The Travel+Leisure World’s Best Safari

Featuring only “World’s Best” List Hotels

Micato enjoys a unique honour: We are the first-and only-tour company to ever win the No. 1 Overall Winner spot on the coveted Travel+Leisure "World's Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter" list eight times. As a boutique family company in an industry of large international operators, we are indeed gratified that Micato's deep and personal commitment to excellence has been acknowledged so consistently.

Africa itself has been regularly featured in the World's Best Awards for years. Hence it would be easy to envision a "World's Best Trip" in Africa if there were such a category: one would start with the eight-time World's Best Tour Operator winner, and create a thrilling itinerary filled with stylish, highly-ranked World's Best properties. Which is exactly what we've done.

13 Days Departs Sunday, Returns Friday

Day 1 Depart Home

We set off today for Cape Town. It won't take us long to realize why this city is amongst the most beloved in the world-its striking natural features and cosmopolitan wiles make it a remarkable gateway to our adventure.

Day 2 Arrive Cape Town

Micato whisks travellers from the airport to the Cape Grace Hotel, the No. 1 ranked City Hotel in Africa and the Middle East. Opulent and chic, it's an elegant retreat on the perpetually buzzing Cape Town waterfront.

Day 3 Cape Town

A full-day tour of the stunning Cape Peninsula includes the fabled Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point of Flying Dutchman fame and the surprising penguins of Boulders Beach. Back at the hotel, take a dip in the pool or enjoy a soothing massage at the spa with panoramic views of the harbor and Table Mountain. Tonight, we are welcomed to the home of Micato's Cape Town hosts, enjoying a delightful taste of local hospitality. Thus we end the day with newly found friends in this lovely land.

Day 4 Cape Town – Winelands

The civilized pleasures of wine tasting and estate touring await us in the winelands, where idyllic vineyards and manor houses nestle between misty mountains. At Delaire Estate, we'll enjoy lunch and raise a toast with exquisite vintages. Set high on a mountain pass and surrounded by lush, colourful gardens, the beauty of Delaire's outdoor setting is complimented by its impressive art collection indoors. We also stroll through quaint Cape Dutch towns like Franschhoek.

Day 5 - Day 6 Londolozi Private Game Reserve

We leave the city behind and wing our way to Londolozi, a perennial favourite on the World's Best List every year. Glorious days of fruitful game viewing and sublime comfort lie ahead. Stepping out on our private deck in the pale light of the early morning, scanning the plains with a cup of coffee in hand...yes, we know we've arrived in the heart of Old Africa.

Accommodations offer comfort and striking African style, with luxurious bungalows raised on walkways over the savannah, nestled in the arching canopies of treetops. Here we can track animals, fish the Sand River or relax in a yoga session. Game drives are alternately fascinating, relaxing and dramatic in the company of rangers who regale us with bush lore, educate us on conservation and entertain us with tall tales. Rangers are also our hosts in camp, joining us for cocktails, dinner and leisure time. And, did we mention the moonlight game drives? As most predators are nocturnal, the game viewing is unparalleled. And the experience...well, it's nigh dreamlike.

Day 7 - Day 8 Singita Sabi Sand

Over the years, the Singita properties have lodged themselves firmly in the top tier of the World's Best list and this year is no exception: Singita Sabi Sand holds the No. 2 spot in the world (nudged from its usual No. 1 spot by its sister lodge in Tanzania.) Wildly effusive praise is continuously lavished on Singita Sabi Sandand it's not hard to see why. Yes, the game viewing is terrific and the rangers are hugely informative-one can almost take that forgranted. What renders travellers utterly speechless however are the accommodations: from the nostalgic and romantic to the exotic and sexy. Singita is where African arts and crafts merge with the avant-garde, and where vintage safari lodges feature glass-walled suites and theatrical Murano chandeliers. Each lodge is wildlyunique and outrageously sumptuous.

Between game drives we spend our days in peaceful pursuits: at the pool, a walking safari, birdwatching around camp or visiting the intriguing local village with its school and clinic. Or we could simply choose to enjoy the quiet of Africa from our secluded deck, mesmerized by the bubbling swarms of hippos in the river-complemented of course, by Singita's hidden treasure: the best bush wine cellar in Africa. Buried deep in the cool rock below the lodge is a stellar selection of more than 12,000 premier bottles.

Day 9 Sandton

We fly into Johannesburg and find ourselves enchanted by the Saxon Boutique Hotel, holding the No. 5 City Hotel ranking in Africa and the Middle East. Sleek and sophisticated, the property embodies African moderne, with ancient wood fertility gods in every size imaginable, exquisitely offsetting textured white walls and rich silk upholstery. A splendid place in which to unwind, or perhaps, to launch a shopping expedition to Sandton's celebrated shopping centers.

Day 10 - Day 11 Victoria Falls

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, no words can prepare the visitor for the scale and splendour of this mighty cascade. And here we contentedly establish ourselves in the fabulous Royal Livingstone Hotel, which positively radiates romance and colonial glamour. Two days in Vic Falls allows for ample opportunities to leisurely tour the Falls and its network of rainforest trails, dare ourselves into the sky aboard the "Flight of Angels" or be hypnotized by a spectacular sunset on a cruise of the Zambezi. Quiet moments on the hotel's veranda with its breathtaking river views are also a fine option.

Day 12 Johannesburg - United States

We return to Johannesburg and connect to international flights, reflecting on an absolute World's Best safari.

Day 13 Arrive Home

Interested? Give us a call at 1-800-MICATO-1. Or email us.

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