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Here is our suggested itinerary for a month-long trip to South Africa.

This is just one suggestion. The optimal itinerary for you will depend upon what gets you going. Having a whole month, you are fortunate to have enough time to take your time and be more flexible, perhaps staying longer at places you really like and moving on only when you're ready. So we've kept the below reasonably vague beyond seeing the highlights of the Western Cape. The trip below involves a very serious amount of driving. You could reduce this by flying from East London to Durban or Nelspruit (for your Kruger safari).

In fact, we'd love to put together an personalised itinerary that takes you off the well-trodden tourist trails based on what you really want to see and do. So contact us now!

Day 1: Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, probably after a connecting flight from Johannesburg. Hire you car and drive through to Camps Bay. Spend morning relaxing on the beach and - in the late afternoon (if the weather is good) take the short cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. Return to Camps Bay for sundowners and dinner.

Days 2 & 3: Relax in this stunning city taking in the wide variety of activities that Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula has to offer; for example catching a ferry to Robben Island, lunch and people-watching at the Victoria and Albert Waferfront, drive along Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape Peninsula to see the penguins and whale-watching (September to November), climbings Lions Head, visit District Six, fine dining in Constantia and partying on Long Street.

Day 4: Drive along the N2 through to Strand, then take stunning coastal road - the R44 - past Betty's Bay to the wild beach and a fresh seafood lunch at Hermanus. Take the R44 back to the N2, before coming off onto the R521 at Grabouw to take the spectacular mountain pass through to Franschhoek. Staying at one of the wide selection of boutique hotels or self-catering accommodation, indulge yourself in the gastro-capital of South Africa.

Days 5 & 6: Spend your days relaxing in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley taking in as many of the stunning wine-tasting vineyards as your liver can handle and your nights dinings at some of the best restaurants Africa has to offer.

Day 7: Head a short way north through rolling farmland, spending a night in the undiscovered gem that is Tulbagh, visiting the historic town centre and museums.

Days 8 & 9: Pop across to the West Coast, staying at the quaint seaside village of Paternoster and enjoying fine dining and beach strolls.

Days 10 & 11: Start your long journey along the Garden Route, meandering along the fantastic Route 62 through the dramatic Little Karoo. Relax at a boutique guest-house in a historic farming town like Swellendam or Calitzdorp. If golf is your game, you'll want to base yourself in George, the golfing capital of SA.

Day 12: Drive along Route 62 before taking one of the dramatic mountain passes down to the N2, breaking your journey with a short hike during a stopover at Tsitsikamma National Park or in a quaint beach-side guesthouse at Nature's Valley or Brenton-on-Sea.

Day 13 & 14: Head along the coast beyond East London and head in land to the spectacular micro-climate around Hogsback. Enjoy quaint eating options and wonderful hiking.

Day 15 & 16: Dash back to the coast at Cintsa and enjoy the fabulous wild beach, perhaps interspersed with a horse-ride along the desterted beach. Dine high above the beach dunes in the wonderful location that Michaela's of Cintsa enjoys.

Days 16, 17 & 18: Make the long drive through the former Transkei on the Wild Coast up to the simply stunning mountain scenery of the southern Drakensberg Midlands around Underberg. You'll want a couple of days to do some hiking and explore this historic 'Settler Country'.

Days 19, 20 & 21: Head around Durban, stopping for lunch in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, up to the sub-tropical idyll that is Zinkwazi. Take a break from the white beach and pristine lagoon with a trip into Zululand around Eshowe and pay homage to the shrimp at the Prawn Shack.

Days 21 & 22: Move up the coast to Greater St Lucia Wetland Park for more hard time on the beach amongst unique flora and fauna, including crocodiles and hippos. Consider one of the excellent hiking options.

Days 22 & 23: Make your way through Swaziland, taking in Ezulweni Valley and up towards the spectucular highlands on the west. Stay in a friendly guesthouse in this most varied, friendly and attractive of small countries.

Days 24, 25, 26 & 27: Head through our favourite border crossing in the world between Piggs Peak and Baberton in South Africa and make your way up to your private game reserve on the edge of the Mighty Kruger National Park to get your well-deserved safari fix.

Days 28 & 29: Take one of our favourite drives in the world up the Mpumalanga escarpment stopping at Sabie for some hiking or Dullstroom for fishing, taking in the breath-taking view at God's Window.

Days 30 & 31: Return to cosmopolitan Johannesburg or historic Pretoria for a final blow-out, staying at a boutique hotel in happening Melrose or Rosebank. Visit the Apartheid Museum and the Cradle of Humankind, perhaps taking in a theatre show or sports event, before catching your flight home.