Last November Dream Golf Holidays visited South Africa (SA) to catch up with our amazing partners, Explore More Travel.

The trip lasted 4 days as Omicron struck and we had to scurry home before we ended up in a Government hotel for two weeks!

So this time we are here for just over two weeks to take in the sights and sounds of SA and to cover the three main tours we cover - Cape, Garden Route & Safari, The Best of SA Golf Tour and Golf & Gourmet.

Day 1 November 25th 2022

Flight from Manchester Airport to Zurich, Zurich to Johannesburg OR Tambo, landing & 10:00 am.

We had a few hours to soak up the Joburg culture and history, so off to Soweto we went. It is a place full of SA history and turmoil.

Both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela lived in Soweto.

Soweto Towers is another landmark to be seen in the Soweto area. A great vibe there, even in an afternoon, though I didn’t fancy bungee jumping from the towers.

Flying into Joburg means you can visit Kruger Safari Park, stay at a private lodge, go on the game drives….. and play Leopards Creek…. Can’t wait, that’s all coming next……

Day 2 November 26th 2022

Joburg to Walkersons Hotel & Spa.

A 2.5 hour drive takes you to Walkersons Hotel & Spa, which is a very secluded retreat that’s perfect for a couple of days R&R before the game drives and golf begins.

The tranquility really hits you, so peaceful, lovely walks, lots of lakes for fly fishing and ticks the boxes on the cuisine front. Here today and tomorrow.

You know your in a decent place when it has its own runway!!

Walkersons

Day 3 November 27th 2022

Final day at Walkersons, we are at altitude here, around 2,300, metres so we’ve had a mixture of weather including an almighty thunderstorm through the night. Pretty impressive really.

Despite the above, this is a great 2 day stop off with the opportunity to play the Ernie Els designed Highlands Gate GC, which looked impressive. Certainly the holes I saw it looked a tough track.

Definitely worth a visit, lovely clubhouse and staff. Excellent warm up before your next round, which would be Leopards Creek!

Day 4 November 28th 2022

Well this is the day we moved from the Highveld to Kruger Park to stay at Jock Safari Lodge. About a 3.5 hour drive to the Park, but it’s totally worth it.

So, no golf at present, but this is what Dream Golf Holidays is all about, Golf, Culture, Cuisine.

Arriving at Jock Safari we had a quick lunch then off on our first Game Drive.

Amazing, awe inspiring, a privilege, use any words you want, but those are the feelings this place provides.

Day 5 29th November 2022

A full day of game drives and a massage - well all the services have to be checked, don’t they?!

Two game drives, one @ 05:00 and one @ 16:00…. Wonderful wonderful experience, just do it!

Jock Safari Lodge is truly a great experience. The accommodation is excellent, there’s a mosquito netted bed outside as well as a bath, shower and small pool, all looking out onto the river bed where animals walk past at any time.

Inside there is a luxury bed, a double shower and all the amenities you would expect.

The food was excellent, the team brilliant. Well done @ Jock Safari Lodge.

A special mention goes to our guide Janni - he was superb, so knowledgeable, and so enthusiastic.

Day 6 November 30th 2022

Time to leave @ Jock Safari Lodge. Every day has been special, and today becomes even more special, we’re golfing as well. 😜⛳️🏌️‍♀️

By getting up @ 04:00 we had time to sneak in another game drive, and boy was it worth it! A pride of lions sitting on the edge of the road. An amazing life experience.

And a few more elephants… and a rare Thunderbird!. This is all very special.

The drive to Leopards Creek GC is approximately 1 hour from Jock Safari Lodge. Once there, you sense straight away that you are somewhere special. Next week is the Alfred Dunhill tournament so all the stands are going up and the greens have been ramped up to be at tour professionals speed, which certainly made it interesting!

This is a very good, enjoyable golf course, as you would imagine. A lot of golfers have seen this course so many times when the Alfred Dunhill championship is played there.

Each hole has a different statue of a leopard.

From Leopards Creek, our accommodation that evening was Bahula Lodge. We arrived in the dark and left just as it came light. More time certainly needed here. Outside our room was a view of Crocodile River. I could have sat there for hours watching it and listening to the noises.

Day 7 December 1st 2022

An early start again to get to Kruger Mpumalanga International airport for a flight to Joburg, then a connection down to George.

We made it an even earlier start, getting up at 04:00 so we could enjoy an hour of watching the river flow by.

And we glad we did! It was still a little dark so no photo, but there on the grass in front of our balcony were two Hippos! What a way to start the day.

Fancourt next, so here’s to more golf.

From George Airport it is a 15 minute drive to Fancourt. This really is a golfers paradise. Three golf courses, all in the top 20 in South Africa. The place is immaculate. One word jumps out when you are sat in the Club Lounge… Augusta! It looks that good.

So, over the next two days we get to play the Montagu and the Outeniqua courses. Looking forward.

Day 8 December 2nd 2022

Gym, breakfast, warm up on the very good range, short game area and putting green. Perfect start to the day.

Then onto the Montagu course at Fancourt, which is in the top 20 courses in SA.

All the courses are designed by Gary Player. This one is extremely enjoyable to play, some really nice holes framed by elegant properties or the Outeniqua mountains. Definitely one to play again and again.

Day 9 December 3rd 2022

Gym, breakfast and golf - a perfect cocktail.

Today is the Outeniqua course @ Fancourt. The course is very playable, with wide fairways. The course winds it’s way through some lovely houses with thatched roofs, which was unexpected .

Fancourt is a real must for us golfers. A perfect setting, very well maintained golf courses and an infrastructure that meets everyone’s needs. Hotel, gym, spa, sauna, Roman Baths, tennis, superb golf practice area - it has the lot.

On now to Pezula Resort @ Knysna, one of the pearls of the garden route .

Day 10 & 11 December 4th & 5th 2022

It’s about 1 hour from Fancourt to Pezula, a lovely resort set in the hills above Knysna. There is a real African feel about the dark wood , the paintings, the decor.

The golf course has a tough start. a par 5 stroke index 1 followed by a tee shot over water for the second hole…… the front 9 is good, the back 9 is excellent. Superb golf holes and superb views, quite amazing.

The food was excellent, the staff also. This is a very nice place to stay, play golf and relax.

Day 11 & 12 December 5th & 6th 2022

The next part of the itinerary is back to the animals, this time to Gondwana, a private game reserve which is very much geared towards conservation and the protection of the animals and biodiversity of the area.

Magical memory’s were again made here. The photos tell one story, the visual memories that will last in my mind forever tell another.

The setting at Gondwana is stunning, like nothing I’ve seen before. Fantastic accommodation in the wilds of the African plains.

The BIG FIVE are here, 4 of them made themselves visible, with the leopard keeping itself secretive.

Whether it’s Gondwana or Kruger or both, a trip to South Africa has to incorporate a safari.

Kruger and Gondwana are very different, so choosing will depend on what you require.

Day 13 December 7th 2022

The final game drive of the itinerary, and every one, 8 in total, have produced something different, something unexpected.

An encounter this time with a herd of elephants, which apparently are a pretty fierce herd, was the highlight.

Off now to Pearl Valley, a very nice resort in the wine valley of Stellenbosch. The golf course is rated number 2 in South Africa. It is a real test , lots of water, long, well bunkered and amazing views to distract you!

Day 14 December 8th 2022

Having played Pearl Valley before, I just played 9 holes as we wanted to take the opportunity to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. So glad we did. It should be part of any trip to the Cape Town area.

It was the perfect day to be up there, clear blue skies and great visibility. The view is quite amazing, two oceans colliding, the iconic stadium and the eerie sight of Robben Islsnd.

There’s some very nice walks at the top, as well as a bar and eatery. Yes, there is a bit of commercialism up there, but it’s quite subtle and well done.

A great afternoon was had. 👍

Day 15 December 9th 2022

On leaving Pearl Valley we went to meet friends at Stellenbosch GC. It’s an extremely enjoyable golf course, one which, in the past, held the SA Open.

One of the holes is called Grapes or Snakes, a par 5 with a sloping narrow fairway, to the left a vineyard, to the right thick rough where the slippery blighters live!!

Following the golf, a lovely wine tasting afternoon was had at the Uva Mira winery. This is all part of a golfing trip to South Africa.

Day 16 December 10th 2022

The day before the flight home to minus temperatures….. not a great thought.

The day was spent in the Victoria & Alfred area of the Waterfront in Cape Town. It has a great vibe.

From here you can go and visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.

No photos here, the trip was very good and extremely poignant. Just felt it had to be respectful for what had gone on for many years. Listening to the stories from an ex inmate really hits home.

The day was finished off with a few hours enjoying the V&A vibe.