2-Day Big Five Safari Lodge Trip from Cape Town

The coastal road to Betty's Bay

Your journey begins with one of the most beautiful drives in the Western Cape. Leaving Cape Town, the route follows False Bay and climbs onto Clarence Drive, a road carved into the mountainside high above the sea, with views across the bay to the Cape Peninsula on clear mornings. Small coastal villages, fynbos-covered slopes and empty beaches pass by as the road winds east.

Betty's Bay is a quiet holiday village between the mountains and the ocean, best known for its colony of African penguins at Stony Point, one of the few places in South Africa where these endangered birds breed on the mainland. A short stop here lets you stretch your legs, breathe the sea air and photograph the coastline before continuing to the whale coast. It is a gentle start to a long and varied first day.

Hermanus and Walker Bay

Hermanus is South Africa's whale capital, a seaside town on the cliffs above Walker Bay. From about June to November southern right whales come into the sheltered bay to mate and raise their calves, and they can often be seen from the cliff path that runs along the shore. Outside the season the town is still a lovely stop, with its Old Harbour, craft markets and cafés.

On this 2-day safari from Cape Town you stop in Hermanus for a break and a walk along the cliffs, with time to look out over the bay for whales in season. Lunch is not included, so this is a good moment to buy something to eat in town, and your guide can suggest cafés and takeaway spots that suit your needs. Whale sightings from land depend on the season and are never guaranteed.

Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa

Cape Agulhas is the true southern tip of the African continent and the official meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Many visitors are surprised that it is not Cape Point or the Cape of Good Hope; here a simple marker on a rocky shoreline shows the exact spot, reached by a short boardwalk through coastal fynbos inside Agulhas National Park. The name comes from the Portuguese word for needles, a reminder of the reefs that wrecked many ships along this coast.

Above the shore stands the red-and-white Cape Agulhas lighthouse, completed in 1848 and one of the oldest working lighthouses in South Africa. Climbing its steep stairs gives a wide view over the two oceans, though the lighthouse entry fee is not included. Standing with one foot pointed towards each ocean is a favourite photo on any Cape Agulhas tour, and the wild, windswept scenery is unlike anywhere else near Cape Town.

A private Big Five reserve on the Garden Route

In the afternoon you arrive at a private game reserve on the western Garden Route, about four hours' drive from Cape Town, where low hills, open grassland and dense bush meet the foothills of the Langeberg mountains. The reserve is home to the Big Five, elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo and leopard, along with giraffes, hippos, zebras and many kinds of antelope. Like the rest of the Western Cape, the area is malaria-free, which makes it ideal for families.

Game drives are led by experienced rangers in open safari vehicles who track the animals and explain their behaviour, ecology and conservation. You enjoy one drive on the afternoon of arrival and another early the next morning, when animals are most active. Leopards are shy and rarely seen, and all sightings depend on nature, but the variety of wildlife makes this one of the best safaris near Cape Town.

Your night at the safari lodge

After the afternoon game drive you check in to a four-star safari lodge inside the reserve, with comfortable en-suite rooms or chalets surrounded by bushveld. Dinner is served in the lodge restaurant, and the evening is a chance to relax, listen to the sounds of the bush and look up at a sky full of stars far from city lights. Please let us know any dietary needs when booking so we can pass them on.

Early the next morning you set out on a sunrise game drive, the best time of day for wildlife, when the air is cool and animals move between grazing areas and waterholes. Breakfast follows back at the lodge before you begin the return journey along the N2 highway to Cape Town, arriving at your hotel in the late afternoon or early evening. It is an easy way to add an overnight safari to a Cape Town holiday.