Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Example holiday
Cape Town and Garden Route Safari
We hope that this example holiday will give you give some inspiration to help you begin to plan your own dream holiday to Africa.
The next couple of pages show a summary of the itinerary, followed by a detailed page on each destination.
Important travel information for visitors to South Africa is included at the back of this document.
All the holidays we offer to our clients are tailor-made so we can adjust this trip to fit in with your travel dates, interests, preferred accommodation...and of course your budget.
All our travel consultants have extensive knowledge of travel throughout Southern and East Africa, and our strong relationships with suppliers mean that our rates to you will always be competitive.
Let us take the hard work out of planning your trip: you can get in touch either by giving us a call on +44 (0) 1483 266725, completing the Enquiry Form on our website or emailing us at info@travelbutlers.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Travel Butlers Team
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Arrive into Cape Town International Airport. Collect your luggage then make your way into the Arrivals Hall and onto the Europcar Rental office. Complete the necessary paperwork - you will need to present your driving licence, passport and credit card. The keys to your hire car will then be handed over to you.
8 Day Car Rental: Group R - Hyundai Grand Creta or similar (Contracted Classic GPS Package)
Drive to your first accommodation, situated at the V&A Waterfront. Cape Town is one of the world's most beautiful cities - with a magnificent mountain as its centre, miles of sandy beaches, a colourful and moving history, and countless bars and restaurants, Cape Town captures the hearts of visitors. During your stay here, enjoy the major attractions in the city (Table Mountain, Robben Island, township tour, Camps Bay, V&A Waterfront, Kirstenbosch Gardens, numerous museums and galleries) and if time permits, take a day trip down to the Cape Peninsula, stopping on the way back at Boulders Beach, which is home to one of only 2 mainland nesting colonies of African penguins in South Africa.
This morning depart after breakfast and drive along the N2 to the Garden Route Game Lodge - a malaria-free 2,000 hectare private game reserve that is ideal for families wanting their first safari experience. The drive should take about 3.5 hours.
After your early morning game drive and breakfast check out of the safari lodge and drive to Hermanus - about a 3 hour drive. Hermanus is not only home to some of the world's best whale watching (in season) but also home to some glorious beaches too.
After a leisurely breakfast, check out and drive back to Cape Town International Airport. Here you will return your hire car and check in for your flight home.
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Waterfront Village
Cape Town: 4 Nights
Nestled at the foot of the majestic Table Mountain and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town is consistently voted amongst the top cities in the world to visit and it is no surprise that this wonderful city is one of the highlights of a holiday to South Africa. The climate is Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers.
One of the main tourist attractions is the tastefully restored V&A Waterfront with its many shops, bars and restaurants. There is also an aquarium and one of the largest craft markets in Southern Africa. Boats offer tours of the harbour from the quayside and the whole place is always buzzing with life and activity. The City Bowl is home to many museums and historical buildings which can all be viewed from a 'topless' hop on/hop off tourist bus, complete with interesting commentary as you ride around the city.
The adventurous can climb up (or abseil down) Table Mountain, windsurf or kitesurf at Bloubergstrand Beach, dive in shark tanks, or do any one of a dozen more adrenalin pumping activities. For a more relaxed pace of life, there are miles of sandy beaches for soaking up the African sun, or enjoy a quiet stroll through the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Waterfront Village is situated on the water’s edge in the picturesque V&A Waterfront, with views of Table Mountain, the marina and the canals. It has a collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments, designed to provide luxury and comfort.
Each apartment has a fully fitted kitchen, an open plan dining and living area, and a balcony or patio. All apartments are fully equipped and well appointed, including complimentary Wi-Fi, satellite television, a washing machine, tumble dryer and a dishwasher.
Guests have access to 5 swimming pools, one of which is a heated lap pool on the roof of the Quaterdeck gym with spectacular views of the marina yacht basin. The gym includes state of the art equipment and is open 7 days a week including public holidays - there is a fee for the use of this pool and the gym.
Secure underground parking is also available.
Example Details For Waterfront Village
Nights:
4 Nights
Adults:
2
Children:
2
Room:
1 x Two Bedroom Apartment
Includes:
Self-catering basis - no meals are included.
Location
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Garden Route Game Lodge
The Garden Route: 2 Nights
Set against the backdrop of the majestic Langeberg mountain Range, the Garden Route Game Lodge guards the entrance to South Africa's world famous Garden Route Coast. Only 3.5 scenic hours drive from Cape Town, this malaria-free 2,000 hectare private game reserve is ideal for families wanting a short safari experience.
Enjoy sunset and sunrise game drives in an open Land Rover with your experienced game ranger who will bring you sightings of lion, elephant, white rhino, buffalo and cheetah. The reserve is also home to giraffe, zebra and numerous antelope species such as bontebok, red hartebeest, kudu, eland, impala, springbuck and many more. Game drives will take between 2 and 3 hours depending on how much time is spent at each sighting. There will be a coffee stop on the morning drive and a sundowner stop on the evening drive.
Children of all ages are welcome to join the morning and evening drives when accompanied by an adult. Families are either accommodated on their own game vehicle or with other families which gives the kids a chance to make new friends while on holiday. Child minders are available to assist should you wish to enjoy a child free safari during your stay. Kids will also love the interactive tours of the Reptile Centre, home to numerous snakes and crocodiles.
Guests can choose from a wide range of accommodation options, including luxury suites, lodge rooms and private chalets.
The luxury suites have a private deck overlooking the game reserve, a freestanding bath and an outside bath and shower set in the African bush for the more adventurous! There are also 2 luxury family suites, both of which have plunge pools, and are perfectly positioned with 2 bedrooms and a spacious main room. The lodge rooms all have private patios overlooking the landscaped gardens and are conveniently located for quick access to the swimming pools. The chalets have private viewing decks and are linked to the main lodge area via a wooden walkway.
Example Details For Garden Route Game Lodge
Nights:
2 Nights
Adults:
2
Children:
2
Room:
1 x Luxury Family Suite
Includes:
Breakfast; dinner; one daily morning and one daily evening game drive; and a guided tour of the Reptile Centre are included.
Please Note: As the animals are wild, it is not possible to guarantee what you will see during your safari.
Location
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
138 Marine
Hermanus: 2 Nights
Located on the south coast and within a 2 hour drive of Cape Town, Hermanus and Gansbaai are amongst the world's leading destinations for both land-based and boat-based whale watching. From June to December each year, whales can be seen as close as 20m from the shore and can come right up to the side of the whale watching boats.
With excellent accommodation options, fine restaurants and a glorious coastline in addition to the attraction of getting within a few metres of some of the largest animals ever to have lived on this planet, this is a place that every visitor to South Africa should try to see.
Hermanus is a pretty town and the local 'Whale Crier' walks the streets during the whaling season, informing visitors when the whales are present with a blast on his kelp horn. At the Old Harbour Museum, an underwater microphone transmits the whale songs and calls into the museum hall for everyone to hear. Don't miss Bientang's Cave restaurant, where you can watch whales less than 100m away whilst eating an excellent seafood lunch. Other good vantage points are from the Old Harbour wall or the cliff path.
Gansbaai, 50 km from Hermanus, is the starting point for more boat-based whale watching, as well as cage diving with great white sharks, as well as trips to the Dyer Island seal colony.
138 Marine is a luxurious, upmarket beachfront guest house with spectacular sea views, about a 7 km drive from the centre of Hermanus.
Spend lazy, sun-filled afternoons on the spacious terrace with panoramic views of the ocean and the mountains. Relax with a glass of wine on the deck next to the beach and enjoy magnificent views of breaking waves and spectacular African sunsets over the ocean, or watch the whales from the comfort of your bed during the whale watching season. The extensive breakfast menu changes daily and on request a platter can be provided to enjoy on the beach in front of the guest house.
There are 6 designer double rooms, each individually decorated and luxuriously fitted. No attention to detail has been spared in the superbly stylish decor.
Example Details For 138 Marine
Nights:
2 Nights
Adults:
2
Children:
2
Room:
1 x Luxury Room (Mussel Room)
Includes:
Breakfast is included.
Location
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Important Travel Information For South Africa
Passport, Visa and Entry Requirements
Latest Travel Updates
For up-to-date travel information from the UK government, please check:
Normally, holders of the following passports do not require a visa to enter South Africa when travelling as a tourist for stays up to 90 days: United Kingdom; United States of America; Canada; Australia; Ireland; Belgium; Netherlands; Italy; France; Germany; Spain, Switzerland.
If you are a passport holder from another country, please contact your local South Africa High Commission or Embassy for up-to-date visa requirements, as citizens of certain countries (including New Zealand) are required to obtain visas before travelling. Please note that if you are applying to the Embassy for your visa, some visas can take a long time to be processed so please do take this into consideration, as it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa in place before you travel.
Children under 18 years of age who require a visa to enter South Africa may be required to provide additional information when applying for the visa including an unabridged birth certificate and affidavit if travelling with only one parent. There are also additional rules for unaccompanied minors and/or South African children - details available on request or via the SA Department of Home Affairs at http://www.dha.gov.za.
Please note that anyone travelling to South Africa should have a valid return ticket and a valid passport. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 30 days from the date of exit from South Africa. However, some immigration officials still request that a passport should have at least 6 months validity from the date of entry to South Africa so to avoid problems on arrival, we advise that your passport meets this requirement instead. The passport must also have sufficient pages for entry/exit stamps - AT LEAST 2 BLANK PAGES.
South Africa has implemented biometric capturing at all ports of entry. This may result in some delays at land borders so you should allow additional time for border crossings.
PLEASE NOTE: Countries can change their entry requirements at any time. Travel Butlers try to ensure that the information displayed here is correct, but the onus remains with the traveller to verify the information with the relevant High Commission or Embassy and ensure that they can comply with the applicable entry requirements.
Medical
You are advised to contact your doctor or clinic around 4-8 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations and to get their professional medical advice regarding travel to South Africa.
To help avoid heatstroke, drink plenty of bottled water/fluids, and keep out of the midday sun.
Tap water is purified and safe to drink in major cities and towns, however, we do advise that you do not drink the water in more remote places such as the camps in the National Parks - the water may be safe to drink, but it simply is not worth the risk, as bottled water is widely available.
Whatever you do, do not drink water from any river lake without firstly purifying the water. Always take water with you when you go on a hike, and have a bottle in the car on a long journey to avoid dehydration.
There is a risk of malaria in and around the Kruger National Park/Mpumalanga Province, the Limpopo (Northern) Province, and the north-eastern part of KwaZulu-Natal - check with your doctor about suitable antimalarial tablets. Try to avoid mosquito bites wherever possible - wear loose long-sleeved clothing and trousers, and use a repellent on clothing and exposed skin.
There is no risk of yellow fever in South Africa, so a yellow fever vaccination is NOT required for travellers whose sole destination is South Africa. However, in accordance with International Health Reguations, South Africa requires all travellers over one year of age arriving from a yellow fever risk country, or having been in transit longer than 12 hours at the airport of such a country, to have a yellow fever certificate. These countries include Kenya and Uganda but it is up to the traveller to check the full list here https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/60/yellow-fever-maps
If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 10177 and ask for an ambulance.
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Important Travel Information For South Africa
Continued
Languages And Culture
The 11 official languages are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Pedi, English, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda and Ndebele. Whilst many visitors will hear at least a couple of the tribal languages during the course of their stay, it is possible to travel extensively and comfortably with just English as a language.
The South African society is quite liberal, as gay marriage was legalised in 2006 nationwide and everyone’s rights are protected under the constitution. In some more rural areas, however, the local people may not be quite as liberal thinking, so whilst everyone is of course entitled to their own sexual preferences and gender identity, we would advise all clients of the LGBT+ community to refrain from public displays of affection (including kissing and holding hands) and to be as discrete as possible about their relationship if travelling to a rural/remote area.
Travel Butlers Ltd
Astra House
The Common, Cranleigh
Surrey GU6 8RZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0)1483 266725
Page
Book With Confidence
Travel Butlers have 20 years experience of booking travel to Africa and the Indian Ocean for clients from all around the world. In this time we have supported clients through disruptions caused by numerous unexpected events including natural disasters, localised disease outbreaks and airline cancellations. Nobody can be certain exactly what will happen in the future, however Travel Butlers can offer you peace of mind and flexibility to ensure that you feel confident booking a holiday with us.
Flexibility and peace of mind before you travel
Our team are specialists in travel to Africa and the Indian Ocean, and we are constantly monitoring the changing situation regarding travel to the region. If your trip cannot go ahead due to specific travel restrictions related to Covid-19 then we will get in touch to offer you the choice of the following:
Postponing to a later date
Switching to another destination
Receiving a full refund of all monies paid to Travel Butlers for the trip, providing the balance due has been paid in full
The specific Covid-19 travel restrictions are defined as follows:
The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel or your booked country is placed on the red list
The government in your country of residence (non-UK residents) restricts all but essential travel
The destination you are travelling to has entry restrictions in place that prohibit you travelling, such as closed borders or extended quarantine requirements
International flights are cancelled without alternative routing available for you to use to reach the destinations in the itinerary
We would not normally be able to confirm that your trip cannot proceed due to travel restrictions until a couple of weeks before the start of your trip, however should you want to look at postponing or altering your trip before then we would aim to be as flexible as possible.
If we confirm that your trip is unable to proceed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, then we will not charge you an amendment fee if you choose to postpone your trip or move it to another destination. We may need to adjust the cost of your trip to reflect the new dates, particularly if those coincide with a more expensive season of travel or higher grade of accommodation. Equally, if the cost of your postponed trip is less, we will reduce the cost accordingly.
You should still take out travel insurance that includes Covid-19 to cover you in the event that your trip can go ahead but you are unable to travel due to illness or a change in your personal circumstances. If there are no travel restrictions in place that mean your trip could not go ahead but you need to cancel due to illness or a change in your personal circumstances then our normal terms and conditions would apply. You should ensure that your travel insurance provides adequate cover for cancelling due to illness, including Covid-19, and you may be able to make a claim against your travel insurance depending on the cover offered by your policy.
Support whilst you are away
We offer 24/7 telephone assistance to all our clients whilst they are away, and also have partners in each country that are able to assist with any PCR tests or other issues that might arise during your trip.
If you fall ill whilst you are away, or if your trip is disrupted due to Covid-19 whilst you are travelling, then our experienced team will be on hand to assist you in whatever way you need. You would need to pay any additional costs incurred due to illness or travel disruption whilst you are away, however you may be able reclaim these expenses on your travel insurance depending on the cover offered by your policy. Travel Butlers will be able to assist by providing supporting documentation for your claim.
Financial protection for your Travel Butlers holiday
All of the holidays we sell are 100% financially protected through our ATOL and ABTOT bonding so your money is in safe hands when you book a Travel Butlers holiday. Furthermore, our business is well positioned to navigate through the challenges which the travel industry is currently facing.
Finding suitable travel insurance that covers Covid-19
You can now get insurance that offers cover for disruption related to Covid-19, and these policies could include cover for:
cancellation if you or anyone covered by the policy gets a positive coronavirus test in the two weeks before you travel
medical costs if you get coronavirus while you are away
additional transport and/or accommodation expenses if you fall ill with coronavirus while you are away
Not all policies offer this kind of cover, not necessarily even all policies from the same provider, so you should ensure you check the policy details carefully before buying your insurance.
Travel Butlers have 20 years experience of booking travel to Africa and the Indian Ocean for clients from all around the world. In this time we have supported clients through disruptions caused by numerous unexpected events including natural disasters, localised disease outbreaks and airline cancellations. Nobody can be certain exactly what will happen in the future, however Travel Butlers can offer you peace of mind and flexibility to ensure that you feel confident booking a holiday with us.