Cape Town & the Okavango: A Romantic Luxury Safari An Adventure Made for Two

Welcome to the beautiful Mother City. We will meet you at the airport for a private transfer to one of our favourite boutique hotels in Cape Town, the quirky Dorp. It’s a great place to get acquainted with the city as it has views of everything from the famed flat-topped mountain to the city bowl, and the V&A Waterfront too. The rooftop is wonderful place for a sundowner and a chance to eat in and rest for the crazy week ahead. Otherwise pop down to the V&A Waterfront – only a few minutes’ away – for a welcome cocktail or two.

Cape Town is a genuinely spectacular city, with a unique combination of urban and nature-based experiences you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve included a food walking tour for this morning. It’s the best way to get know the city, and includes the colourful houses of Bo-Kaap. To get your taste buds firing, try a samoosa then we pop into the neighbourhood spice market. Investigate artisanal delis, bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants, while learning about the city’s architecture and history. Explore the cobbled side streets of the city centre, and head on to trendy Kloof Street and the Company Gardens.

In the late afternoon you may want to head up Table Mountain on the cable car – or for the more adventurous, climb up Lions Head for an Eiffel Tower-like 360-degree view of the city, Waterfront and Atlantic Seaboard. By now you should have a fairly good understanding of the layout of the peninsula.

Another wonderful idea for art lovers is to time your trip to coincide with the First Thursday of every month. This is when Cape Town closes her streets and opens art galleries, pubs and restaurants until late – it’s a glorious street festival of art and food.

Having discovered the city, your next day gives you time to explore the largest wine-making region in Africa, the Cape Winelands. The Cape has a Mediterranean climate, and its dry summer and rolling vineyards make it feel like Europe’s most southerly city. It’s just an hour’s drive from the city to Franschhoek or Stellenbosch; however, if you only want a taste of the vineyards head to Constantia, the Cape’s oldest wine region, and just 20 minutes away. Capetonians love having long lazy lunches in the gardens of a wine farm, under the trees and surrounded by vines.

Cape Town is best enjoyed outdoors in the company of friends. Today you’ll have time to explore the landmark peninsula, and its forests and fynbos. Opt for a guided day trip to see the southern peninsula and enjoy a plunge or paddle in False Bay surrounded by waddles of African penguins.

This day will set the scene for your safari, as you drive along the magnificent coastline, alongside beautiful beaches, visit the African penguins and head to the tip of the peninsula.

Nothing beats Camp’s Bay for lip-smacking sundowners and gorgeous sunsets, and the V&A Waterfront, just down the hill, for shopping and a bite to eat.

Tonight head down to the Waterfront for a delicious farewell dinner at Pier or Waterside, Cape Town’s coolest new restaurants. Enjoy the twinkling lights of the working harbour while you feast on a 5-course wine-pairing menu – or enjoy simply scrumptious grilled fish and chips at Harbour House.

It’s time to engage the rest of your senses in the Okavango Delta – a slice of wilderness heaven! It’s a 2.5-hour flight from Cape Town to Maun and then a short, scenic hop by light aircraft to Duke’s Camp. The camp offers a unique viewpoint of Botswana’s extraordinary water-wonderland. Seeing the animals coming into view from up on high out of the window of your ‘bush taxi’ is a memory that will burn brightly for the rest of your life!

You arrive at Duke’s Camp just in time for high tea and the afternoon drive, getting back into camp for dinner at around 7 or 8 pm, depending on what you’ve seen.

When you’re parked in your leather campaign chair on your deck, listen closely to the symphony of birdsong. Your early morning coffee or refreshing sundowner never tasted as good.

Over the next few days, you can enjoy your safari any way you like it. Whether that’s by game-viewing vehicle, from the pool deck, relaxing in a mokoro, or even by helicopter (thrillingly doors-off for unrestricted views) – you won’t be disappointed.

The morning and afternoon drives take about 3 to 5 hours, depending on what you see. Lunch is always back in camp, and at Duke’s it’s at one large table hosted by your guide and the camp manager. Siesta happens every day after this meal.

For the thrill seekers, we have a wonderful sleep-out experience, where you get to overnight in the middle of the bush, with nothing much more than a mosquito net, the stars above you and the goosebump-inducing sounds of the nocturnal wild.

A wetland safari experience is not to be missed during your stay at Duke’s. Glide though the channels of the Delta in a traditional mokoro captained by your capable guide. Today we recommend a game drive in the morning and the mokoro excursion in the evening.

Fill up your days with brunches, delicious high teas and fine-dining meals under the cover of a Persian tent and starry night sky.

It’s early to rise again, and time to head out on your last drive, before setting off on your return journey to Cape Town. You’ll leave enriched by all the new experiences, new friends and many great stories.