We travel inland via Route 62 which will will usher you from the tranquil vineyards to cinematic mountain vistas and the unique beauty of the semi-arid Klein Karoo. Enjoy lunch (own account) and partake in a wine tasting (own account) should you wish.
Arrive in Oudtshoorn in the late afternoon, which is considered to be the ostrich capital of South Africa and you will soon find out why.
Enjoy the Klein Karoo hospitality whilst having dinner in town (own account).
Take a short hike to a meerkat-burrow and experience first-hand their social structures and behaviour (own account and weather dependent). After breakfast guests can take in the town of Oudtshoorn, visiting the famous Cango Caves, then visit a primary school witnessing one of the local upliftment success story (time permitted)
Guests enjoy lunch (own account) at the Ostrich farm before boarding a tractor for a guided tour. After the tour you return to Oudtshoorn to visit the CP Nel Museum (own account), declared a National Monument in 1980. Spending the rest of the afternoon indulging in the sights and sounds of the Klein Karoo and its people.
Enjoy dinner in town (own account) before making your way back to your hotel.
Queens Hotel or similar – bed and breakfast
The tour departs for the historic town of Graaff-Reinet, enjoying the open-air vistas of the Greater Karoo en-route. Embark on a guided tour to the Valley of Desolation and experience the hauntingly beautiful “Cathedral of the Mountains” in the Camdeboo National Park. Spectacular 120m-high cliffs and columns of eroded volcanic rock stand sentinel over parched Karoo plains. Guests overnight at the Drostdy Hotel; built on the site of the first magistrate’s court dating back to 1806. Parts of the hotel include the restored Stretch’s Court; a lane of Cape Dutch cottages originally built to accommodate tradesmen in 1850.
Enjoy dinner at the hotel (own account).
Sit down to a leisurely breakfast before heading off into town for a walk around Graaff-Reinet, a gem that lies in the horse-shoe bend of the Sundays River and boasts more proclaimed national monuments than any other South African town. Enjoy lunch (own account) en-route to the Zuurberg Mountains, adjacent to the third largest National Park in South Africa, the Addo Elephant National Park. The park is home to more than 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, over 48 endangered black rhino as well as a variety of antelope species. Lion and spotted hyena have also recently been re-introduced to the area.
Tonight dinner will be served at your hotel.
After breakfast, head towards the magnificent and picturesque Addo Elephant National Park, where you will enjoy a full day game drive in an open safari vehicle.
This park offers some of the most spectacular elephant viewing in the world, in addition to the ‘Big 5’ and other antelope species which are in abundance in the main game area of the park. These include red hartebeest, eland, kudu and bushbuck whilst gemsbok, black wildebeest, springbok, buffalo and black rhino are found in the arid nama-karoo area. The Burchell’s zebra, Cape mountain zebra, spotted hyenas, mountain reedbuck, baboons, blue duiker, aardwolf and red rock rabbit are some of the other game species found in the park.
Enjoy lunch in the park before moving onto the second part of the game drive. This malaria-free park offers you the opportunity to engage in the boundless amount of animal and birdlife across the 120 000 hectares of land.
Upon your return to your hotel, delight in a delicious dinner before retiring for the night.
After breakfast, depart Addo to the magical Garden Route offering a diverse variety of sights and experiences. Your first stop brings you to Storms River where you can take in the dramatic sights on the suspension bridge of the great Storms River Mouth.
Enjoy lunch (own account) in the mystical Tsitsikamma Forest area renowned for its indigenous forests, dramatic coastline. On arrival at the hotel in the late afternoon, indulge in decadent dinner (own account).
The Rex Hotel or similar – bed and breakfast
Following breakfast, guests can spend the day at leisure, or on optional excursions in and around Knysna.
Guests can visit the Featherbed Nature Reserve (own account, including lunch) where the local guide will keep you entertained with stories about Knysna while you enjoy the panoramic views on board the ferry and a Unimog drawn trailer.
An optional 2.2km guided nature walk through the forest and along the coast is recommended. Guests can enjoy a buffet lunch at the Forest Restaurant under a canopy of milkwood trees, on the edge of the lagoon (own account)
In the late afternoon, guests board a boat and enjoy a relaxed and informative sunset Knysna oyster tour. The cruise goes to the Knysna Heads, where an amazing photo opportunity awaits - you are then served with wine and fresh oysters on the return trip.
Tonight, you will dine at the hotel (own account)
The Rex Hotel or similar – bed and breakfast
After an early breakfast, we have a brief stop-over at the quaint and picturesque town of Swellendam before visiting the most Southernmost point of Africa at Cape Agulhas, the geographical meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
Once you have arrived at the beautiful town of Hermanus, take in the sights and sounds of the unparalleled scenic beauty, modern infrastructure and upmarket shops of this bustling hub, most famous for its breathtaking scenery and shore-based whale watching spots.
Hermanus is built along the beautiful shores of Walker Bay and is the official whale watching capital of the world, surrounded by majestic mountains, indigenous fynbos and spectacular natural beauty with its residents being the heart and soul of the town.
Arrive at your hotel late afternoon. Perfectly placed in the heart of one of the world’s richest plant kingdoms, this hotel offers a wealth of elegance and service. Enjoy dinner at your hotel or in town (own account).
Arabella Spa & Hotel or similar – bed and breakfast
After breakfast we depart for one of South Africa’s oldest towns, Franschhoek which is nestled between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape Winelands. Franschhoek promises world class cuisine and the finest wines. Enjoy lunch (own account) in town. The tour will end in Cape Town at your hotel in the late afternoon.
