The Spectacular South

Tour Highlights:

• Visit a farmstall packed with locally produced products from the Overberg region
• Cape Agulhas (the southernmost tip of Africa)
• Travel via the scenic Tradouw Pass
• Cango Caves and an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn
• Wine tasting of the wines of Klein Karoo region
• Sunset cruise on the Knysna Lagoon
• Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary & Birds of Eden Sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay
• Tsitsikamma National Park and scenic Storms River Mouth
• Vibrant Soweto, Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum
• Two days of game viewing in the Kruger National Park including a thrilling open vehicle game safari
• Scenic Panorama Route including God’s Window, Three Rondavels, Blyde River Canyon, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes
• Carefully chosen optional activities that positively impact both the travellers and the destinations they visit

Sample Itinerary (Subject to Change):

Day 1: Arrive Cape Town, South Africa

On arrival in Cape Town you will be met and transferred to your hotel. South Africa’s Mother City is consistently voted one of the world’s best cities to visit. Cape Town is a small city packed with sightseeing attractions, excellent cafes, restaurants, and colourful craft markets. The remainder of your day is at your leisure (unescorted).

Day 2: Cape Town

Enjoy a full day at leisure. Perhaps join a sightseeing tour including Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and Constantia Winelands (optional, additional expense) or join us for an authentic, local experience on a full day out in the picturesque Cape Winelands, visiting Fairview Wine Estate and Babylonstoren Wine Estate (optional, own expense). Alternatively relax on one of Cape Town’s many pristine beaches. Although a small city, Cape Town is packed with sightseeing attractions, excellent bars, cafes, and restaurants as well as colourful craft markets.

Day 3: Cape Town – Cape Agulhas – Oudtshoorn

You will be met by your local tour guide and depart on a long drive today. Travel along Sir Lowry’s Pass, with its magnificent views, to Grabouw and Elgin, a lush landscape surrounded by majestic mountains. Continue to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The area has largely been untouched and unexplored with its rugged coastline being the graveyard for many a ship. The historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is considered the icon that signifies the tip of Africa. Continue via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62. Continue to Oudtshoorn, known as the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.

Day 4: Oudtshoorn

After a leisurely breakfast take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. Join a fun filled interactive guided tractor tour at a working Ostrich Farm, followed by a wine tasting, sampling top quality wines of the region.

Day 5: Oudtshoorn to Knysna

After breakfast travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa, with many historical landmarks like the King Edward VII Library building; said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town. Visit the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George. This museum offers a unique experience of the Garden Route’s railway history, showcasing a vast collection of vintage vehicles, locomotives and other transport related artifacts. The tour continues via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort, to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Enjoy a delicious lunch of traditional cuisine and local treats. The remainder of the day is at leisure until you join an afternoon sunset cruise on the Knysna Lagoon.

Day 6: Knysna

Today you’ll have the opportunity to further explore the natural beauty of the Garden Route. Visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary where you will be able to see a variety of primates roaming free in the forest. This award-winning sanctuary is well known for its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. A portion of the trip price goes towards ensuring that these already endangered species can survive and reproduce for a future reintroduction into the wild. The tour continues to the famous Eastern Head, where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Knysna Heads (weather permitting). Afterwards you’ll travel to Brenton on Sea, a breath-taking holiday location and a nature lover’s paradise with its unspoilt beaches and peaceful surroundings. The remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure.

Day 7: Knysna – Tsitsikamma

Travel to Plettenberg Bay, considered the jewel of the Garden Route. Stop at a family owned and managed textile mill, producing fine quality textiles using antique looms alongside modern weaving technology. Afterwards travel to the Birds of Eden sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. The sanctuary was developed to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds. A portion of the trip pricegoes towards protecting genetically pure species of various Taxa in a semi-wild state and to hold the seeds of these Taxa for future reintroduction into the wild. Continues to Bloukrans Bridge, currently offering the highest commercially operated Bungy Jump in the world. Visit the Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys covered in mountain Fynbos and temperate high forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea.

Day 8: Tsitsikamma – Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) – Johannesburg

Head eastwards along the Tsitsikamma Forest to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), affectionately known as the “friendly city”. Travel to Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport for an onward flight to Johannesburg (flight not included in tour price) where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax.

Day 9: Johannesburg

Spend a full day exploring Soweto and surrounds, where some of the watershed events in the struggle against apartheid occurred. The tour starts with a drive past the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. It was the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990. The drive continues through Diepkloof, home to Soweto’s richest and then to Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was officially adopted in 1955. Drive past the Regina Mundi Church that played a pivotal role in the township’s history of resistance against apartheid. Then onto Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners once lived (Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu). The afternoon will conclude with visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum that commemorate the role of the country’s students in the struggle against apartheid and the prestigious Apartheid Museum, that covers the full history of the Apartheid era in South Africa

Day 10: Johannesburg

Enjoy a full day at leisure and unescorted. Perhaps join a tour to Maropeng, the Cradle of Mankind (optional, additional expense) or enjoy some shopping at Nelson Mandela Square, home to a variety of shops and boutiques catering for all tastes and budgets.

Day 11: Johannesburg – Kruger National Park

Depart Johannesburg after breakfast, on a long drive today, heading to the Mpumalanga Province. After freshening up at your hotel enter the world-famous Kruger National Park and spend the afternoon game viewing in your closed touring vehicle. The Park offers some of the best game viewing and wildlife opportunities in the world – and the visitor will soon appreciate the challenges of managing this unique reserve. After an action-packed afternoon in the Kruger Park, enjoy authentic cuisine from the region at your hotel.

Day 12: Kruger National Park

The day begins early morning thrilling open vehicle game drive (with English speaking game ranger) through the Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. Your guide will endeavour to spoil you with sightings of the “Big Five”, general game and prolific bird life. There is an option (optional, own expense) to learn more about the Kruger Park Anti-Poaching Dog Unit. This specialist unit trains dogs to track poachers in the field, detect firearms, ammunition and wildlife products that enter and exit through the Kruger National Park gates. A portion of the trip price goes towards ensuring that these dogs receive the best possible care in support of the vital work they do. In the afternoon journey once again through the magnificent expanses of the Kruger National Park, unrivalled in its diversity of flora and fauna. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in your closed touring vehicle pursuing the Big Five and other rare and endangered species. Optional (additional expense) open vehicle game drives are available.

Day 13: Mpumalanga

Enjoy breakfast before setting out to explore the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the most scenic routes in the region offering glorious views, spectacular landscapes and exquisite waterfalls. Visit majestic sights including God’s Window, the Three Rondawels and Blyderiver Canyon – the third largest canyon of its kind in the world, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the charming village of Graskop, one of the first gold mining camps in the country. There are also optional (additional expense) open vehicle game drives are available, should you prefer not to join the Panorama Route tour.

Day 14: Mpumalanga – Johannesburg

Enjoy breakfast before starting the return journey to Johannesburg. Arrive in Johannesburg at OR Tambo International Airport at approximately 2.30pm, where your tour ends on arrival.

Here is a sample of some other Africa vacations we offer, we can also tailor a trip for you:

Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe – 21 Day Small Group Safari Tour

Best of South Africa, Swaziland & Lesotho – 20 Day Small Group Safari Tour

Wild Uganda – 11 Day Small Group Safari Tour

Botswana & Zimbabwe – 10 Day Small Group Safari Tour

South Africa Garden Route – 8 Day Small Group Safari Tour

Wild Tanzania – 7 Day Small Group Safari Tour

Luxury South Africa Safari – 7 Day Vacation Package

Madagascar Beaches & Lemurs – 8 Day Vacation Package

Tanzania Kilimanjaro Trek and Safari – 11 Day Vacation Package