After departing Port Elizabeth we travel westwards along the Garden Route, which follows the Indian Ocean coastline and is bordered inland by soaring mountain ranges and indigenous forests.
Visit the spectacular Tsitsikamma region which is full of adventure. Enjoy a gentle hike to the suspension bridge over Storms River Mouth and then tuck into lunch (own account) in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
For the energetic among you, an optional Treetop Canopy tour or Kayak & Lilo adventure up the Storms River could get the pulse going ... the options really are endless and all up to your appetite for adventure.
We will eventually arrive in Plettenberg Bay, where we overnight.
For those brave enough, you can do the worlds highest commercial bungy jump at Bloukrans Bridge of over 200m to the river below!
A full day to explore Plettenberg Bay & The Crags, the list of optional activities seems endless in this adventure region:
> Monkeyland
> Birds of Eden
> Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary
> Robberg Peninsula Hike
> Ocean Safari to view whales, dolphins, seals, etc
We slowly meander through Knysna visiting the Heads, the lake district of Wilderness, surrounded by mountains, ocean, lakes and lagoons. Wilderness makes for a tranquil and splendid destination. Enjoy the stunning and unspoilt scenery at Dolphin Point and Map of Africa lookout points (weather permitting).
Heading over the Outeniqua Pass (one of many in the area) we drop into the Klein Karoo and arrive into Oudtshoorn. In the late afternoon, we make our way to a 20 million-year-old natural treasure at the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, the Cango Caves. Descend the 200 steps of Jacob’s Ladder into the Great Hall and continue into King Solomon’s Mine. Leaving this subterranean wonderland, we head back towards Oudtshoorn, which boasts the highest number of sunny days compared to any other place in South Africa.
Relax and enjoy the friendly Klein Karoo hospitality, with dinner (included) at your lodge.
For those that want some fresh air and light exercise, enjoy a 10km beach walk from Brenton on Sea to Buffalo Bay before carrying on with your travels.
After your country breakfast, we journey along Route 62 (longest wine route in the world) through the Klein Karoo and in a secluded valley, which was once a lake, we’ll discover Calitzdorp, South Africa’s port wine capital. Port can be a bit of an acquired taste due to its strength and sweetness, but that’s a journey we are happy to help you start on.
We travel through the small artists town of Barrydale at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains then cut through them on the Tradauw Pass where you will notice the scenery starts to change dramatically. It’s often said that South Africa has one of the most varied landscapes of any country, and there’s nowhere better to see this than on the drive from the semi-arid desert like Klein Karoo back down to the coast.
Our final destination today is the seaside village of Arniston. You can either enjoy dinner (own account) at the hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean or maybe take a short meander into the historic fishing village of Kasiesbaai where you are invited to take part in a traditional evening meal by candlelight in one of the fishermen’s houses. The meals are prepared by the fishermen’s wives, a rather authentic experience.
Enjoy a Meerkat Safari (own account, weather depending and if you can wake up early enough) where you will head into the veld and await the cute Meerkats as they slowly come out of their burrow to start their day.
The Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum is well worth a visit to read up on the rich local Maritime history.
The Arniston harbour is where you can watch the fishing boats come in is located right in front of the hotel. Next to the harbour you will find the historical fishing village of Kassiesbaai, which welcomes strollers and photographers.
We visit the rugged, windswept beauty of the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. A place where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cool Atlantic, the Cape of Storms has caused many an ancient mariners to brave its waters and wreck their ships in the name of exploration and adventure.
We also pop into the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum for an intimate account of some of these tragedies and learn about how the human spirit triumphed in adversity. One of the more famous sinking incidents was that of the HMS Birkenhead, from where the "Birkenhead Drill" protocol originates as the soldiers famously stood firm on board, thereby allowing the "women and children first" to board the boats safely and escape the sinking.
We continue our journey to the scenic coastal town of Hermanus, renowned for its whale watching, a place where Southern Right whales return annually during the winter and early spring months (July to November).
Spend time walking the cliff paths viewing whales, maybe joining a boat based whale watching trip in Walker Bay (your guide can arrange) and there is also the Hemel-en-Aarde valley behind the town for some great wine tasting and picturesque lunch venues.
Continue our sweeping coastal route through Bettys Bay for a quick visit to the Stony Point Penguin Colony, then along the scenic Clarens Drive overlooking False Bay with its panoramic views of Cape Point and Table Mountain, before arriving back to the mother city of Cape Town.
Enjoy a morning stroll to the Waenhuiskrans, the other name for the town and that of a cave only accessible on the low tide which asccording to local legend is large enough to store an oxwagon. A little further along the white sandy beach is the point where you can view ancient fish traps used the the bushmen for hundreds of years.
The combination of shallow, clear, warm water and numerous fantastic vantage points makes Arniston one of the best land-based whale-watching destinations in the world. You may very well see a Southern Right Whale and her calf bask and frolic in the crystalline turquoise waters of the Mozambique current mere metres from the coastline.
