Luxury South Africa for Wheelchair Users

You’ll arrive into Cape Town International and be met and transferred to our adapted vehicle, with a ramp at the back of the vehicle for access. You’ll be driven in to the city to a hotel that we work closely with which has several accessible rooms. The rooms include roll-in showers, hand-rails and can be set up as twin or double. Every trip we plan in Cape Town is tailored to your dreams but here are some suggestions for adapted experiences to enjoy this beautiful city.

One of Cape Town’s highlights is Table Mountain, with the rocky expanse dominating all images of the city. We highly recommend ascending the mountain using the cable car, which has accessible access including elevators, ramps and parking bays. We will provide you with a map created for wheelchair users to navigate your way around the top of the mountain to get the best views out over the bay and beyond. There are also two accessible restaurants at the top of the mountain. We can organise for this trip to be guided or accompanied or just book the tickets and transfers.

This morning you’ll be met by our guide and board our adapted vehicle, with an accessible ramp at the rear. We’ll drive along the scenic Chapman’s peak, winding our way along the coastal roads with the wild Atlantic Ocean by our side. There is a funicular with accessible access to take you down to the Point. We then journey to Boulders Beach colony of African penguins. The penguins can be viewed from a large accessible decking area. We’ll stop in Simon’s town for some lunch, if we’re there at the right time (July-November) it’s sometimes possible to spot Southern Right whales from the shore!

Today you could visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, on the slopes of Table Mountain National Park and generally regarded as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. We will provide you with a map created for wheelchair users highlighting routes that are designated as accessible. Another option for today is take a guided tour of the winelands, visiting wine farms selected for their wines, hosted tasting and of course accessible access. The winelands are a short distance from the city in our vehicle and during our tour we’ll make a few stops at different wineries for tastings and lunch.

This morning you’ll be collected by your driver for your flight up to Hoedspruit, a key gateway to the private game reserves bordering Kruger National Park. The property we are suggesting is Ximuwu Lodge, one of the only safari lodges fully designed for wheelchair users. You’ll be collected using their wheelchair-accessible airport shuttle bus, equipped with ramps and swivel seats for easy boarding. Arriving at the lodge you’ll instantly notice that this lodge doesn’t just cater for wheelchair users, it exists to ensure they have an incredible experience. The extensive suites have indoor and outdoor hobless showers, handrails, height-adjustable beds and many more adaptions to cater to your needs.

Ximiwu Safari Lodge is located in the Klaserie Game Reserve, which shares an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park. This means that wildlife can cross between the Klaserie and the wild lands of the Kruger without impediment. You’ll enjoy sightings of leopard, lion and elephant without crowds of vehicles. Many safaris here are lucky enough to see rhino and wild dog, alongside some of the safari regulars such as buffalo, zebra, impala, giraffe and many more. At Ximiwu the specially designed game-viewing vehicles feature slide-out seats for added comfort and convenience.

Early starts are common as this is when wildlife is most active before the day heats up and most predators find a bush to sleep under or a tree to sleep in. You’ll be out with your safari guide for 3-4 hours searching for wildlife, slowly cruising along the road network using your guide’s experience and knowledge of the bush to find animals. You’ll then make your way back to the lodge during the heat of the day to relax, dip in the pool, visit the spa or take a siesta. Your evening game drive is a shorter drive and often ends with a drive in the dark with a spotlight.

Today you will fly up to Victoria Falls. We can either drive you down to Nelspruit for a direct flight to Victoria Falls or you can connect at Johannesburg, we can discuss these options when we create your trip. On arrival at Victoria Falls you will exit the plane using an aisle (Washington) chair. We have an adapted vehicle for transfer in the town with a lift/ramp. We work with a number of hotels in Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe which have adapted rooms to make them accessible. Victoria Falls is known as the adventure capital of Africa and there are quite a few activities which have been adapted for guests with mobile impairments.

The key reason for being here is to see the Falls, the mightiest in all of Africa and one of the natural wonders of the world. From the Zimbabwe side, there are accessible trails to see the falls. These can be explored as part of a privately guided trip or we can transfer you there and you can visit un-aided. We can recommend many other activities and experiences in Victoria Falls Town – meeting local artisans, and visiting social projects which support communities and boat cruises along the Zambezi. At the end of your trip we will transfer you back to Victoria Falls Airport to start your journey home.