservation. Samara is considered one of the most successful cheetah sanctuaries in South Africa and was the first reserve to reintroduce a wild cheetah into South Africa’s Great Karoo region in 125 years. During your time at Samara, you will learn all there is to know about cheetah conservation and how the reserve works. You will also take part in an exciting cheetah tracking experience which is sure to be a highlight of your stay. Some of the cheetahs on the reserve are fitted with radio collars for research and monitoring, so the guide will be able to track where they are located. Your guide will also teach you how to track animals who aren’t tagged by observing prints or markings on tree trunks.

After your final morning game drive in Samara Private Wildlife Reserve, followed by breakfast at the lodge, you will check out and meet your driver for a private transfer back to Port Elizabeth International Airport. You will board your scheduled flight to O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, where a representative from our team will assist with your transfer to The Peech Hotel. You will arrive in the late afternoon and have time to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this award-winning boutique hotel, which is also fully accredited by Fair trade Tourism*. The following day, enjoy your morning at leisure. At midday your guide will collect you for an afternoon at the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Center – a non-profit conservation & research organization committed to the conservation and survival of the cheetah species. There will be an informative guided tour on an open-safari vehicle driving through the cheetah camps. Other animals at the center are African wild dogs, caracal and vultures. The center is also home to a very rare breed of cheetah called the king cheetah. Less than 10 are believed to exist in the wild, with a further 50 in captivity, making this cheetah one of the rarest animals in the world.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at The Peech before your private transfer back to the OR Tambo International Airport for your scheduled 1-hour flight to Hoedspruit (Eastgate Airport) – the gateway to the Greater Kruger and Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. Upon arrival at the airport, a Ker & Downey Africa representative will meet you and assist with your 2-hour game drive transfer to your extraordinary private safari lodge for an exciting few days in the African wilderness. Your lodge for the next 3 nights is Chitwa Chitwa, a privately owned lodge in a top location, on the banks of one of the biggest perennial dams in the Sabi Sands Reserve. This sustainable lodge offers superb food, first class service and truly epic wildlife encounters. It is also committed to sustainability and is considered a benchmark eco-lodge with a long list of impressive accolades.

Enjoy a final game drive and delicious breakfast in the thatched lapa overlooking the lake. You will then check out and say farewell to the staff before your transfer back to the airport in Hoedspruit for a scheduled flight to either Cape Town or Johannesburg for your international flight home.

*Fair Trade Tourism is an organization that promotes responsible tourism. By staying at this property you are making a positive impact.

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