South Africa 2012

October 3rd - 16th, 2012

Little did I realize that when I put this tour up that it would book so quickly. Every one booked except for one couple, have been on many of my past tours…it is wonderful to see that I will be traveling with so many old friends ... and new ones! Will you be one of them? if so better get that registration form in soon as this is a small group tour and we have reached our minimum already  …. Donna

We are thrilled to be able to present this tour for October 2012. We think you will be most impressed with the itinerary. It also includes some relaxation time in some beautiful hotels where I know you will enjoy just being in the moment.

Some of the goodies you will be seeing… BUT PLEASE click on the button below to see the full day by day itinerary! Be Sure to Note all of the Highlights in the Highlights Box to your left!

Brenthurst Gardens - one of South Africa's most magnificent gardens. In a city dedicated to change, it has enjoyed a unique continuity.

Pretoria National Botanical Gardens - 50% of South Africa's trees species can be seen in the National Botanical Gardens, along with more than 198 bird species and a number of small mammals and reptiles. 50 Hectares of the total area is devoted to developed garden, featuring almost exclusively South African plants.

Gods Window - Situated on the Drakensberg escarpment in Mpumalanga is God’s Window. Just one look down and you will begin to understand why it is called "God's Window".

Blyde River Canyon - The Blyde River Canyon Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon's winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges dropping 800m into the riverbed.

Kapama River Lodge for all meals and 3 games drives. The northern Drakensberg mountain range provides a majestic backdrop to the largest private game lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park region. Kapama River Lodge is situated within Kapama Game Reserve, and presents the perfect blend of luxurious safari accommodation. Each spacious room at Kapama River Lodge features a terrace with uninterrupted views into the leafy-green Big 5 game reserve.

Swazi Candle Factory -Swazi Candles was started in an old cowshed of a former Dairy in 1981 by two South African art graduates. It proved to be an excellent place for setting up a Craft Cottage industry. The mountainous countryside was beautiful, the Swazi people being warm and friendly and receptive to training soon proved to be fine handcraft workers and skilled artisans.

Zululand - The sheer majesty of Zululand will take your breath away. Under the hot African sun, the cobalt blue Indian Ocean, mangrove swamps and limpid lagoons give way to rolling green hills and indigenous forests which shimmer in the distance before they reach the Drakensberg Mountains. Tom & I met King Goodwill of the Zulus almost 25 years ago in Washington DC - what a small world.

Boat cruise on St Lucia - Saint Lucia is possibly the lushest, most verdant and spectacular of the Windward Isles, and what better way to experience it’s beauty.

Durban Botanical Gardens - On the lower slopes of Durban's Berea ridge lies the city's brightest jewel, the Durban Botanic Gardens. It is the city's oldest public institution and Africa's oldest surviving botanic gardens.

Pietermaritzburg – Kwa Zulu Natal National Gardens - The beautiful and tranquil KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden specializes in the conservation of plants from the eastern region of South Africa and of rare and endangered species from elsewhere. Established in 1874, the Garden's Victorian past is evident in its magnificent specimens of northern hemisphere plants, such as the swamp cypress, tulip trees, camphor trees, plane trees, giant figs and magnolias. One of the finest features of the Garden is the avenue of London Plane trees, which has been stunning visitors since 1908.

Tatham Art Gallery - The Tatham Art Gallery, one of the major art museums in South Africa, dates back to 1903.

Tsitsikama National Park with afternoon at leisure - Tsitsikamma National Park is situated at the heart of the picturesque tourist region known as the Garden Route, found in the Southern Cape of South Africa. Tsitsikamma is a Khoisan (early inhabitants of the area) word meaning, “place of much water.”

Overland to Cape Town via Hermanus - Wedged between mountain and sea offering spectacular views over Walker Bay, Hermanus promises remarkable natural beauty in the heart of the beautiful Cape Whale Coast in the Western Cape.

Cellors Hohenot - The gardens at The Cellars-Hohenort are acknowledged as one of the finest hotel gardens internationally and has been voted by Garden Design, a top American magazine, as one of the top 30 hotel gardens in the world. We will also enjoy lunch here.

Vergelegen Wine Estate including wine tasting and cellar tour and lunch, leisure in afternoon - South African Country Life Magazine, April 2010 "One would have to travel far and wide to find a place more enchanting than Vergelegen..." by Anita de Villiers. With its world renowned handcrafted wines, 310 year old history and heritage, exquisite gardens and refined cuisine, it comes as no surprise that Vergelegen continues to be the choice of the discerning visitor, seeking a total sensory experience. For this reason, the Estate has borne witness to many visits of heads of state and celebrities from all over the world.

Table Mountain – ‘The proclamation of this new national park will be a South African ‘gift to the Earth’” Nelson Mandela. Table Mountain is part of a World Heritage Site and home to a unique yet endangered plant diversity known as fynbos.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - The most beautiful garden in Africa. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch lies in the heart of the Cape Floristic Region, also known as the Cape Floral Kingdom. In 2004 the Cape Floristic Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site – another first for Kirstenbosch, it is the first botanic garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. The magnificent landscape of Kirstenbosch is also a perfect setting for art. The Garden presents a variety of art exhibitions, both outdoor exhibitions of long and short-term duration, as well as indoor art shows and exhibitions in the various venues at Kirstenbosch.



donna@icangarden.com

click on the above buttons for the complete tour day by day itinerary or the registration forms

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