South Africa in High Style

The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare and six nights' accommodations in Cape Town and Hoedspruit from $1,999 per person.

When: Depart any date in May 2007.

Gateways: New York, Washington, D.C.; add $290 from Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

The Fine Print: Airport taxes are about $325 per person. Airport/hotel transfers are included. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $1,050. For general guidelines on evaluating deals, click here.

Book By: Based on availability.

Contact: Lion World Travel and South Africa Airways, 888/722-4872, visitsaonsaa.com.

Why It's a Deal: Booking this package will save about $900 per person off the price of the identical package offered by Lion World Travel and South Africa Airways in June. Besides, the lowest round-trip fares to Johannesburg we've found for mid-May departures are $1,225 from New York City and $1,237 from Washington, D.C.; both routes are on Delta. In comparison, the Lion World Travel and South African Airways package will get you to South Africa for $1,999 plus airport taxes, which means that about $870 per person covers six nights' accommodations, three game drives, a Cape Winelands tour, airport transfers, and your choice of a helicopter tour or an upscale dinner. Flights from other cities, such as Atlanta and Chicago, are upwards of $1,500 per person, so even if you don't live in New York City or Washington, D.C., it's worth buying the sale fare and a separate discounted ticket to N.Y.C. or D.C.

Trip Details: This package includes round-trip airfare on South African Airways, a four-night stay at in a luxurious room at the improbably named Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, and two nights at a lodge in a major game preserve.

Twelve Apostles offers two pool gardens poised above the ocean. On one morning during your Cape Town stay, you'll go on a half-day Cape Winelands tour, sampling the region's crisp vintages and touring wine estates. On another day, you'll be offered a choice of a helicopter ride over both Cape Town and the Atlantic Coast or dinner at Azure restaurant, which features regional fynbos cuisine.

On your last two nights, you'll stay at Jackalberry Lodge within the Thornybush Private Game Reserve. Rooms at the lodge open onto patios. You'll take three game drives during your stay. Extend your stay with a package to visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe for a starting price of $450 per person. A visa is required to enter Zimbabwe (for a fee starting at $30 per person), but no visa is required to enter South Africa.

May is a late fall month in South Africa, with average temperatures in the high 60s Fahrenheit. Before you go, check the weather forecast here. You'll find Cape Town local time by clicking here.

Visit the country's official tourism site. To help you plan your trip, check the exchange rate between the dollar and the rand by visiting here. 

More on Africa:

Snap Guide: Cape Town 

Get the Most Out of Your African Safari 

25 Reasons We Love Cape Town 

Social Climbing on Cape Town's Table Mountain