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Here is our suggested itinerary for a nine-day trip to South Africa, meaning you catch a flight from Europe to Cape Town on Friday night and leave Cape Town on Sunday night the following weekend.

This is just one suggestion. The optimal itinerary for you will depend upon what gets you going. For example if you just want to spend time on the beach, you could make your way along the excellent beaches of the Garden Route (for example Hermanus, Wilderness, Brenton-on-Sea and Nature's Valley). If all you want to do is go on safari, you may want to fly to Johannesburg for quicker access to Kruger National Park. Alternatively, if you're here to play golf then you'll want to stop over at George.

In fact, we'd love to put together a personlised 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. Hire your 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.

Day 2: Up and out early, driving across to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront to catch a ferry to Robben Island. Return to the Waterfront for lunch and people-watching. In the afternoon drive round along Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape Peninsula to see the penguins and whale-watching (September to November). Dinner at one of Cape Town's excellent restaurants and drinks out at Long Street.

Day 3: 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.

Day 4: Spend the day relaxing in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley taking in as many of the stunning wine-tasting vineyards as your liver can handle!

Days 5 & 6: 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 after your tiring, but rewarding, drive at Wilderness or Brenton-on-Sea, enjoying the beautiful beach. Consider taking in a round of golf!

Day 7: Starting early, begin your long but interesting drive along the N2, stopping at Tsitsikamma National Park for a stroll and even the highest commercial bungee jump in the world to get your adrenelin pumping. Arrive at your luxurious safari lodge in Addo Elephant National Park in time for a late afternoon game drive.

Day 8: Take a morning and afternoon game drive, with a good chance of seeing some (if not all) of the Big Five. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the African Bush where you realise that you're not at the top of the food chain. A truly magical way to end your short trip to South Africa.

Day 9: After an early morning game drive, check out and make your way through to one of the beaches or excellent restaurants in Port Elizabeth before catching your connecting flight to Cape Town, and home.

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