• South Africa Rainbow Route

    16 Night Small Group Tour with Sunway Safaris

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  • Kruger National Park – game drives
  • eSwatini (Swaziland) – mountain walks
  • Zululand – game drives & cultural village
  • Drakensberg mountains – maintain walks
  • Addo - game drives
  • Tsitsikamma – forest walk
  • Cape Town – Cape Point & Table Mountain

This tour departs at 06h30 from the pre-tour accommodation hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. You will therefore need to fly into OR Tambo International airport (JNB) in Johannesburg the day before the tour starts.


(Depending on your flight arrival time, you can book an own expense, optional afternoon excursion to either SOWETO or Maropeng, bookable and payable on arrival in Johannesburg.)


The tour ends at approximately 18h00 at the accommodation in Cape Town, South Africa. You can therefore book your outbound flight from Cape Town International (CPT) for the last day of the tour. The tour ending time is flexible, so if you want to fly out a bit earlier in the afternoon, this can be arranged.


FLIGHTS:


As well as commerical flights we are able to offer VIP Airliners and Private Jet Charters.  We have a number of options for any request so  please ask us for details. 

Overnight: 

16 nights at small lodges and guest houses, with en suite facilities.

 

Meals: 

16 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 11 dinners are included. Of which 10 breakfasts & 5 dinners are provided by the lodges. The remaining included meals are provided by the Sunway crew, prepared at the vehicle and eaten around the campfire or in a boma or dining area.


Transport: 

We use custom-built Sunway Safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. The vehicles are comfortable for cruising and excellent for game viewing with large sliding windows and front hatches for ease of viewing. On 5% of tours we may use Mercedes Sprinter minibuses with 12 seats and air conditioning (with trailer for equipment and baggage). There are several long days of travel providing for a beautiful journey on the way to exciting and varied destinations.

LENGTH: 16 Nights / 17 Days



DATES:


2025 - 

16 August

1, 15 &29 November


2026 - 

10, 17 & 31 January

21 February

14 & 21 March

4 & 25 April

9 & 23 May

20 June

4, 11, 18 & 25 July

8, 15 & 22 August

12 September

3, 10 & 31 October

14, 21 & 28 November

12 & 19 December


GROUP SIZE: Maximum 12 pax


Overview


The Rainbow Route is an overview tour of South Africa including neighbouring Kingdom of eSwatini (Swaziland). The tour covers many highlights with a strong focus on the national parks. This diverse country is explored over great distances that may involve long days on the road, generally followed by a full day to experience the area. The fully accommodated tour offers a great value for money way to explore South Africa.


Day by Day Itinerary


Day 1 - 2 | JOHANNESBURG to GREATER KRUGER [lodge Bx1 Lx2 Dx2]

[B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner]

Departing from Johannesburg at 06:30am we head towards Mpumalanga where mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls & forests characterise the landscape. We enjoy the views from God’s Window before descending off the escarpment and heading to our game lodge on the border of the Greater Kruger NP.


The following morning, we are up early for a full day of game viewing in Kruger National Park in an open safari vehicle. We will return to our lodge in the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset over the Drakensberg mountains, a swim in the pool and a hearty meal before falling asleep to the sounds of Africa.


Day 3 | KRUGER NATIONAL PARK [chalet BLD]

We stretch our legs on a short morning walk exploring the surrounding bush before we re-enter Kruger NP and head south. Kruger NP is the largest game reserve in South Africa, boasts the world’s greatest concentration of species, and has an amazing 16 different ecosystems. Exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot the “Big 5” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) and many other animals in this true African wilderness.


Day 4 | KINGDOM OF eSWATINI (SWAZILAND) [chalet BLD]

Malolotja Nature Reserve in the mountainous Kingdom of eSwatini (Swaziland) is our next attraction. Renowned for a great variety of habitats from short grassland, to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and moist forest, we explore the reserve on foot to enjoy the fantastic mountain views. Relax around a campfire dinner and stay in mountain cabins for the night.


Day 5 - 6 | ZULULAND [tented lodge BLD]

We visit a craft market near Mbabane which has a range of handmade crafts and a local witchdoctor stall! We re-enter South Africa and head to our lodge on a private game reserve situated on the Msinene Nature Reserve, where our local guide will lead us on a walk through the bushveld and riverine vegetation of the Msinene River, bird watching and game tracking. Nyala, hippo and the elusive leopard are all found on the reserve. The next day we take a game drive in Hluhluwe Game Reserve, which is a safe haven for the embattled rhino. Relax in the late afternoon with a cold drink while enjoying the views over the reserve from the lodge.


Day 7 - 8 | DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS [chalet BLD]

The Drakensberg Mountains or “uKhahlamba” - the Barrier of Spears, is a 200-kilometre-long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site. From Zululand we move further south to the base of these mountains where we overnight for two nights in quaint cottages. We will spend time walking along beautiful mountain stream paths, or just enjoying the spectacular views. En-route to the Drakensberg we visit the Nelson Mandela capture site museum and pay our respects to this great man.


Day 9 - 10 | WILD COAST [chalet Bx2 Lx1 Dx1]

The Wild Coast remains a relatively untouched paradise with unspoilt stretches of dramatically beautiful coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas. We stay overnight in Chintsa and the next day is free to explore the area, meet local villagers or go down to the beach.


Day 11 | ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK [chalet BLD]

The Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 to protect the last 11 wild elephants from extermination. Today more than 600 elephants roam through the area. The park also offers excellent viewing of black rhino, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard, as well as a host of other large and small mammals and over 400 species of birds in the greater park area.


Day 12 - 13 | PLETTENBERG BAY / TSITSIKAMMA [lodge Bx2 Lx1 -]

The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of spectacular sea and landscapes; a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys, coastal forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea. We visit the Storms River mouth where there are walks up the gorge and along the rocky coast.


We will stay 2 nights in Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the Garden Route. In the morning you can either book an ocean safari to see whales and dolphins (own expense) or spend time on the magnificent blue flag beaches. Your guides will also lead a walk on the beautiful Robberg Peninsula in the afternoon. Sample seafood at one of Pletts' great restaurants (own expense).


Day 14 | HERMANUS [Hotel BL-]

Hermanus offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. From June to November Southern Right whales come up from the southern oceans to calve and mate in the shallow waters around the Cape. In whale season we will take a walk along this beautiful coastline. In the summer months we will explore the flowering fynbos in Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Enjoy the evening meal out at a local restaurant (own expense).


Day 15 - 16 | CAPE TOWN [hotel B - -]

Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. On our way into Cape Town, we visit Stellenbosch, South Africa’s renowned wine region, for wine tasting (own expense) and a cellar tour. The “mother city” has many attractions; we will visit the harbour at Hout Bay, visit Cape Point, enjoy the famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). We sample the local fare at a variety of local restaurants (own expense).


Day 17 | TOUR ENDS - TRANSFERS [- B - -]

In the morning we climb Table Mountain, offering panoramic views over Cape Town reaching out into the bay and Robben Island. Having explored the highlights of the Rainbow Nation we take a last look at Cape Town and catch up on last minute curio shopping in the afternoon, before your tour ends at 18:00 at the hotel.

Why we love it

Wildlife Encounters

Campfire Dinner

Comfortable Lodging

Small Group Tour

Gallery