Travel By Darcy

Creating Memorable Vacations Since 1996

Archives for March 2013

9 Day Greek Islands

santorini Explore Greece with this 9 Day Greek Islands independent itinerary that includes Athens, Mykonos and Santorini from just $1449 per person, land only.  The travel season for the Greek Islands is April through October so be sure to book early! This program can be completely customized to fit your needs.

Package Includes:

  • 2 nights in Athens
  • 3 nights in Mykonos
  • 3 nights in Santorini
  • Breakfast daily
  • Ferry tickets, Piraeus/Mykonos/Santorini
  • Air ticket, Santorini/Athens, including applicable taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges
  • All transfers

Saturday arrivals are used as a guideline for this package, however, daily arrivals are available.  

DAY 01: SAT – Upon arrival at Athens Airport, you will be met and assisted then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Athens.

DAY 02: SUN – The day is at leisure. We suggest a visit to the Acropolis and Plaka on your own or join an optional tour. Overnight in Athens. (B)

DAY 03: MON – This morning you will have an early transfer to Piraeus Port for your ferry to Mykonos. Upon arrival in Mykonos, you will be met and assisted then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Mykonos. (B)

DAY 04/05: TUE/WED – The days are at leisure to enjoy the sandy beaches, the sea, and the sun of this wonderful island. Be sure to check out the incredible nightlife in the evening. Overnight in Mykonos. (B)

DAY 06: THU – This morning you will be transferred to the pier for your ferry to Santorini. Upon arrival in Santorini, you will be met and assisted then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Santorini. (B)

DAY 07/08: FRI/SAT – The days are at leisure to enjoy this breathtaking island. Admire the town of Fira’s whitewashed houses, narrow streets, and open-air cafes that cling to a steep cliff accessible by cable car or donkey. Overnight in Santorini. (B)

DAY 09: SUN – You will be transferred to Santorini Airport for your flight to Athens in time to connect with your return flight. (B)

*All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability at the time of booking. The from price reflects the lowest available price at time of publication, which is valid for a specific start date or dates and also based on availability at the time of booking. Airfare is not included, but is available for purchase separately.

8 Day South Africa Gourmet Cuisine, Wine, and Safari

8 Day South Africa Gourmet Cuisine, Wine, and Safari Wine Tours, Spa, Safari and More from $1999 per person, land only. Ask about airfare from your closest airport city!

Package Includes:

  • Meet and Greet at Cape Town airport
  • 3 nights in a non-sea facing classic room at the 4-star Winchester Mansions on a B&B basis
  • 2 nights in a standard room at the Augberge Bligny Homestead in Franschhoek on a B&B basis
  • 2 nights 5-star Water Lodge at the Pumba Game Reserve on a fully inclusive basis (includes accommodation, all game drives, meals and all drinks)
  • Bo Kaap Walking tour and Cape Malay Food tour (includes lunch)
  • Car rental for 6 days.
  • Transfers as needed.

Sunday arrivals are used as a guideline for this package, however, daily arrivals are available. 

DAY 01: SUN – You are met at Cape Town airport by our representative and handed your travel documents. You travel into Cape Town and check in at the 4-star Winchester Mansions, situated on the Atlantic seaboard with uninterrupted sea views. It is five minute drive from the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This charming and gracious hotel offers its guests understated elegance and service. The luxurious rooms have sea or mountain views. Sip sundowners whilst viewing the spectacular ocean sunsets and relax around the decked pool. There is an in-house spa offering health and beauty treatments. The Winchester Mansions’ in-house restaurant, Harvey’s, is fast becoming a culinary hot spot in Cape Town. Hard to find among Cape Town restaurants today, Harvey’s offers discerning diners an appetising taste of traditional Cape cuisine. The Harvey’s Bar, adjoining the restaurant, allows you to enjoy arguably Cape Town’s best view – the sun slipping into the Atlantic – while sipping a long cocktail on the terrace. The rest of this afternoon is at leisure to relax or you can take an optional half-day city tour of one of the one of the world’s most beautiful cities. You will visit the historic Castle and the Bo-Kaap Malay Quarter with its narrow cobbled streets and colourful mosques. You view the Houses of Parliament and then, weather-permitting, you will ride the cable car up Table Mountain to enjoy the view over Cape Town and across Table Bay to Robben Island (cable car fare is not included in tour price). If the weather is inclement, you will be taken on a scenic drive up Signal Hill. You will be dropped off at the hotel after the tour. Overnight at the Winchester Mansions. (B)

DAY 02: MON – Today is at leisure in Cape Town. We suggest you either take a tour or self-drive along the coast around the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point. You travel along the Atlantic seaboard via glamorous Clifton to the quaint seaside village of Hout Bay. Here you can take a boat ride from the fishing harbour out to the seal colony on Seal Island. Continue via the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape Point. Looking at this dramatic promontory jutting into the sea gives one an idea why early sailors nicknamed it the Cape of Storms. You then follow the coastline northwards via Simonstown, where you can visit the penguin colony of Boulders Beach. A leisurely drive through the leafy southern suburbs will bring you back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight at the Winchester Mansions. (B)

DAY 03: TUE – We suggest you spend this day at leisure exploring the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, which is a five minute drive from the hotel. If you do not have a hire car, your hotel concierge will call a taxi for you. The Waterfront is Southern Africa’s trendiest shopping precinct and is a great place to look for gifts. You can take a ferry from the Waterfront across Table Bay to Robben Island. An ex-prisoner takes you on an extensive tour of the prison, which includes a visit to Nelson Mandela’s cell, the limestone quarry and the old leper colony. Today you will take a half-day Cape Malay Tour, which includes a hand-on cooking demonstration in a Cape Malay home followed by lunch. This afternoon you could visit the Waterfront’s Two Oceans Aquarium, which is highly recommended for the insight it gives into life in the two oceans off the southern tip of Africa – the cold Atlantic Ocean and the warm Indian Ocean. Alternatively, you may like to relax on one of the trendy beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton. Museum lovers can wander through the South African Museum and the National Art Gallery. This evening would be a good time to go up Table Mountain if the weather was inclement on Day One. Tonight you may like to try one of the fine quayside restaurants at the Waterfront. Overnight at the Winchester Mansions. (B)

DAY 04: WED – This morning you travel to the Winelands, with its backdrop of majestic mountain ranges and lush valleys and vineyards. If you are self-driving, we suggest you stop for a wine tasting and cellar tour at Fairview and Boschendal Estates. A scenic drive over the Helshoogte Pass (Hell’s Heights) takes you from Stellenbosch to the Franschhoek Valley, where you check into Auberge Clermont. This magnificent Auberge has been created in an old wine cellar amid vines laden with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and the classic Bordeaux Reds of France. There are just six deluxe en-suite rooms on a working wine and fruit farm with an ambiance, style and feel of a little corner of Provence in South Africa’s Winelands. Enjoy the luxury of splendid bedrooms individually decorated in the colours and moods of Provence. Loft rooms are light and stylish with great views. Pool rooms overlook the plum orchards and majestic mountains beyond. A tennis court and swimming pool are great for summer fun. Linger over a delightful breakfast served in your room or on the terrace under 140-year-old oak trees overlooking the plum orchards. Overnight at the Auberge Bligny. (B)

DAY 05: THU – We suggest you spend today following the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek Wine Routes. You can either self-drive or arrange a tour through your hotel concierge. You can stop for tastings at wine estates along the way and you will have the chance to purchase some of the wines you have tasted. Other sights worth seeing in the Winelands are Stellenbosch, the “town of oaks” and South Africa’s second oldest town. In Franschhoek itself you can visit the memorial to the French Huguenots, who sought refuge from religious persecution in Europe and settled here in the late seventeenth century. Paarl, with its three imposing granite domes and monument to the Afrikaans language, is also an interesting stop. Franschhoek is known as South Africa’s gourmet capital. For lunch visit La Petite Ferme – a feast of culinary delights. For dinner you might like to try Le Quartier Français Restaurant, which has been rated by Restaurant Magazine in London as one of the world’s 50 Best Restaurants. Another excellent Franschhoek Restaurant is Haute Cabrière. A combination of fine wine and food, the elegance of the cellar venue and the breath-taking views have put Haute Cabrière in all the top 10 listings in South Africa. Overnight at the Auberge Bligny. (B)

DAY 06: FRI – You depart Franschhoek and travel to Cape Town airport to catch a flight to Port Elizabeth. From Port Elizabeth you travel to the Big Five game reserve. Upon check-in at 1 pm, you are served lunch. Discover wildest Africa in true luxury at the Pumba Private Game Reserve in South Africa. This Eastern Cape safari lodge has achieved a 5-star rating for its unrivalled beauty, world-class service and the abundance of wild animals on its doorstep. In addition to the famous Big 5 (lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos and elephants), guests of the game reserve have the rare opportunity of seeing the magnificent White Lion, stalking prey and lazing under the trees in its natural environment. This South African retreat is equipped with two intimate lodges (the Water Lodge and Msenge Bush Lodge), each boasting their own touch of opulence. In addition to this inviting accommodation, complete with outdoor showers and private pools, guests are invited to savour the flavours created by the qualified 5-star chefs. To complete the Pumba experience, the Msenge Bush Lodge’s Soul Spa is guaranteed to work off the last remnants of the stress of city living. Overnight at Pumba Private Game Reserve. (B/L/D)

DAY 07: SAT – This morning after a light breakfast you are taken on another game drive. Game drives at Pumba bring you face to face with a multitude of game species. After lunch relax on your deck or enjoy a swim in the pool. Afternoon game drive followed by dinner. Overnight at Pumba Private Game Reserve. (B/L/D)

DAY 08: SUN – This morning you are taken on your last game drive at Pumba. After brunch you bid farewell to this African wonderland and you travel back to Port Elizabeth airport and board your flight home. (B)

 

* All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability at the time of booking. The from price reflects the lowest available price at time of publication, which is valid for a specific start date or dates and also based on availability at the time of booking. Airfare is not included, but is available for purchase separately.