Sprawling across endless, staggeringly blue coastline, and watched over by the iconic plane of Table Mountain, Cape Town is without doubt one of the world’s most beautiful cities. A blend of spectacular mountain scenery, multiculturalism and relaxed ocean charm awaits in the Mother City, where you can venture out to rolling vineyards, dine in laid back sea suburbs, or spend days exploring cool urban culture. Cape Town’s natural splendour fully reveals itself as the cable car rears sharply to the top of Table Mountain. From the summit, 3,500 feet above sea level, you can let the scale of the panoramic vistas of the city rolling down towards the ocean wash over you. Another heavenly perspective waits at the top of Lion's Head’s tapering peak. A sharp hike and an early start is required, but the views of the morning sun painting Table Mountain honey-gold are some of Cape Town’s finest. Cape Town’s glorious sunshine and inviting blue rollers can be a little deceiving - these oceans are anything but warm at times, with nothing between the peninsula’s end and Antarctica’s icy chill. This cool water has upsides though, bringing a colony of adorably cute African penguins to Boulders Beach. Boarded walkways offer the perfect vantage point to see the cute creatures dipping into the sea and lounging in the sun. Nearby, journey to the end of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, where you can stand at the bottom of this mighty continent, watching out over the merging waves of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Cape Town’s beauty is counterpointed by the ominous island form, which sits four miles offshore from the bustling restaurants and lazy seals of the lively V&A Waterfront. A living history lesson, you can sail in the ships that transported prisoners out to Robben Island, before a former prisoner tells of the traumas of life on this offshore prison. Your guide will show you the cramped cells, and render Mandela’s long walk to freedom in heartbreaking, visceral clarity.

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Port Elizabeth, or PE, may not have the range of attractions found in Cape Town or on the Garden Route, but it's a pleasant town that's worthy of a few days' exploration. There are some beautiful beaches (although you'll need to visit them early in the day in summer as the wind tends to pick up by midday) and some wonderfully preserved historic buildings in the older part of the city, called Central. A large part of the town's charm lies in its small size and quiet environment, but PE is not a total sleepy hollow. If you feel the need for a bit of nightlife, head to the Boardwalk complex near the beach, for its restaurants, cafés, theater, and casino, or to Parliament Street in Central, which has recently been pedestrianized and has a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene. PE is a good base for exploring some other fantastic destinations, both wild and cultural, including Addo Elephant National Park. If you are traveling to any of the luxury game reserves east of Port Elizabeth (such as those in Addo, Shamwari or Kwandwe), it may be a good idea to spend the night before in PE, as many places advise you to check in before lunch and it could be a scramble to get there if you're driving or flying in that morning. Port Elizabeth's suburbs can be a little confusing. Humewood and Summerstrand are PE's two main coastal suburbs, with Humewood closer to the city center. The Humewood Golf Course, one of South Africa's best, is in Summerstrand, not Humewood, however (just to keep you on your toes).

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First seen by the French explorer Marion Dufresne in 1772, the five islands and 15 islets form two groups which are separated by 110 kilometers. The only human settlement since 1963 is the Alfred Faure Station on Île de la Possession in the eastern group. With names like Pig Island or Penguin Island in the western group, it is obvious which animals had been introduced or were found there and King, Gentoo, Macaroni and Rockhopper Penguins are all known from these islands as are large numbers of petrels and albatross, Antarctic fur seals and Southern elephant seals.

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The Kerguelen Islands were discovered during a French search for ‘Terra Australis’ in 1772 and claimed by France in 1893. Today the main island is home to the only settlement, the Port-aux-Français Research Station, with an additional 30 research huts and houses across the island. Known as “Grande Terre” this island is surrounded by some 300 smaller islands and islets and it alone covers 6,675 of the archipelago’s 7215 square kilometers. Kerguelen’s highest point is Mt. Ross with 1,850 meters and on its western side is Cook Glacier. Kerguelen’s cold and windy climate can cause snow to fall any day of the year. Macaroni and King Penguins are present with large colonies while the Kerguelen Pintail and Kerguelen Shag, the Kerguelen Tern, and the Kerguelen Petrel are all endemic.

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Amsterdam rose out of the Indian Ocean some 100,000 years ago -the last recorded eruption occurred in 1792. Halfway between South Africa and Australia, this island was first described by Pigafetta in 1522 and was later used as a beacon by the Dutch seafarers heading for India and Indonesia. In 1892 France formally took possession, but today the only human inhabitants are the staff members of the Martin-de-Viviès Research Station located on the northeastern side. Steep cliffs, some of them up to 700 meters, rise on the western side and are home to Yellow-nosed Albatrosses. The extremely rare Amsterdam Albatrosses, with only 100 known mature birds, nest in the central part of the island.

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Located just off the east coast of Madagascar, Mauritius is fast making a name for itself as the tropical paradise of the Indian Ocean. A volcanic island approximately 10 million years old, Mauritius is thought to be the peak of an enormous sunken volcanic chain stretching from the Seychelles to Réunion. In fact, volcanic lakes and inactive craters can be found scattered throughout the island. Mauritius also boasts a unique marine environment. Surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs on the planet, conservationists are now campaigning to protect its white coral sand beaches and fragile ecosystem. Though it can be found on the maps of early Arab mariners, Mauritius remained uninhabited until the end of the 16th century. Portuguese became the first European visitors in 1510, however, they did not lay claim to the island. In 1598 Dutch colonists settled on the island, naming it after Prince Maurice of Nassau. The Dutch colonial period saw the development of thriving sugar cane plantations as well as the decimation of the ebony forests and the extinction of the dodo bird and other indigenous wildlife. Eventually abandoning their settlement in 1710, Mauritius lay unclaimed until the arrival of the French five years later. French continued the cultivation of sugar as well as indigo, cloves, nutmeg and other spices, retaining possession of the island until 1810 when it was ceded to Britain at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius is now a vibrant cultural mix with impressive mountains, boundless sugar cane plantations and some of the most exquisite beaches and aquamarine lagoons.

Itineraries are subject to change.