Deeply Rich in Military History, this bespoke South African Safari offers the perfect blend of Wildlife Adventures, Exploring Military History & World changing Battles, while Experiencing the Modern, vibrant Western Cape of South africa.

Itinerary Overview:
South African Military History Safari
10 Days / 9 Nights

• Day 1 Arrive Cape Town International (CPT), transfer to hotel in Simon’s Town. Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel, Suite, Bed & Breakfast (BB)

• Day 2 Cape Peninsula Tour with Constantia Valley Wine Tasting & Dinner. Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel, Suite, BB

• Day 3 Cape Town: Robben Island, City Tour & Table Mountain. Local Dinner. Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel, Suite, BB

• Day 4 Fly Airlink from Cape Town International (CPT) to King Shaka International (DUR) Durban, transfer to Fugitives Drift. Fugitives’ Drift Main Lodge, All Inclusive (AI)

• Day 5 Full day battlefield tours to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. Fugitives’ Drift Main Lodge, AI

• Day 6 Road transfer from Fugitives’ Drift to Amakhosi Safari Lodge. Afternoon Game Drive. Amakhosi Safari Lodge, Luxury River Suite, Full Board (FB)

• Day 7 Morning and afternoon Game Drives, all meals at Lodge. Amakhosi Safari Lodge, Luxury River Suite, FB

• Day 8 Morning and afternoon game drives, all meals at lodge. Amakhosi Safari Lodge, Luxury River Suite FB

• Day 9 Transfer to King Shaka International (DUR) Durban for return Airlink flight to Cape Town International (CPT). Dinner at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Overnight at The Commodore, BB in Cape Town.

• Day 10 Lunch at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Transfer to Cape Town International (CPT) for Departure.

Day 1   Arrive in Cape Town

On arrival in Cape Town, you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Simon’s Town, home to the South African Navy's largest base. Located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula, Simon’s Town has for more than two centuries been a naval base and harbor (first for the British Royal Navy and now the South African Navy).

While in Simon’s Town, pay a visit to the Memorial for Just Nuisance, one of South Africa’s most famous dogs – who served in the Military! He was a Great Dane who became famous around the British Naval Base at Simon’s Town.

During World War II, Just Nuisance began to ride the trains to Cape Town, with the Sailors on leave. With the threat of his being barred from the trains, the Commander-in-Chief intervened. Thus, it was decided that Just Nuisance would be enlisted into the Royal Navy as Able Seaman Just Nuisance, enabling his railway travels, for free, like other Sailors.

Simon’s Town is also famous as being home to the African Penguin colony of Boulder’s Beach, and your accommodation boasts rooms with balconies for magnificent ocean vistas. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure, taking in the views or walking along the harbor. In the evening you will have dinner at a local restaurant in/near Simon’s Town.

Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel offers superb views of both the harbor and naval base. Please note: if your desire is to experience the famous whales, the ideal time to book your stay would be anytime between June and November, so the chances of you seeing the whales breach are greater. Otherwise, magnificent views of the African setting sun or those across the bay can be enjoyed all year from the privacy of your room’s balcony.

Day 2   Visit to Cape Point, Kalk Bay, and the Constantia Winelands

This morning you will visit the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point, where you will experience spectacular scenery towering stone cliffs, endemic fynbos, breath-taking bays, beaches and rolling green hills. Enjoy an invigorating walk up to the lighthouses at Cape Point and stand at the most southwestern tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope.

From here you will move on to Kalk Bay, a seaside fishing village which was named “coolest neighborhood in the world” in a Forbes 2018 list. Aside from the spectacular sea views and interesting fishing community – it offers a laid back, retro atmosphere. It is home to surfers and outdoor enthusiasts and artists of every kind. You will have a light lunch here and walk about the boutique shops and art galleries.

From Kalk Bay, it’s on to the beautiful Constantia Winelands, home to the oldest wine estate in the country, Groot Constantia and another seven wine estates. Located conveniently close to the city, this wine region produces some of the top wines in South Africa.

Enjoy a chocolate and wine paring at Groot Constantia and another wine tasting at Klein Constantia, where you will also have the opportunity to taste the famous Vin de Constance, prized by leaders and aristocracy throughout 18th Century Europe. In the late afternoon you will end off at one of the more modern of Constantia’s wine estates - Beau Constantia and this is also where you will have dinner at Chef’s Warehouse, a restaurant consistently rated within the top 10 in the country.

Optional Tour:

Located in Salt River section of Cape Town is one of South Africa’s premier Gin Distilleries, Hope on Hopkins. At the “Our Hope Distillery Tasting Room” experience Gin Tasting at its best. Only open to the public for tastings on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons, this an excellent alternative for the Gin Connoisseur.

Experience the Hope on Hopkins Flagship Gin Tasting allows you to taste three flagship Hope Gins in a DIY-style Gin & Tonic format.

The Tasting Room offers a welcoming, open-plan space on a mezzanine level, with a bird’s eye view over the distillery. You can taste our spirits and see where and how they’re made at the same time.

For military enthusiasts, Hope on Hopkins also handcrafts “Real Hope”, a traditional Navy Strength Gin. The British Royal Navy, in the 18th Century required a standard of proof of alcohol per volume. By testing a mixture of gunpowder & spirits, the Royal Navy ensured their Sailors were given their true ration of daily Gin.

After an afternoon of Gin Tasting, the day is completed with Dinner in the beautiful city of Cape Town, returning to your Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel.

Day 3   Robben Island, City Tour, Table Mountain, and dinner in a local military home

An early start to meet the morning departure for Robben Island, famous for being home to Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. Robben Island is a unique symbol of “the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, suffering and injustice” with a rich 500 year old multi-layered history. Here you have the option to do this tour with Nelson Mandela’s previous prison guard, who later became one of his close friends, as your personal tour guide.

 On return to the main land from Robben Island you will have some lunch at the V&A Waterfront and then head into the city centre for a brief walking tour taking in the main historical sites, including the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest building in the country. Your city tour ends with a trip in the cable car to the top of Cape Town’s iconic landmark – Table Mountain, also a Natural Wonder of the World.

 Once back in Simon’s Town, you will have time to freshen up in your room and then this evening you will be treated to dinner in the home of a Member of the South African Navy, you will be able to share stories and make new friends, really getting a much better understanding of the typical life of a regular South African, in particular a family/couple in the Military Service in the country.

Day 4 Cape Town to Fugitive’s Drift via Durban

Time to say farewell to beautiful Cape Town today, a transfer to the airport for a flight to Durban, on the Kwa ZuluNatal Indian Ocean coastline. At the airport you will be met and transferred to your home for the next two nights – Fugitive’s Drift, renowned for its battlefield tours to all the Anglo-Zulu War battle sites in the region. 

The drive will take approximately 4.5 hours. The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 is famous throughout the English-speaking world for the great battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. The spectacular Fugitives’ Drift property, a 5000 acre Natural Heritage Site, overlooks both Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and includes the site where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill lost their lives attempting to save the Queen’s Colour of their regiment.

On arrival at the lodge enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure and have a look around the Fugitive’s Drift Museum. Time permitting, you could also enjoy one of the guided afternoon walks through the reserve.

The Lodge is the most luxurious of all of the accommodation options at Fugitive’s Drift, each of our 10 spacious rooms has an en-suite bathroom with both inside and outside showers, air-conditioning, a mini-fridge, and a veranda with views of the plains flanking the Buffalo River Gorge. Enjoy superb cuisine, taken communally in the large dining room or – weather permitting – out on the deck. There is also a sparkling swimming pool, with fantastic views out over Isandlwana and Rorkes’ Drift.

Pre-dinner drinks and canapes are served around the fire, followed by a 4-course dinner in the Dining Room.

Day 5  Full day Battlefields Tour

Experience Fugitive Drift’s flagship battlefield tours to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. These thought provoking and often emotionally charged tours leave guests with a more profound appreciation of modern-day South Africa.

Long family associations with the area and its people allow Fugitives’ Drift to offer unique Zulu perspectives on these remarkable battles. These awe-inspiring battlefield tours, which bring the battles of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana to life, leaving one with a deep and tangible insight into some of the most moving of South Africa’s battlefields.

Day 6   Fugitive’s Drift to Amakhosi Safari Lodge

After breakfast this morning you will have an approximately 4 hour transfer to Amakhosi Safari Lodge. Settled in the heart of northern Zululand in a concealed, unscathed paradise, Amakhosi is located in a blend of savannah, wetlands and mountains. The Safari Lodge is situated on the banks of Zululand's Mkuze River in Amakhosi Private Game Reserve. Artistic décor, African fusion cuisine and prompt attentive service, makes Amakhosi a bush lodge difficult to match elsewhere in Southern Africa.

Arrive at the lodge in time for lunch on the main lodge deck, and then you will have time to settle into your luxurious, well-appointed Luxury River Suite. These Luxurious River Suites capture nature through ceiling-high windows and private viewing decks across the river.

Each suite accommodates two adults with an air conditioned lounge, bedroom, bathroom with a separate shower and toilet, safe, bath robes, fully stocked mini-bar and a tea and coffee tray. Built in a shape of a Zulu shield and decorated in a typical Zulu style with a colorful modern touch, all suites are easily accessible from the main lodge.

In the afternoon you will embark on your first Game Drive. A Safari is a journey of discovery in which you are one with your surroundings. Being part of life in the African Bush is the essence of a Safari. Being able to do it is a privilege one should never take for granted.

As the day comes to an end, you can sit around the bonfire and share the exciting stories of the days’ wildlife encounters with the other guests or retire to your Luxury River Suite to enjoy a sherry on your deck and listen as Africa's night chorus unfolds with distant lion roars, hyenas whooping, or baboons barking at lurking Leopards in the river below.

Days 7 and 8    Safari activities at Amakhosi Safari Lodge

Enjoy two full days at the lodge, with morning and afternoon game drives in the reserve. Wild animals roam freely over this vast wilderness providing spectacular game viewing and intimate encounters with some of Africa's most endangered species.

The lodge has been designed with your relaxation in mind and you will find many places where you can happily put your feet up, unwind and feel completely at home when in between meals and Game Drives!

Amakhosi Unique Game Walk – Frogging Safaris

During the Rainy Season of November to March, Amakhosi invites guests to discover the fascinating world of amphibians. Night safaris with qualified guides take you deep into the bush to marvel the spectrum of colours and the loud calling of mating frogs. Please note this activity is seasonal, subject to availability and needs to be prearranged.

Day 9   Transfer from Amakhosi Safari Lodge to Durban for return to cape town

Depending on your flight time, you will have one more morning game drive and after breakfast will transfer 4.5 hours to King Shaka Airport in Durban for your return flight to Cape Town.

In the evening enjoy a restful stay at Commodore Hotel. "Where Table Mountain meets the V&A Waterfront" Located in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, The Commodore Hotel provides sweeping views of Table Mountain, Cape Town Harbor and Robben Island. Enjoy dinner at of the fabulous, world-class restaurants at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Day 10    Transfer to Cape Town International (CPT)  for departure

Depending on flight schedule, after a leisurely breakfast, enjoy lunch and shopping at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Transfer to Cape Town International (CPT) for Departure.

Please contact Us to design your life changing Military History Safari.