Experience the desert from above on a 2.5 hour helicopter flight. Fly over the Devil’s Fork dune formation and soar past the gnarled, twisted trees of Deadvlei. Continue until you hit the coast where the dunes fringe the sea, turn north from Meob Bay and follow the shoreline towards the Eduard Bohlen shipwreck. Enjoy a champagne stop and head home with views of Witberg Mountain.

The guided nature walk starts at sunrise, departing from the Lodge and takes place on and around the spectacular Elim Dune Belt. The knowledgeable guides focus on the small things often overlooked – nocturnal animal tracks, plant species and smaller wildlife.

World-famous Sossusvlei is the name of an enormous clay pan, flanked by the famous sand dunes that flush red in the early morning sun – as well as the name of the area in general. Close to the Sossusvlei pan is Dead Vlei, another pan where water once flowed, but now all that remains are the skeletons of trees reach up out of the cracked earth.

Table Mountain is 3,563 feet above sea level at its highest point, and is one of the oldest mountains in the world. It is six times older than the Himalayan Mountains and five times older than the Rocky Mountains. The original cable way opened in 1929 and has seen over 21 million people take the cable-car ride to the mountain's top. The ride provides 360-degree views of Table Bay, Robben Island, Signal Hill and the City Bowl, which can be seen from cable-car's revolving floor. At the end of the cable-car journey, you can explore two miles of trails and enjoy the unrivaled panoramic views in every direction.

This walkable tour explores Cape Town's dynamic gastronomy from all sides. Led by a local ROAR AFRICA guide, you'll lift the lid on the many tastes, cultures, and cuisines – from the best coffee in the world to fragrant Cape Malay cuisine - that define the Cape Town of today. And you'll meet the people behind every delicious plate, listening to their stories and learning their tightly-held recipes.

Spend part of your day wandering through the magnificent streets of the Bo-Kaap, one of the oldest urban residential areas in Cape Town. This section of land, nestled below Signal Hill, was formerly known as the Malay Quarter, still home to a vast population of Cape Malay residents. Their ancestors were brought to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch as slaves, in the 16th and 17th centuries, and their homes have been passed down through generations. Stroll the historic cobbled streets between the brightly colored houses and meet the friendly people who often sit outside on their stoeps (verandas). If you're lucky, you may even be invited inside for tea! 

One of the South Africa’s only true speak-easy bars, accessed through a Chocolate Café, and nestled within a Mediterranean-style secret courtyard. Inspired by the history of the heritage building itself (which was a morgue until recently) and the "Quack" medicinal history of gin and Juniper (the defining ingredient of gin), The Gin Bar offers elixirs, tinctures and potions to cure all manner of ills. The setting will transport you to a quirky piazza in Italy, with fairy lights and eccentric décor adding to the beauty of it all.

Set sail on your 2 hour sunset cruise aboard a luxury Catamaran. You will depart from the V&A Waterfront and cruising past Mouille Point, Green Point, Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton 4th Beach, Camps Bay or Table Bay. Spot some of the ocean’s big five, such as dolphins, whales, seals, penguins, and ocean sunfish (mola), while you sunbathe on the trampolines or padded cushioned areas. Slowly cruise back as the sun sets to the city lighting – a first class experience with Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles as an exquisite backdrop.

To provide an accurate idea of where South Africa is today, one needs to understand it's history. When the Dutch settled in the Cape in the mid-1600s, Robben Island was utilized as a hospital. Later, it became a training and defense station during World War II. However, it is best known as the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Today, it is a World Heritage Site as well as a museum and serves as a poignant reminder of South Africa's fight for freedom and democracy. Regular tours are are led by former inmates, who offer you first-hand perspectives of life in prison during Apartheid. ROAR AFRICA’s guide for this very special tour is Christo Brand – Mandela’s former prison guard who first came to the island in 1978 as a pro-apartheid, 18-year-old white prison guard. Christo’s experiences with the dignified 60-year-old Mandela compelled him to change his views about not just the man, but racial oppression and his country too. 'He was down-to-earth and courteous. He treated me with respect and so my respect for him grew. After a while, even though he was a prisoner, a friendship grew,' said Brand, of the relationship that transformed his life.  Brand came to do 'favors' for Mandela, such as smuggling him the bread and the hair pomade that he liked to use, and bringing him messages from friends and family. He once went so far as to break the rules and allow Mandela to hold his infant grandson.

Our tour will include a visit to the limestone quarry, where the prisoners worked, as well as the cell where Nelson Mandela spent 17 years of his 27-year prison sentence. Today, the museum is a dynamic institution that runs educational programs for youths and adults, whilst facilitating tourism development and conducting ongoing research related to the island. It is also a focal point of South African history and heritage.

Historically Africa’s cultural narrative has largely been told by outsiders, with some of the continent’s best art works languishing in private collections, the extraordinary importance of what businessman and philanthropist, Jochen Zeitz has set out to do with the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) packs a positive punch. Housed in a historic grain silo at the V&A Waterfront that had stood derelict for years, British architect Thomas Heatherwick was tasked with reimagining the 187 ft high building with 42 gargantuan inner tubes into an iconic museum of global significance. With 80 galleries, the Zeitz MOCAA is the first museum on the continent dedicated to African contemporary art. Enjoy this privately curated experience offering you exclusive after hours access to discover the leading global collection of contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora. 

The beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens, recently voted as one of the top five gardens to visit in the world, were established in 1913, to conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora and fauna of Southern Africa. In 2004, the Cape Floristic Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated at the foot of Table Mountain, the 36-hectare nature reserve supports fynbos (shrub and heathland), forest and a variety of animals. It was the first national garden in the world devoted to a country's indigenous plants and homes many collections, including cycads, proteas, ericas, pelargoniums and succulents.

Joseph Dhafana is an acclaimed winemaker, world-class sommelier and a close personal friend of the ROAR AFRICA team with a remarkable life story. Born in a rural Zimbabwean village he fled the country as a refugee in 2009, arriving in South Africa stowed in a crate. Joseph moved to the Cape from Johannesburg and worked tirelessly toward a meteoric rise from gardener to barman and eventually becoming the top sommelier in South Africa with his own wine, Mosi, served in the country's best restaurants and wine bars. A living embodiment of the grit, determination, humility, and good humor Zimbabweans are renowned for, Joseph regularly competes against the world's best at France's World Wine Blind Tasting Championships with an all-Zimbabwean team. To taste, talk and breathe in terroir with a sommelier as storied and successful as Joseph Dhafana is an extraordinarily special and rare opportunity unique to ROAR guests. Watching new relationships form between old and new friends is a joy and a privilege, one that makes our life-changing Journeys across Africa entirely one of a kind and deeply personal.

'The Waterford Way' is a philosophy that celebrates food, wine, family and friends. Guests are invited to Waterford farm and treated to a unique and flavorful chocolate and wine tasting experience. Created by Senior Winemaker Kevin Arnold and Chocolatier Richard von Geusau, a series of dark and milk chocolates are paired with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and natural sweet wines, which give totally unique taste sensations. 

Chefs Warehouse at Maison is about experiencing food like you’ve never experienced it before. In short, it’s about the sheer pleasure of taste. By pairing flavors in unexpected and exciting ways, an infinite number of fresh taste sensations is created for you to enjoy. Under the guidance of Chef Liam Tomlin, dynamic young chef David Schneider uses fresh ingredients, based on seasonal availability, to create a global tapas inspired menu that incorporates a world of different flavors in one, multi-coursed meal. Expect the unexpected.

Taste the La Motte range of elegant wines, produced to express distinctive varietal character, and combining the best of what farms situated in diverse climatic regions have to offer, as well as the limited volume premium La Motte Pierneef range, consisting of varietal wines and innovative blends.

Mingled in between the village's cafés and restaurants you'll find a treasure trove of retail magic and a deep history. Our founders’ routes go back to 1688 where the family of French Huguenots settled in this area. Explore the family tree in the Huguenot Museum and if you are looking for antiques, collectable books and artworks, all of these can be found along the main street.

Walking safaris are an incredible way to experience the bush up close and personal. Your expert guide and tracker will accompany you as you track animals on foot through the wilderness and explore the magnificent plants and landscapes around you.

The Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands has a list of over 500 bird species, some of which are not to be found elsewhere in South Africa. Hornbills, Starlings, Vultures, Rollers, Bee-eaters and Shrikes typify the ubiquitous avi-fauna and birders can look forward to pursuing the big 6 (Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, Pel's Fishing-Owl and Ground Hornbill). This area of South Africa is exceptionally rewarding for birders.

As you wind up your day, your game drive will be spiced by an evening of pure relaxation of body & mind right in middle of the African bush. Your ranger will decide on the perfect spot for you to enjoy a refreshing sun-downer, allowing you to stretch your legs while experiencing the one of the most exquisite sunsets you will ever see.

Explore the northern reaches of Madagascar on their half day helicopter safaris. Visit Ankarana or Amber Mountain National Parks, be guided through the forests by their expert guides and see the unique grey Tsingy or different species of lemurs and other wildlife.

Whether you choose to take in the breathtaking sights on foot or by bike, this is your opportunity to discover pristine forests, vast night skies and very many other unique experiences on offer at Time + Tide Miavana. Ask about guided nature walks on a network of trails around Nosy Ankao where you will see chameleons, snakes and a variety of bird life in what is a unique and informative introduction to the island’s unique flora. Have the perfect pitstop and refuel with with delicious picnic near the beach.

Time + Tide Miavana's abundant marine life will amaze even the most experienced diver with diving in these clear aquamarine waters a bucket list activity for many of the world’s top oceanographers and marine biologists. If you’re neither of those, fear not for Miavana offers a range of snorkeling and scuba diving activities to suit every level so you can choose to start your diving journey in Madagascar with an Open-water course or for those have dived previously, you can do your Advanced open-water course with Time + Tide Miavana's experienced PADI instructors. There is a refresher dive course available too if haven’t dived for a while. Time + Tide Miavana also offers a Bubble Maker Dive on the lodge’s house reef for children between the ages of 8-10. Children 10 years and above can opt to do a PADI Discover Scuba Dive, this closely guided introduction to diving is designed as a first foray into the underwater world with a maximum depth of 40ft. 

If you want to truly experience this ancient and pristine environment, you will need to get wet. Luckily, the water is warm (on average 78ºF) and there’s an activity to suit every level of fitness and adventure so you can try your hand at kayaking, paddle boarding and kite surfing or go dolphin, manta ray and whale watching, where you will be able to witness the splendor of these animals in their natural ocean habitat.

Find your balance on the Indian Ocean. Miavana’s calm waters provide the perfect training ground for stand-up paddleboarding, offering an all-round workout and beautiful views above and below the translucent water. Miavana is also a kiteboarder’s paradise, with warm waters, consistent trade winds from mid May to October, and a wide diversity of kite spots around the island, all of which can be enjoyedin complete privacy and exclusivity.