Met on arrival by your guide at Cape Town International Airport, from where we shall travel to the beautiful coastal village, Langebaan, the Jewel of the West Coast. It is situated approximately 150km west of Cape Town. Lunch options en route may vary according to the time of arrival in Cape Town but may include a stop-over at Route 27 Roosterkoek at Vygevallei Farmstall or local food at Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre.
Check-in at Windtown Lagoon Hotel for dinner and overnight in Langebaan.
Take a stroll down to the beach and take in the wonderful sunset of the West Coast.
After enjoying a fabulous breakfast we will meet up with Eddie, a retired South African National Parks Ranger of the West Coast National Park. He will spend the day with us, sharing his long family history of fishermen and whale hunters as well as his passion for the land. His in-depth knowledge of the fauna and flora of this unique region is extraordinary. Eddie was born in 1950 in a house below the cliff next to the Langebaan Lagoon, so he grew up connected to the sea and the coast, developing the type of knowledge that is best acquired from childhood passion, he is a skilful story teller and kept us entertained for hours on end.
Dinner and overnight at Windtown Lagoon Hotel, Langebaan
Having driven the scenic route to Lambert’s Bay and amazed at the natural beauty of the kaleidoscope of colours, we enjoy lunch at Isabella’s where the fish is so fresh it smacks of the sea. The Cape Gannets at Bird Island, with their distinctive eye makeup and yellow heads combined with their unique crash landings on their piece of real estate, is the most splendid sighting of birds you will experience for a very long time. Such beauty is nature’s work of art.
After this sensory experience, we drive to Clanwilliam, the home of Rooibos, the antioxidant herbal tea most loved by locals. We spend the night in this humble town and marvel at the landscapes in the area.
Mountains peaking at over 6000ft (2026m), the area is home to unique biomes of wildflowers rarely seen elsewhere. The colours of the flowers against the backdrop of these glacial sandstone mountains, is truly breath-taking. A rare sight indeed. Imagine enjoying a delicious meal at the onsite restaurant while reliving your experience with fellow travellers.
Nieuwoudtville (pronounced Newtville by the locals) is home to the most spectacular scenery of wildflowers.
Today we travel to Traveller’s Rest to start our tour of the spectacular Sevilla Rock art and Flower Trail. The Cederberg, one of the majestic ranges of the Cape Folded Mountains, is home to magnificent specimens of rock art – evidence of early human habitation – made by our indigenous people, the San Bushmen.
We check in to overnight at Letsatsi (meaning sun) Lodge, which is set amongst the Karoo succulents where we experience the genuine hospitality of our people.
After checking out, we will make an epic drive through the semi-desert area that has been transformed into a kaleidoscopic tapestry of wildflowers.
Surely one of the natural wonders of the world, the sight of the blooming flowers that have transformed this dry landscape into a symphony of colours, will energise your soul for years to come.
Travelling through areas like Springbok, Bitterfontein and Garies in the Namaqualand area, we will also visit the Olifants River Valley Wine Route to taste some of the most amazing wines produced in this semi-desert area.
Spending two nights in the Springbok Inn Country Hotel, we will marvel at the endless delights we can savour in this area.
After all the frenetic activity and long drives, today we continue at a more sedate pace to fill our senses with the sights, smells and sounds of Springbok as we head to the Goegap Nature Reserve. Here we will also hear about the historic nature of this small town by visiting the Blue Mine, site of the first copper mine in Africa, (sadly now in ruins), the smelting furnace at Orbicule Hill, so named after the orbicular diorite (previously found only in Scandinavia) dating to 1871 and now a national monument. Here we also find the old Synagogue and the old Anglo Boer War gravestones.
Overnight in the Springbok Inn Country Hotel.
Today sees us moving back South towards Clanwilliam and we follow the now spreading wildflowers. With the sun behind us, we will see the full, grand display of the most beautiful wildflowers ever seen in a natural state.
En route we will stop off, have lunch and partake in a beautiful demonstration of the local dance – called Rieldans – as performed by the young adults in the area over hundreds of years ago.
At the Clanwilliam Country Hotel you will have time at leisure and also spend the night before our onward journey to Cape Town.
After checking out, we head towards Cape Town, tasting our way all the way back.
When we get to Citrusdal, we will visit a Rooibos tea farm and enjoy a guided tour of the farm and have a magnificent Rooibos tea tasting presented by the owners. You will be able to stock up on Rooibos tea for back home.
Overnight at Cape Town Hollow Hotel.
At leisure in Cape Town with opportunity to visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
Overnight at Cape Town Hollow Hotel.
Departure from Cape Town International.
