Name: Bush & Beach Safari in Timbavati and Mozambique
Brand: Discover Africa
SKU: south-african-bush-to-mozambican-beach-holiday-8-days
Availability: InStock

Is the Luxury family self-drive along the Garden Route for Me?

This self-drive will take you along the Garden Route – you start in the Mother City with a few days at the luxurious Mount Nelson. This is the perfect base to explore the city and its surroundings such as the Cape Peninsula and Winelands. The property has large gardens and a swimming pool, ideal for the children to run around after a day “touristing” in the vehicle. Then hop not too far away in the Overberg, brilliant vistas and great food awaits you; traveling between July and October and you can get a chance to view the whales in the bay. Continue with some beach days in St Francis and a night in Gqeberha, ending in the wonderful Kwandwe Game Reserve for outstanding game viewing. Children will be entertained with fishing, and cooking lessons with the chef. This is the ideal trip, for adults and children of all ages.

* Should you prefer not to drive, this journey can also be guided, contact us for prices.

Your 13-Day Itinerary

Arrive in Cape Town and collect the vehicle at the car rental counter. We will provide you with the directions to your hotels, a local map can be provided on request. Should you be using a digital map, please chat to the hotel concierge to ensure you have the correct routing. You will spend 4 nights at the Mount Nelson including your breakfasts. Your days are at leisure to explore the area - from the vibrant city center, to Cape Point with a visit to the penguins and Kirstenbosch. A day can be spent in the winelands with a hop on train journey in Franschhoek. Weather permitting, spend some time at the beach. If you want to stay active, there is kayaking, hiking up Table Mountain, rent a bike along the promenade or simply lounge at the pool.

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

Includes & excludes

Meals: Breakfast included

Transport: Included

Depart for a short drive to the Overberg, we suggest traveling along Clarens Drive, one of the most scenic route in Southern Africa. You will arrive in Hermanus and continue unto Birkenhead, your home for the next 2 nights. Your meals and local beverages are included. Chat to the House Manager to set up your days and visit the area. During season (July - October) you have the opportunity to see the whales that are typically in the bay. Possibility to walk around Walker Bay, or book a cruise. Aside from being one of the best whale watching destinations on the planet, Hermanus is renowned for its wild beauty, artisanal food producers, ocean safaris and its proximity to the renowned Hemel-en-Aarde wine route.

Birkenhead House

Includes & excludes

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Drinks: Local brands included

Activities: Included

Transport: Included

Aerial view of The Sands at St Francis showing the beachfront property and surrounding coastline.

Continue along the Garden Route. Depart early for the drive through George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay to arrive late afternoon in the little village of St Francis. Spend 2 nights at The Sands, a great base to relax and enjoy the beach and the warm water of the Indian Ocean. Waking to the sound of waves crashing on the beach below; enjoying the view of the surfers making the most of the waves while being located a few minutes from the center of the village, you will love your stay.

The Sands @ St Francis

Includes & excludes

Meals: Breakfast included

Transport: Included

Today is a drive to "the end" of the Garden Route with the windy city, Port Elizabeth, now called Gqeberha. This is a convenient stop before the drive to the game lodge. It allows you to do some shopping and rest in between the activities. It is also possible to drop the vehicle in town/airport and book a road transfer or a charter flight to the lodge, should you prefer not to drive there and back. Overnight at the luxurious Hacklewood Hill, located on the outskirt of town.

Hacklewood Hill Country House

Includes & excludes

Meals: Breakfast included

Transport: Included

Breakfast and drive the 2 hours to the lodge. On arrival, you can park the vehicle at the main gate and you will be collected by the ranger. The next 3 nights are spent at Kwandwe Ecca Lodge including all your meals, local beverages and 2 game drives per day. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy a walking safari (adults only), try some fishing or a gentle bush walk. The team of expert rangers are always on hand to help you discover the very best of the 22,000 hectares of wilderness and create a journey tailored entirely to your interests. This pristine wilderness is home to the famous Big 5 as well as a diverse number of smaller and more unusual species. Thousands of animals including lion, black and white rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah roam these expansive plains. The Reserve is also sanctuary to numerous other threatened and endangered species.

Kwandwe Ecca Lodge

Includes & excludes

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Drinks: Local brands included

Activities: Included

Transport: Included

The holidays are coming to an end; after breakfast transfer back to the main gate to collect your vehicle. Drive back to Port Elizabeth and drop the car at the airport on time for your onward flight.

Every itinerary can be crafted to your needs, from adjusting the length of your stay to including different accommodation and refining the route. Your safari is yours, shaped around your idea of a dream experience.

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There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe this trip. Because we didn’t have a hand in planning it (our friend who invited us to join them did) we were a little nervous about all the opportunities for problems to arise (i.e., in the many transfers and handovers required to move from place to place, company to company, and country to country.)

We needn’t have worried one bit. Every step of the way the transfers were perfect; there was ALWAYS someone at the other end waiting for us. If I had any questions along the way I could just message our rep (Megan- the best!) and she would clarify in a very timely way.

Every place we stayed was great; every adventure perfectly fitted us. I would not change a single thing in our entire three-week adventure. I write a kind of travel blog and have people follow all my trips. Everyone was amazed at the things we did and saw, and many are wanting to follow our path and take this journey themselves.

And I encourage them to work with Discover Africa because everything was perfect. I travel a lot and have known my share of travel issues, but I did not have to do anything on this trip but enjoy it. And we enjoyed it immensely!

"Matthys van Aswegen of Discover Africa went above and beyond to plan a two week trip for myself and my family (6 travelers) through multiple African countries that was unforgettable! There were many moving parts to our schedule, but every..."

Ann Schall, United States · 8 Mar 2026 ·

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"It was a total coincidence that led me to Discover Africa Safaris. First I would like to thank Devryn for planning and suggesting the safari reserve. The price was reasonable given the location and services we received. They booked the..."

Mahmoud Alashar, Qatar · 22 Aug 2025 ·

"Highly recommend Chrizaan as a resource for arranging a safari trip. She found us some outstanding accommodations, put together the whole package for us, and reacted quickly mid trip when some flight disruptions meant transport pick ups had to be..."

Richard, Portugal · 19 Aug 2024 ·

"We had an amazing time visiting Namibia and South Africa. Our 15 day journey was packed with lots of adventure. Everything to accommodations, transportation by ground and air, excursions, dinner and lunches. Our tour guide/ driver Nico was so awesome...."

Tracy, United States · 23 Jul 2024 ·

"There really aren't enough superlatives to describe this trip. Because we didn't have a hand in planning it (our friend who invited us to join them did) we were a little nervous about all the opportunities for problems to arise..."

Nancy, United States · 7 Sep 2022 ·

"I would like to place on record the very important role that Discover/Overlanding Africa and in particular Steve Conradie played in making a success of our Africa trip (Cape to Kenya). The vital information that we were given (that you..."

Eady Family, South Africa · 1 Jan 2013 ·