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Africa

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Mabula Game Lodge

Feeling starstruck as we map the constellations and planets above the reserve on a stargazing night. Getting closer to nature spotting the Big Five on seven game drives, two bush walks and a lion tracking experience. Being more than just a visitor – learning about endangered species and the people who protect them. Too often on safaris we feel like we’re ticking boxes. On this in-depth African safari stay we’re based for the full seven nights in a luxury lodge in Mabula Game Reserve – surrounding ourselves in the wildlife and wilderness of South Africa’s bush.

Trip Outline

Day 1 – Mabula Game Reserve

Mabula Game Reserve feels like entering another world. A world that’s home to over 300 species of bird and 60 species of mammal, including the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Plus, their lesser-known friends, the Little Five – elephant shrew, antlion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver and leopard tortoise. Join your tour group at the lodge.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Day 2 – Mabula Game Reserve

Up with the dawn chorus, we head out on our first game drive. With open-air safari vehicles and expert guides getting us closer to the action, we start to explore the grassy plains, rocky outcrops and watering holes that are home to wildlife including lion, cheetah, warthog, leopard, elephant, rhino, hyena, ostrich and jackal. Plus, the grumpiest of them all – the honey badger. With the best chance of seeing big game at dusk and dawn, we relax back at the lodge and listen to a wildlife talk before heading out on a second game drive this afternoon.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Two game drives in Mabula Game Reserve (morning/afternoon)
Wildlife talk

Day 3 – Mabula Game Reserve

It’s time to meet the top cats on a guided lion tracking experience. Experienced rangers get us within roaring distance of a pride of lions – teaching us about their behaviour, pride structure and the conservation efforts to protect them. Safari royalty, the power and majesty of these jungle kings is a humbling experience that we’ll remember forever. After lunch, we go out on another game drive – keeping watch for comical warthog, wallowing hippos and tree-pruning giraffes.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Madjuma lion tracking experience (morning)
Game drive in Mabula Game Reserve (afternoon)

Day 4 – Mabula Game Reserve

This morning, we take a walk on the wild side with a guided bush walk. Sticking to the open plains and grasslands, we look out for the morning grazers – including impala, giraffe and ostrich. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the lodge – settling in by the pool, booking a treatment at the spa or simply enjoying the lodge’s surroundings.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Guided bush walk (morning)

Day 5 – Mabula Game Reserve

Heading out on a game drive before breakfast, we get to enjoy the stillness of the reserve as the sun warms the savannah and the bush comes alive. Wild animals don’t lie in, so this is an amazing time to see active wildlife before the sun gets too hot and the bigger predators go down for a mid-morning nap. The rest of the day is free before a stargazing experience tonight. Free from light pollution, the inky Southern Hemisphere skies above the reserve are mesmerising. A guide talks us through the planets and constellations and the local myths and legends that surround them.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Game drive in Mabula Game Reserve (morning)
Stargazing experience (evening)

Day 6 – Mabula Game Reserve

This morning is all about plant power. When faced with elephant ambling past your 4WD and warthog snuffling in the bushes outside your chalet, it’s natural to focus on the fauna. But the flora on the reserve is critical to the survival of both the wildlife and traditions here. Guided by a specialist in local medicine and holistic cultures, this morning’s bush walk focuses on identifying different native plants and their healing properties. This afternoon, we head out on another game drive.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Guided bush medicine walk (morning)
Game drive in Mabula Game Reserve (afternoon)

Day 7 – Mabula Game Reserve

The reserve is home to 300 species of bird including ostrich, osprey, nightjars and migratory swift, which we hope to see on this morning’s guided bush walk. This afternoon, there’s the chance to spot non-feathered friends on a game drive. Spend your final night at the lodge dining under the stars, sharing your favourite moments with new friends, and having a farewell drink for the road.

Mabula Game Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Guided bush walk (morning)
Game drive in Mabula Game Reserve (afternoon)

 

Day 8 – Mabula Game Reserve

Our last day at Mabula, wake up for one final game drive as the sun rises over the savannah, before saying goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Mabula Game Reserve

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Game drive in Mabula Game Reserve (morning)

Includes / Excludes

Includes:

20 meals
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
Accommodation
7 nights in lodge

14 excursions & visits
7 game drives

2 guided bush walks

Guided bush medicine walk

Plus
All-inclusive stay, with daily high tea and free bar (local drinks) up to 12 hours a day

Porterage
Services included

7 game drives

2 guided bush walks

Guided bush medicine walk

Madjuma lion tracking experience

Endangered species experience and visit to the Ground Hornbill Project

Stargazing experience

Wildlife talk

Excludes:

Flights
Visas

🏷️ Trip Code: WT-CODE 987511668

📅 Duration: 9 Days

📍Africa , Limpopo

From AUD$1,875pp

Contrasts of the Cape

South Africa’s two most southerly provinces offer everything from thriving cities to classic safaris, exceptional scenery to world-class wine tasting. Our ‘Contrasts of the Cape’ South Africa holiday packages it all up into one incredible trip. Explore Cape Town, including its extraordinary botanical garden below Table Mountain. Look out for the Big Five as we take a thrilling late afternoon safari in the Kariega Game Reserve. Stand in awe of the Valley of Desolation’s 120-metre-high columns of Dolerite rock. 

Trip Outline

Day 1 – Cape Town

Join your tour group at the hotel. Our South Africa holidays start on a high – the hotel we’ve chosen has magnificent views of Table Mountain and distant Robben Island. On our first afternoon we explore the buzzing Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This attractive bustling harbour has something for everyone and is filled with speciality shops, craft markets, theatres, pubs and restaurants, ready for you to explore.

The Commodore Hotel, Cape Town (4-star)

Day 2 – Cape Town

Enjoy a visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, considered Africa’s most beautiful garden. Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain, it’s filled with over 7,000 species of plants from southern Africa, ready to be discovered on a relaxing stroll. We then head into the city for an orientation coach tour, passing the Castle of Good Hope, and the Bo-Kaap area. This afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace. Maybe catch the hop-on-hop-off bus to Table Mountain. Or you may have pre-booked a trip to explore Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.

The Commodore Hotel, Cape Town (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Excursion to Kirstenbosch and Cape Town orientation tour (morning)

Day 3 – Cape Town

Today is free. Maybe choose an optional excursion to visit the Cape’s fabulous winelands to taste the local wines, or to the Cape Peninsula. The Cape of Good Hope is rich in cultural and natural heritage – baboons, seals, zebra and hundreds of bird species inhabit this spectacular area. See the lighthouse at Cape Point, historical Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach, a sheltered beach home to a colony of rare African penguins.

The Commodore Hotel, Cape Town (4-star)

Day 4 – Hermanus – Arniston

We head off for a scenic journey to Arniston, so have your camera at the ready. We stop in Hermanus en route for some free time and, as one of the world’s best land-based whale watching destinations, a stroll along the coast could be well rewarded. We arrive in Arniston with time for an interesting walk to explore the Dutch colonial fishing village. The quaint, thatched and whitewashed cottages, and the rugged coastline and golden sand dunes attract many artists and photographers. It’s also another great place to try to spot whales.

The Arniston Hotel (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Hermanus (morning)
Walking tour of Arniston (afternoon)

Day 5 – Knysna

We depart for Knysna, in the heart of the Garden Route, arriving mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is free; get back to nature again on a scenic walk along the nearby banks of the Knysna River.

Knysna Hollow Country Estate (4-star)

Day 6 – Keurbooms River Nature Reserve

We drive to Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and board a lunch cruise on this spectacular river. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site of mountain valleys, forests and quiet river beaches, the river is a sanctuary for indigenous trees and plant life. It’s also home to the Cape clawless otter and many bird species.

Knysna Hollow Country Estate (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Cruise on the Keurbooms River (morning)

Day 7 – Knysna

Today is a free day to explore the lovely town of Knysna. Once a major town in the timber industry, you’ll find several shops offering beautiful woodwork. Maybe stroll through one of the many markets for souvenirs, or stop and watch the world go by, with a refreshing drink at one of the trendy cafés. If you’d like some relaxation time, why not spend some time paddling in the cool waters on the famous lagoon. Over lunch or dinner, be sure to try some fresh seafood, perhaps some of the town’s famous oysters.

Knysna Hollow Country Estate (4-star)

Day 8 – Storms River – Kariega Game Reserve

Today’s journey takes us to the mouth of Storms River, where the water crashes dramatically against the rocks. Choose to relax and enjoy the powerful river and sea, or take a walk to the suspension bridge. Then we continue to Kariega Game Reserve, where our safari experience begins – a highlight of our South Africa tours. We take a game drive as the animals become more active in the cool of late afternoon. Feel the excitement of what’s to come as we set off in our open game drive vehicle – you never know what’s around the corner!

Kariega Main Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit Storms River Mouth (morning)
Game drive at Kariega Game Reserve (afternoon)

Day 9 – Kariega Game Reserve

Enjoy a full day at Kariega, a family-owned malaria-free reserve home to all of the Big Five. We’ll head out on a morning game drive, to search for lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and more. Sit back and relax on a river cruise, with time afterwards to explore the lodge area. Top the day off with another game drive this evening.

Kariega Main Lodge (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: 2 game drives and activities at Kariega Game Reserve (all day)

Day 10 – Kariega Game Reserve – Graaff-Reinet

After your fourth game drive early morning, we leave for a scenic drive into the Great Karoo (Place of Thirst). Be on the lookout for wildlife in this large, semi-desert region. This afternoon we arrive at our hotel, in the heart of the historical town of Graaff-Reinet. We stay overnight in the renovated old slave quarters. You’ll have some free time to relax or you might decide to begin your explorations.

Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet (5-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Game drive at Kariega Game Reserve (morning)

Day 11 – Graaff-Reinet – Valley of Desolation

Graaff-Reinet has retained the character of a typical 19th-century town, and this morning you’re free to explore all that it has to offer. Learn about life 200 years ago in one of the many dwellings there, and take a stroll through the town to browse the museum and shops. When you’ve finished exploring, perhaps stop for a relaxing coffee, or take a look at Obesa, the world’s largest cacti collection. This afternoon we visit a geological phenomenon – the Valley of Desolation – where, over 100 million years, volcanic rock has eroded into vertical cliffs and 120m tall columns. We take a tour and hopefully spot some of the many birds and mammals that live here.

Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet (5-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Guided tour to the Valley of Desolation (afternoon)

Day 12 – Willowmore – Oudtshoorn

Our route today takes us though old characterful towns. We break for lunch in Willowmore, a town filled with historical architecture and then head to Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world, where we’ll stay overnight.

Queens Hotel, Oudtshoorn (4-star)

Day 13 – Oudtshoorn – Franschhoek

We depart for the Cango Ostrich Farm. On our short tour you’ll learn from the enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides and have fun hand feeding these peculiar birds. We then join the spectacular Cape Route 62, the longest wine route in the world. Sit back and enjoy towering cliffs, crystal clear streams and quaint country towns. We’ll stop for lunch in Barrydale, a small town with magnificent views of the stark Klein Karoo and the fertile Tradouw Valley. Our journey then continues to Franschhoek, set amidst the serene Franschhoek Mountains.

Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit Cango Ostrich Farm (morning)
Drive spectacular Route 62 Oudsthoorn-Franschhoek (all day)

Day 14 – Franschhoek

Today, why not take advantage of your ticket for the local hop-on-hop-off tram? It allows you to taste wines and cheese at local wine farms or just enjoy their beautiful gardens. Tonight, we enjoy a very special wine pairing and fine-dining experience at Le Coin Français (the French Corner), prepared by chef Darren Badenhorst.

Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Franschhoek wine tram pass (all day)
Fine-dining dinner in Franschhoek (evening)

Day 15 – Franschhoek

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Franschhoek

Includes / Excludes

Includes:

27 meals
14 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 8 dinners
Accommodation
14 nights in hotels

14 excursions & visits
Excursion to Kirstenbosch and Cape Town orientation tour

Visits to Hermanus; Storms River Mouth; and Cango Ostrich Farm

Walking tour of Arniston

Tour manager

Porterage
Services included

Excludes:

Flights
Visa

🏷️ Trip Code: WT-CODE 786798723

📅 Duration: 16 Days

📍South Africa, Cape Town

From AUD$ 4,433pp

Zimbabwe - The Path to the Smoke the Thunders

We love soaking up the tranquillity of Lake Kariba aboard an exclusive boat. Watching the sun rise from aboard a vintage safari tram.

Find out more for availability!

Kenya Tracks and Trails

Imagine sitting on a wooden deck, watching herds of wildebeest and buffalo drinking from a pool before you as the sky changes with the setting sun. It’s the perfect way to end a day of thrilling safaris – travelling in small 4WD vehicles through Kenya’s best wildlife reserves – Maasai Mara, Tsavo, and Amboseli, synonymous with glorious views of Mount Kilimanjaro. On this Kenya safari tour, you’ll tick off the Big Five, look a giraffe in the eye, meet Maasai, and travel through savannah scenes with locals on Kenya’s new express train.

From AUD$4,231 pp (min 2pax)

Grand Safari Kenya

For the classic romance of an African safari, there’s scarcely a more perfect country than Kenya. From your room in Aberdare National Park, you can watch elephants and rhinos drink from a watering hole. At Lake Nakuru, you’ll spot exotic bird species, including enormous flocks of blossom-pink flamingos. You’ll also spend three nights in the very heart of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, spying the Big Five by day and enjoying generous Kenyan hospitality by night. This Kenya safari experience is ten days of pure wildlife magic.

From AUD$5,664 pp (min 2pax)

The Best of Kenya and Tanzania - Great Migration and Big Game Safari

Animal magic. Every year, the seasonal changes create one of the greatest spectacles on earth – the Great Migration. Africa’s annual race for life plays out on the great plains of Kenya and Tanzania, as over two million wildebeest, gazelle and zebra migrate from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara. We map the course of the migration, staying in safari lodges and tented camps to get unrivalled access to unparalleled wildlife viewing. We don’t say this lightly, but this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

From AUD$9,205 pp (min 2pax)

Enchanting Mauritius - An Island Discovery

Mark Twain once said, “Heaven was copied after Mauritius”. And heaven looks like forest-cloaked mountains, white beaches and sparkling topaz lagoons. But Mauritius is more than just an exotic beach destination. A rich tapestry of cultures and influences, on this tour we get to its authentic heart – staying in two locations around the island and visiting tea plantations, markets, temples, reefs and rainforest. Returning each day to the swaying palms and lapping waves of our luxury beachfront accommodation.

From AUD$5,878 pp (min 2pax)

Crafted by South Africans For Australians

Kids Insured Free

Your dependent children, including grandchildren, stepchildren, foster children, or legal wards, are covered at no extra cost when traveling with you, provided they are 20 or younger and financially dependent.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Automatic cover for many conditions – because some things are a fact of life. Can’t find your condition in our extensive list of automatic covers? Call us for a tailored quote.

10% OFF Flexible Travel Insurance Book Your Holiday today!

Non-Resident Travel Insurance

Go Insurance provides unrivalled one-way and return travel insurance for non residents. If you’ve been resident for 3 months, you are eligible for our travel insurance.

Dental Tourism

For extra peace of mind when travelling for dental treatment, we’ve got you covered in case you experience complications or require remedial treatment.

Sailing Travel Insurance

Designed for sailing itineraries, our sailing extension can be tailored to include offshore boating, recreational sailing, open water racing and regattas.

Flexible Travel Insurance

Comprehensive and basic policy options tailored to suit your itinerary and budget because at Go Insurance we believe that one size does not fit all.