Born in Africa, this luxury travel company knows South Africa like no other

It may offer immersive and top-end travel experiences in more than 100 countries, but Abercrombie & Kent remains synonymous with the continent of its birth, Africa.

Formed in the 1960s, Abercrombie & Kent invented the luxury tented safari camp concept and is now the premier luxury travel company in the world.

So choosing Abercrombie & Kent for your South African adventure means choosing a company with deep roots and decades of experience creating African itineraries, complete with access to some of Africa’s most exclusive accommodation.

The company’s Journey Designers can craft holidays to meet a wide range of interests, timelines and budgets, whether it’s a private tailor-made journey, a small group trip or a private jet tour.

Whichever you choose, it will be carefully curated to ensure a holiday that’s not just about sightseeing but about experiencing.

World-class food, exciting wildlife and dramatic scenery abound with A&K’s luxury South African journeys. Photo: Abercrombie & Kent

Wildlife

The opportunities to see wildlife in South Africa are so bountiful it’s hard to choose where to go.

The 16-day Abercrombie & Kent South Africa Encompassed itinerary includes three separate and quite different game reserves.

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve in the country’s north-east is home to lion, leopard, elephant, cheetah and hippo and with three nights here there will be ample opportunity to see them.

In the south you’ll stay at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, tucked between mountains, forest and sea and a haven for bird watching and whale spotting.

Heading to the Kalahari, you’ll stay at South Africa’s largest private wilderness area, Tswalu Game Reserve, its 100,000 hectares housing lion, cheetah, meerkat, hyena, black rhino and endangered pangolin.

The 13-day South African and Mozambique: Bush to Beach itinerary includes stops at Madikwe Game Reserve, with its 66 mammal species including lion, elephant and cheetah, and the Thornybush Game Reserve, adjoining Kruger National Park, home to lion, leopard, rhino, hippo, giraffe and zebra.

Accommodation highlights: Dulini River Lodge in Sabi Sand Game Reserve consists of six luxury suites with private plunge pools in a clearing on the river where wildlife come to drink.

Saseka Tented Camp at Thornybush Game Reserve has nine tents, each with private deck, pool and outdoor shower.

Wine

Cape Town is a perfect base for exploring nearby Cape Winelands, brimming with cellar doors, from Oldenburg, a restored homestead on a vineyard known for its sustainably produced small batch wines, to the French-tinged offerings of the wineries in the Franschhoek region to the award-winning selection at My Wyn Wine Estate, where you can enjoy a tasting on the veranda before a stroll to a waterfall.

You’ll have the option to visit them all on the South Africa Encompassed itinerary.

The eight-day Essential South Africa journey includes a visit to Cape Winelands’ Stellenbosch, the centre of local winemaking. It’s surrounded by hundreds of vineyards, some hundreds of years old.

Accommodation highlights: In Cape Town, stay at the Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, at the foot of Table Mountain.

The meticulously restored landmark 1918 hotel is set in private gardens with swimming pool.

On the 15-day South Africa and Zambia Discovery itinerary, stay within Cape Winelands itself at Leeu Estate in a restored manor house on a boutique winery, just outside of Franschhoek.

Tailor make your luxury South African journey with A&K. Photo: Abercrombie & Kent

Culture

There’s so much more to South Africa than wildlife and wine, excellent though both are.

Cape Town is home to a wide variety of museums and historic buildings.

Whether it’s a stroll through the bohemian fishing village of Kalk Bay, known for its art galleries and brightly painted fishing boats, a visit to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, collecting and showing modern art from Africa, or a trip to the Noordhoek Farm Village, a centre for artisanal gourmet treats and tastes, you’ll find every slice of South African culture represented in this cosmopolitan city.

Most Abercrombie & Kent South African itineraries includes time to explore these important Cape Town cultural attractions.

Accommodation highlights: Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel is an elegant 19-room hotel in the heart of Cape Town’s vibrant Kloof Street Neighbourhood, revitalised in 2022 in tones of emerald green, gold, black and white and with a buzzy destination restaurant.

Tailor-make your South African trip with Abercrombie & Kent, embark on the ultimate luxury small group journey or choose a Wings Over the World itinerary, travelling between destinations via exclusive private charter flights.

Visit abercrombiekent.com.au or call 1300 583 902.