One of the world's most amazingly diverse destinations, South Africa has a holiday for everyone – as four very different celebrities are about to demonstrate here, as they share all the pleasures of their own ideal journeys.
You'll be able to follow the progress of wildlife expert Chris Packham, gardening guru Monty Don, veteran broadcaster Gloria Hunniford and radio star Jamie Theakston on this site, as we publish regular reports and photographs from the stunning South African locations they've chosen to explore.
Through this site, you'll learn what it's like to ascend Table Mountain by cable car and drink in the astonishing views, taste wine in the sun-drenched Cape vineyards, and eat African cuisine both traditional and modern. Find out how best to release holiday adrenaline, by surfing, snorkelling or scuba-diving offshore – or, if you're a real adventurer, by swimming with sharks. Envisage the luxurious spa treatments that will restore you at the end of a day of outdoor activities, after which you can dress up and wind down with pre-dinner cocktails at a chic, star-lit terrace bar in the city, or enjoy a more informal supper in the chilled-out atmosphere of a traditional braai.
Why not make it your mission to unleash your inner explorer on thrilling game safaris and guided walking tours of the world's finest nature reserves? Whether you want big-game lands and beautiful beach resorts or vibrant urban culture and outdoor adventure, it's all here to be discovered.
With the four celebrities' varied itineraries, you'll see what exceptional choices the country has to offer, even to visitors with contrasting notions of the perfect holiday.
You'll follow the tracks of Chris Packham, a wildlife and conservation devotee who's spent 25 years presenting some of the most popular nature programmes on TV, as he touches down in Johannesburg. Chris will take the opportunity to spot up to 253 bird species, as well as exotic game, in the Kruger national park. You will be able to read reports from his dynamic Jeep safari, where he'll be looking out for the Big Five – elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard – in their natural habitat. A guided tour on foot, meanwhile, could bring him close enough to antelope, wild dogs and reptiles to capture some spectacular photographs to add to his famous portfolio and share on this site. Chris will also take a cycle tour of Soweto, sharing with you his impressions of a historic township where the student uprisings of 1976 took place – a crucial chapter in South Africa's transformation into a peaceful, harmonious country.
Gardening enthusiasts will see writer and broadcaster Monty Don turn the focus on flora as well as fauna during his visit to the Cape. After his arrival in Cape Town, follow Monty on his tour of Grootbos private nature reserve in the Western Cape's fynbos (heathland) region, renowned for its unusual shrubs and trees. Monty will also describe his visit to Kirstenbosch national botanical gardens, a vast and unique oasis of indigenous South African plants. An overnight stay at the meticulously restored werf (farmyard) at Babylonstoren gives him the chance to dine on some of the 300 edible organic plants grown year-round to supply the restaurant here.
In contrast to Monty's vocational vacation, a complete escape is the ideal break for broadcaster Gloria Hunniford, a presence on British TV and radio for 30 years. She will demonstrate the relaxing, affordable luxury for which South Africa is renowned. This means heading directly from Cape Town to Camps Bay Retreat, where excellent spa facilities and a tranquil setting will enable her to leave work pressures behind. Malay cuisine is a speciality here – and Gloria will be sampling it in the luxurious surroundings of the Cape Grace hotel. The next day starts on a high, with a champagne breakfast on the plateau on top of Table Mountain, reached by a cable car that offers incomparable views over the shining city of Cape Town.
Tranquillity is the last thing on Heart FM star Jamie Theakston's mind. Try to keep up with the breakfast show radio presenter, as he plunges into a day of exhilarating adventure at the upmarket Rocktail Beach Camp. Quad-biking through the breathtakingly beautiful South African forest will be followed by snorkelling and world-class scuba-diving. After dining under the stars, Jamie will set out again next morning to join a game-tracking adventure at Phinda private game reserve; one of the best in South Africa. From there, it's on to surf-city Durban and one of the most mind-blowing experiences imaginable: a bungee swing from the 106-metre-high arch at the Moses Mabhida stadium. Daredevils can swing out over the 2010 Fifa World Cup pitch in a 220-metre arc. That kind of adrenaline rush can only be topped by diving with sharks at Rocky Bay on the Natal South Coast – in a cage, but also outside it if you're a true thrill-seeker!
These are just some of the exciting possibilities that await on a holiday to South Africa, whether you're a culture vulture, nature lover, escapist or adventurer. What will your mission be?
