13 Days The Travel+Leisure World's Best Safari Tour Package

Duration: 13 Days / 12 Nights
Priced From: $14,465 pp dbl.occ.
Dates: Jul - Dec, Jan - Aug 

We are proud to announce that Micato is the first tour company to win Travel+Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter” award for six consecutive years. As a boutique family company in an industry of large international operators, we are indeed gratified that deep and personal commitment to excellence has been acknowledged so overwhelmingly.

Simply stated, travellers have been voicing a consistent and astonishingly high level of satisfaction with their Micato experience and with African safaris in general.Singita Private Game Reserve in South Africa, for example, was once again named the “World’s Best Hotel,” besting myriad properties in Europe, Asia and elsewhere around the globe. It seems that some of the most splendid escapes in the world can be found in the most wild and unforgettable lands.

Consider then, what a “World’s Best Trip” might look like if such a glamorous collection of experiences were to exist in a single journey. One would first select the World’s Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter to orchestrate the details and then include some of the world’s best hotels to go along with
it, along with a few other highlyplaced properties. Which, we are pleased to say, is precisely the experience we have designed for Micato guests on this programme.

Each year our Travel+LeisureWorld’s Best Safari changes according to which properties have been elected to the coveted list of hotel winners. And this year, the extraordinary alignment of World Best Winner Singita and fellow World’s Best designee Sabi Sabi with the exquisite Cape Grace, Royal Livingstone and Westcliff hotels may have created our finest “World’s Best Safari” to date. Combine that with the other highlights of the programme—the awe-inspiring power of Victoria Falls, the urbane sophistication of Cape Town, the idyllic beauty of the winelands, erudite guides, stunning wildlife and spectacular scenery at every turn—and suddenly superlatives are insufficient to describe the experience.

Day 1
United States

We set off today for Cape Town, ranked as the number three city in the world. It won’t take us long to realize why—its striking natural features and cosmopolitan wiles make it a truly remarkable place to start our adventure.

Day 2
Cape Town

Micato seamlessly whisks travellers from the airport to the heart of the stylish waterfront area, checking in to the Cape Grace Hotel, ranked seventh in Africa and the Middle East.

Day3
Cape Town

A full-day tour of the stunning Cape Peninsula includes the fabled Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point of Flying Dutchman fame, Simon’s Town and the surprising penguins of Boulders Beach. Tonight, Micato travellers are welcomed to the home of our Cape Town hosts for drinks and dinner. A prominent “Capetonian” speaks on local issues of universal interest.

Day 4
Cape Town –Winelands

The civilised pleasures of wine tasting and estate touring await us in the winelands, where idyllic vineyards and grand
manor houses nestle between dramatic misty mountains. At Vergelegen Wine Estate—former hosts to Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela and a number of U.S. presidents—we’ll raise a toast with vintages regularly voted best in South Africa and enjoy an epicurean luncheon. We also stroll through Stellenbosch and other quaint colonial towns.

Day 5 – Day 6
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve

Today we fly to Sabi Sabi and prepare to be dazzled by glamorous luxury in the bush. Sabi Sabi comprises several different lodges, all differing in decor and style, but all heartstoppingly stunning. Glorious days of fruitful game viewing and sublime comfort lie ahead. Stepping out on our private deck in the pale light of the early morning, scanning the shimmering plains with a cup of strong coffee in hand…yes, we know we’ve arrived in the heart of old Africa. Game drives set out long before the dew is dry on the grass. Traversing the veld in open-top, four-wheel drive vehicles is exhilarating, and even more so in the company of rangers who regale us with bush lore, educate us about conservation and entertain us with tall tales. These congenial companions are also our hosts in camp, joining us for cocktails, dinner and leisure time.

Day 7 – Day 8
Singita Private Game Reserve

Cosseted and divinely comfortable at Sabi Sabi, we can’t imagine anything finer. But the top hotel in the world, Singita, awaits us—so we set off in eager anticipation towards this fabled hostelry. Any traveller who has read about South Africa will be familiar with the wildly effusive praise lavished on Singita—and for excellent reason. Yes, the game viewing is terrific and the rangers are hugely informative, but one can almost take that for granted. What boggles the mind and renders travellers utterly speechless are the accommodations, from the nostalgic and romantic to the exotic and sexy. Where African arts and crafts merge with the avant-garde and vintage hunting lodges include glass-walled suites and theatrical Murano chandeliers. Not to mention Singitashidden treasure: the best bush cellar in Africa. Buried deep in the cool rock a lodge is a stellar selection of over 12,000 premier bottles of wine.

Between game drives we spend our days in peaceful pursuits: at the pool, a walking safari, birdwatching around camp, settling down with a book or video from
the library, or visiting the enormously interesting local village with its school and clinic. Or, we could simply choose to enjoy the quiet of Africa from our secluded deck, mesmerised by the bubbling swarms of hippos in the river. And, did we mention the night game drives by moonlight and spotlight? As most predators are nocturnal, the game viewing is unparalleled.

Day 9
Westcliff

Another leisurely morning at Singita before our expedition takes us to Westcliff, a stylish and serene community outside of Johannesburg. We overnight at the Westcliff Hotel, enjoying its manicured gardens, elegant accommodations, fine dining options and fantastic views. Combining fivestar service with lavish opulence, this resort-style hotel is truly deserving of its reputation as one of the best in Africa. Those with energy to spare might want to tour the “new”
Jo’burg—an historic city undergoing a cultural and artistic rebirth of exceptional proportions.

Day 10 – Day 11
Victoria Falls, Zambia

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, no words can prepare the visitor for the scale and splendour of this mighty cascade. And here we contentedly establish ourselves in the renowned Royal Livingstone Hotel, rich in romance and colonial character. Two days in Vic Falls allows for ample opportunities to leisurely tour the Falls and its network of rainforest trails, dare ourselves into the sky aboard the “Flight of Angels” or be hypnotized by a spectacular sunset on a cruise of the Zambezi. Quiet moments on the hotel’s veranda with its breathtaking river views are always fine options as well.

Day 12
Victoria Falls – Johannesburg – Departure

The Travel+Leisure World’s Best Safari draws to a reluctant close. We fly to Johannesburg and connect to our homebound flights tonight.

Day 13
United States

Crossing continents in the air, we reflect on the splendour of this World’s Best sojourn and ponder returning next year when the new Travel+Leisure hotel winners are announced!

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