Chapter 1 · Days 1–4
Cape Town
Ellerman House · 3 nights
From the Mountain to the Atoll
Cape Town · Timbavati · Mahé · Alphonse Island
![13 NIGHTS](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1 1"%3E%3C/svg%3E "Moon icon — used for tour nights stat"){kind=small}
13 NIGHTS13 NIGHTS
4 PROPERTIES4 PROPERTIES
FROM $27,520 per person sharing
Your journey, at a glance
Chapter 2 · Days 4–7
Timbavati
Tanda Tula Safari Camp · 3 nights
Chapters 3–5 · 7 nights
Seychelles
Mahé 1 night · Alphonse 5 nights · Mahé 1 night
Thirteen nights from one far edge of Africa to another. You begin above the Atlantic, in a Cape Town home shaped by art, wine and the sea. Then inland to the Timbavati, where mornings begin before the sun and evenings end around the fire. Mahé gives the journey room to breathe before and after five nights on Alphonse, 400 kilometres out in the Seychelles Outer Islands.
Think of this as a flavour of what is possible. Every journey is shaped around your party, your dates and your pace. Any property, night count or activity can be swapped in or out.
At a glance
- 13 nights
- 4 properties
- Best season: May to November, shaped around safari conditions and the Seychelles flight schedules
- Ideal for: Travellers who want Cape Town, a full safari and a genuinely remote island finish without forcing tight connections
I. Cape Town: the first breath
Ellerman House, Cape Town · Days 1–4
Day 1: Arrival in Cape Town
You land at Cape Town International to a meet-and-greet, then a private transfer to Ellerman House, high above the Atlantic in Bantry Bay. An afternoon with the art collection, or on the terrace as the sun goes down over the sea.
Days 2–3: Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula and Winelands
Two days with Escape+Explore take you from the Table Mountain cableway and Cape Peninsula to the Franschhoek and Stellenbosch valleys. Along the way are Cape Point, the Boulders penguins, estate tastings and a farmhouse lunch.
Day 4: North to the Timbavati
A private transfer to the airport and a direct flight to Hoedspruit, where a road transfer takes you into the reserve.
Activities
Table Mountain cableway, Cape Peninsula drive, Cape Point, Winelands day tour, Ellerman art collection, Zeitz MOCAA
Included at this hotel
Bed and breakfast, Selected beverages, Art tours and Zeitz MOCAA entry, Wine tasting, Sundowner cocktails and canapés, Return airport transfers
II. Tanda Tula: the Timbavati
Tanda Tula Safari Camp · Days 4–7
Day 4: Into the Timbavati
Airlink from Cape Town to Hoedspruit (4Z 657, 10:15 to 12:45). A drive through the Timbavati brings you into camp in time for the afternoon game drive. Welcome home.
Days 5–6: The rhythm of the bush
Coffee at first light, followed by morning and afternoon drives with the same guide and tracker. Between outings, there is time for brunch on the main deck, a guided bush walk and an evening boma dinner around the fire.
Day 7: Bush to Mahé
An early road transfer brings you to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. Fly to Johannesburg, then continue to Mahé. On the confirmed routing, the Air Seychelles service arrives at 20:45 and does not operate every day. A private transfer takes you to Four Seasons Resort Seychelles for a full night's rest before the Alphonse flight.
Activities
Twice-daily game drives, Guided bush walks, Big cats of the Timbavati, Sundowners in the riverbed, Same guide and tracker throughout
Included at this lodge
Full board, Selected beverages, All activities, Sustainability levy
III. Mahé: room between the flights
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles · Days 7–8
Day 7: Bush to Mahé
An early road transfer brings you to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. Fly to Johannesburg, then continue to Mahé. On the confirmed routing, the Air Seychelles service arrives at 20:45. A private transfer takes you to Four Seasons Resort Seychelles for the night.
Included at this hotel
Ocean View Villa, Breakfast
IV. Alphonse Island: the far blue edge
Alphonse Island Beach Bungalow · Days 8–13
Day 8: Out to Alphonse
After breakfast, return to Seychelles Airport for the scheduled inter-island charter. The flight carries you over reef and open water to Alphonse. At the far end: palms, white sand and a bicycle waiting beside your bungalow.
Day 9: The house reef
Walk from breakfast to the water with mask and fins in hand. A guided snorkel introduces the house reef: coral, turtles, rays and the moving colour of the lagoon. The afternoon belongs to the beach.
Day 10: Island time
Take your bicycle through the palms, visit the conservation team or paddle the lagoon by kayak. Lunch draws from the island farm and the surrounding sea. At sunset, follow the sand back to the beach bar.
Day 11: Beyond the lagoon
Choose your own distance. Snorkel, fish, meet the island's giant tortoises or head beyond Alphonse towards the wilder water of St François. Or do very little. The island is good at that too.
Day 12: One more full day
Five nights give you the luxury of not having to choose everything at once. Return to the reef, book a specialist excursion or let the last full day go quiet around you.
Activities
Guided house-reef snorkelling, Kayaking, Stand-up paddleboarding, Island cycling, Giant tortoise feeding, Turtle patrols, Farm tour, Yoga, Conservation talks
Included at this lodge
All meals, Room amenities, Non-motorised activities, Soft drinks during activities, Water, tea and coffee, Snorkelling and watersport equipment, Wi-Fi, Scheduled inter-island charter flights
V. Mahé: a gentler way home
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles · Days 13–14
Day 13: Alphonse to Mahé
The inter-island charter returns you to Mahé, where a private transfer takes you back to Four Seasons Resort Seychelles. The final night protects the international connection and gives the journey a softer landing.
Day 14: Homeward
After breakfast, a private transfer returns you to Seychelles Airport. On the confirmed routing, Air Seychelles departs at 09:25 and reaches Johannesburg at 12:30.
Included at this hotel
Ocean View Villa, Breakfast
Frequently asked
They make the flight sequence work properly. The confirmed Johannesburg service reaches Mahé after the Alphonse flight has departed, so the first night removes an impossible same-day connection. The final Mahé night protects the morning international departure after the return charter from Alphonse. Both nights are part of the journey, not an afterthought.
The Johannesburg-to-Mahé service and the Alphonse charter operate on limited schedules. The route must be built around the traveller's exact dates. In this confirmed example, one Mahé night sits on either side of Alphonse so neither connection is rushed or left to chance.
Alphonse lies around 400 kilometres southwest of Mahé in the Seychelles Outer Islands. The flight from Mahé takes about an hour. Once there, bicycles are the natural way around and the reef begins just beyond the beach.
The five-night Beach Bungalow stay includes all meals, room amenities, non-motorised activities, soft drinks during activities, water, tea and coffee, snorkelling and watersport equipment, Wi-Fi and scheduled inter-island charter flights. Guided or specialist boat trips can be added.
Both. You can spend five nights moving between reef, kayak, bicycle and conservation activities, or let the island go quiet around you. The daily programme is an invitation, not an obligation.