Duration: Private Overland Tour
Location: Cape Town to Kruger
Price: : Enquire

About the Itinerary

Experience South Africa’s diverse wonders on this 8 Day adventure of a life-time, from the glittering magical beauty of Cape Town and its baffling Table Mountain to the vast wilderness of the Kruger National Park – Home of the Big 5 and countless Photo opportunities. Travel along one of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world and immerse yourself in the lush forest of the great Tsitsikamma.

(First stage) Experience two inspirational days in Cape Town, here you will explore Table Mountain and the City of Cape Town; Visit the Southern most tip of Africa “the Cape L”Agulhas”; explore the Cape Winelands and choose an outrageously exhilarating experience from a choice of many including (Shark Diving, Tandem Paragliding, a helicopter ride over the city or why not experience a cultural excursion into the heart of a typical Cape Town Township).

(Second Stage) Travel along one of the most beautiful costal routes in the world “the Garden route” from Cape Town through the famous route 69 to Africa’s very own whale capital Hermanus, navigate the dark pathways of an astonishing geological marvel, The mysterious Cango Caves. Make a nights stop at the picturesque town of Knysna where they live life- eat Oysters and drink Champagne for breakfast. Spend half a day swinging from one branch to the other in the lush green Tsitsikamma forest with the birds and monkeys of the garden of Eden.

(Third Stage) Why do Kruger with us,?. Kruger is pehaps one of the world’s greatest national parks. The diversity, density and sheer numbers of animals is almost unparalleled, and all of Africa’s iconic safari species – elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra – live out their dramatic days here, along with a supporting cast of 137 other mammals and over 500 varieties of bird. Experience this Animal Kingdom with someone who knows the vast network of roads allowing you unparalleled guided exploration.

Whats included

  • All Transport,Park entrance fees, Accommodation (B/B)and Guided Tours in Cape Town.
  • All Transport,Park entrance fees, Accommodation (B/B)and Guided Tours on the Garden Route
  • All Transport including flights,Park entrance fees, Accommodation (B/B)and Guided Tours in the Kruger National Park.

 

Quick Interesting Facts you didn’t know….

  • The Cape Garden Route: (Afrikaans: Tuinroete) is a 300 kilometersstretch of the south-western coast of South Africa which extends from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River in the Eastern Cape
  • Cango Caves: The first official guide of the Cango Caves was Johnny Van Wassenaar, who apparently walked for 29 hours to find the end to the cave system back in 1898..
  • An Ostrich: Most ostriches you see in South Africa are crossed with the Barbary ostrich of North Africa – smuggled into the country before World War I for its finer feathers.

 

Mini Map of the Tour Route

 

Flight Arrangements

AIRLINES FLIGHTS FROM DESTINATION GENERAL DEPARTS GENERAL ARRIVES
SAA Port Elizabeth/ PLZ Cape Town/CPT 12:10 13:50

Flight Arrangements Guests will be flying from Port Elizabeth onto Johannesburg. .

Garden Route & Kruger 8 days Itinerary

Day 1

Table Mountain

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, your dedicated guide for this spectacular journey will be waiting to take you to your first milestone experience, The Great Table Mountain.

South Africa’s most famous landmark, Table Mountain, is more than just a pile of rock in the bay. The Table Mountain has some of the world’s most remarkable features that makes it a great destination for nature-lovers, deserving of more than just a quick cable car ride to see the view from the top. The first European to ascend the Mountain was the Portuguese sailor, Antonio de Saldanha in 1503, who also gave it its iconic name.

The mountain forms part of Table Mountain National Park, which is globally recognized for its biodiversity and contains truly unique fauna and flora. The park encompasses the Table Mountain chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south, the seas and coastline of the Peninsula.

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  • Coastal Drive
  • After your descent from the Mountain, enjoy a scenic coastal drive through Clifton with its snowy white beaches. The sharp cliffs plunge vertically into the ocean and magnificent mansions that cling to the rock and seem to hang precariously over the edge of the mountain.

  • Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
  • We drive on from the Iconic beautiful affluent Camps bay, Sea-Point and then through Green Point past the R 4,5 Billion Cape Town Stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Hosted in South Africa. We head back into the city past the exclusive Victoria & Alfred Waterfront where we stop briefly for a quick orientation on this modern city gem.

  • Castle of Good Hope
  • We then arrive for a site tour of the historic Castle of Good Hope;
    Built by Jan van Riebeeck and later expanded by the Dutch East India Company, the building, which is an example of a “star fort”, was completed in 1679. The building’s 18th Century décor has been restored and now functions as a popular museum

  • Slave Lodge & Company Gardens
  • The Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town. The many names of the building over three centuries – Slave Lodge, Government Offices Building, Old Supreme Court, and SA Cultural History Museum – reflect the long and rich history of the building.In 1998 this museum was renamed the Slave Lodge

  • Bo-Kaap & The Bo-Kaap Museum
  • The Bo-Kaap Museum situated in the historic area that became home to many Muslims and freed slaves after the abolition of slavery, showcases local Islamic culture and heritage. The Bo-Kaap itself is well worth a visit. Colorful houses, steep cobbled streets, the muezzin’s calls to prayer, and children traditionally dressed for Madrassa, add to this unique Cape experience.

  • Lunch or Dinner Experience at The Africa Cafe
  • After an exciting day of breathtaking sightseeing, nothing says you are in Africa quite like enjoying a succulent African Dinner at the city’s famous Africa Café to conclude the day.
    Escape on a magical journey of culinary delights across the majestic African continent, accompanied by unique interactive traditional entertainment.
    The Africa Café, where we are to relax and have dinner has been the talk of the city for over 15 years.

     

    Day 2

  • Stellenbosch City Tour & Wine tasting experience
  • After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, your dedicated guide for this spectacular journey will be waiting to take you to your first milestone experience, today We visit perhaps one of the most interesting Towns in South Africa, its history and culture piques the interest of both visitors and scholars alike.
    In 1679 Simon van der Stel, while on an inspection of the outposts and a search for more arable land in the Hottentots Holland area, came across the Eerste Rivier (“First River”- named by Corporal Willem Muller simply because it was the first river he crossed on an expedition in 1655) and set up camp on an island formed by the double course of the river. He named the area Simon van der Stel se Bos (Simon van der Stel’s bush) and knew this beautiful valley called for settlement, it was suitable for agriculture and watered by the Eerste Rivier, later it became known as Stellenbosch (Stel’s Bush). We drive through Stellenbosch and experience 2 wine tasting before heading out to Simons Town to explore the Boulders beach Penquins:

  • Simons Town & The Penguins at Boulders Beach
  • The Boulders Beach penguins are about as famous as birds can be. They’re also ever-more endangered. The birds, who draw crowds of visitors who can’t resist their waddling ways, are under threat from loss of habitat, dwindling fish resources, and their human neighbours.Each year, around 60 000 visitors flock to Simonstown to photograph and watch the the famous Boulders Beach penguins. Few visitors though, realise that for all their amusing antics and endearing appearance, African penguins are increasingly endangered. We then leave the penguins in peace as we drive 20 min to one of the most popular spots in this Western Cape Coastline, the Cape Of Good Hope:

  • Cape Point Nature Reserve & Cape Of Good Hope
  • Bartholomeu Dias, the Portuguese seafarer, was the first to sail around the Cape (in 1488). On his return voyage, which must have been particularly stormy, Dias stopped at the south-western tip of South Africa, and named it Cabo Tormentoso, or Cape of Storms. King John of Portugal later gave it the name Cabo da Boa Esperança, or Cape of Good Hope. Another Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, rounded the Cape on 22 November 1497 on his way to India.The journeys of these explorers led to the establishment of the Cape sea route. We then head home via the most spectacular drive route in Africa, the Atlantic Seaboard and Chapman’s Peak.

    sign_post_south_africa_cape_point  capepoint_0006

  • The Atlantic Seaboard & Chapman’s Peak
  • Chapman’s Peak is about 15 kilometres south of Cape Town, South Africa. It is opposite the inlet on which the town of Hout Bay is centred., The western flank of the mountain falls sharply for hundreds of metres into the Atlantic Ocean. A spectacular road, known as Chapman’s Peak Drive, hugs the near-vertical face of the mountain from Hout Bay to Noordhoek.

    You are now dropped of back at your hotel to relax and prepare for a phenomenal few days yet to come as we meander through arguably the most scenic route in the world, the Western Cape’s Garden Route.

     

    Day 3

    Cango Caves Oudtshoorn

    Today After an early breakfast, we depart Hermanus for a 4hour drive to the Cango caves. This spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo is situated 29 km from Oudtshoorn at the head of the magnificent Congo Valley. The caves were discovered by Klaas Windvogel, a herder searching for his lost cattle in 1780. In 1898 the first official guide of the Cango Caves – Johnnie van Wassenaar – allegedly walked for 29 hours to find the end of the caves, legend goes that he calculated how far he had travelled to be 25 kilometres from the cave entrance and 275 metres underground!According to the Cango Caves website entrance to the caves cost five “rix dollars” in the 19th century, that’s the modern equivalent of around R500. Not that this deterred people from visiting the site at all. In fact, groups took advantage of the natural treasure and carted away parts of the delicate stalactites and stalagmites for souvenirs or carved their names, graffitistyle onto the walls. Due to this the governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Charles Somerset published the first Caves Regulation in 1820. The first law was designed to protect the environmental resource in South Africa and banned the collection of souvenirs, charged fines for the defacing of the caves and determined an entrance fee to be paid to the District Officer

    • Leg-stretchers Swellendam & Ladysmith .
    • Activity Guided walking Tour of the Cango Caves & If time permitting perhaps a drive up the Swartberg Pass for some sunset gazing.
    • Dinner in Oudtshoorn Buffelsdrift Game Lodge Restaurant (restaurant also expands to the wooden deck, overlooking our 5ha waterhole filled with big fish, turtles and hippo. If you are lucky, you might even spot the elephants and other game on the opposite bank..)
    • Accommodation in Oudtshoorn 1 night at the 4* Die Fonteine Guest House.

    Cango Caves

    Day 4

    Highgate Ostrich Farm, George onto Knysna

    At Daybreak after a heart breakfast we head out 15mins drive from the Guest house to “Highgate Ostrich Farm” where we will get to see and interact with Ostriches. This Farm has been telling the fascinating story of these fascinating birds and ostrich farming in Oudtshoorn for over a hundred years, and its tours have delighted visitors from all over the world. Meet ostriches face to face, learn about ostrich farming, and enjoy everyone’s favourite – ostrich races! We are one of the most popular things to do in Oudtshoorn. People describe us as family fun, interesting and informative, great experience, ostriches and more ostriches, and more…

    Highgate Ostrich Farm

    George

    After our Ostrich rendezvous, we head on to the beautiful little town of George, If history is to be believed, then this beautiful part of the world was only explored in 1688, well after Dias had landed in Mossel Bay in 1488, in the hope of finding meat and fresh water. To the Khoi people, who lived in this rich valley, the region was known as Outeniqualand – the ‘land of milk and honey’ – which aptly describes this lush and green paradise. A settlement was established here in 1811 and named George Town after the reigning monarch of England at the time.

    Knysna Sundown Experience

    We arrive in this quaint beautiful town of Knysna just in time to Checking and drive to Buffalo Bay, (otherwise known as Buffeslbaai, Buffalo Bay or simply Buffs) is a rustic sea-side resort town for people looking for a real holiday away from their busy lives. For much of the year Buffels Bay’s homes are empty, leaving the town to its quiet and simple ways. During the peak summer season it becomes a bustling, energetic place where one struggles to find parking near the beach.

    For the evening Treat after a relaxing beach walk we’ll take you to you evening treat of the day;the Featherbed Paddle Cruiser on the Knysna Lagoon is the perfect end to a day filled with awesome do’s. Its classic Mississippi-style furnishings – at times complemented by a jazz band – make for a great ambience as you dine in its on-board restaurant.?

    • Leg-stretchers George .
    • Activity Guided Ostrich Experience & Town Centre walk of the Town of George.
    • Dinner in KnysnaJohn Benn Dinner Cruise (1 1/2 Hour – Buffet Dinner Cruise on Paddle Cruiser. The Paddle Cruiser is South Africa’s only paddle-driven vessel, offering a unique and unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon.Paddle Cruiser – to Knysna Heads – Buffet Dinner – Two full bars.)
    • Accommodation in Knysna1 night at the 4* Knysna River Club.

    Evening view of the Knysna’s Waterfront

    Day 5

    Knysna

    Knysna is a natural paradise of lush, indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches. She nestles on the banks of a breathtakingly pretty lagoon, now a protected marine reserve that is home to the extraordinary sea horse and over 200 species of fish.
    Beaches, lakes, mountains and rivers provide endless opportunity for leisure and outdoor adventure. Within the town, craft shops, flea-markets and cosy cafés beckon with small-town charm and hospitality. The area around Knysna is a veritable Garden of Eden. This is home of the only forest elephant in South Africa, the rare Pansy Shell, the brilliantly coloured, and elusive, Knysna Loerie, a plethora of waterfowl and forest birds, dolphins and visiting whales.

    A part of the migratory route of the Southern Right and other whale species, it is possible to view these marine mammals during the months of August and September, while dolphins are year round visitors. For thrillseekers, options abound, with everything from paragliding over the coastline, abseiling and skydiving, to scuba diving and tree top canopy tours within easy reach of the town.
    The harbour area and the Knysna Waterfront is also home to most of Knysna’s nightlife, with several bars, restaurants and clubs where patrons can enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset over the heads. Golf enthusiasts will find the area a treat, with several world-class courses on offer both in Knysna itself, and in neighbouring towns. Fancourt in George is within easy reach, and Simola, Pezula and the Knysna golf course are all located in the town itself..

    • Leg-stretchers George .
    • Activity Guided Ostrich Experience & Town Centre walk of the Town of George.
    • Dinner in KnysnaJohn Benn Dinner Cruise (1 1/2 Hour – Buffet Dinner Cruise on Paddle Cruiser. The Paddle Cruiser is South Africa’s only paddle-driven vessel, offering a unique and unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon.Paddle Cruiser – to Knysna Heads – Buffet Dinner – Two full bars.)
    • Accommodation in Knysna1 night at the 4* Knysna River Club.

    Town view of Knysna

    Day 5

    (Option 1-Addo Elephant Park)

    The Park stretches from the semi-arid karoo of the north, over the Zuurberg Mountains and down through the Sundays River valley to the coast, to between the mouths of the Sundays and Bushman’s rivers.

    Addo is home to one of the densest African Elephant populations on earth, roughly 550 of them. They once roamed the entire continent. By 1979 there were only 1.3 million African elephants left, and in 1989 they were added to the international list of the most endangered species, with only sixteen left in the Greater Addo area.
    The Elephants play a key role in the environment – pulling down trees, breaking up bushes, and digging waterholes and trails. Their droppings are particularly important as baboons and birds pick them over for undigested seeds and nuts, and the dung beetle (the flightless dung beetle is only found in Addo) use them in which to reproduce.

    More recently the Addo Elephant National Park has expanded to become the only park in the world to lay claim to Africa’s ‘Big 7’ – elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, southern right whale and great white shark. It has done this by expanding along the coast from the Sundays River mouth towards Alexandria, and by adding an offshore marine reserve that includes St Croix Island and Bird Island, both essential breeding grounds for penguins and gannets. St Croix has the largest African penguin colony in the world.

    A first in Africa. Enjoy the unequaled beauty of the indigenous forest high up on ten treetop platforms. Gently glide along in a harness, on steel cables 30 meters above the forest floor.Birdlife is abundant (including Knysna Loeries and the elusive Narina Trojan), and your guides will explain the ecology of the lush primeval forest.
    Safety is paramount, and the system has been built to the highest civil engineering standards. Guides are fully-trained professionals.

    Addo Elephant Park

    To see elephant, head to the waterholes of the Addo Elephant reserve. In the hot climate of Africa, elephants need roughly 190 litres of water to drink on a daily basis. Their trunks, which are something like large and long hosepipes, have a 23 litre capacity. The main rest camp in particular overlooks a waterhole with an underground viewing area that gets you up close to the elephants. Often you need do little more than remain around this hole to see herds of elephant.
    An overnight stay out of season is even better, as once the noise of the daily visitors subsides then the watering hole becomes quiet and still. Guided game drives at sunrise, sunset and at night offer more chance of sighting the rest of the Big 5. And if you prefer to do the viewing in the comfort of your own car, guides are available in a ‘hop-on’ service. Elephants are known to come within metres of visitors’ cars.

    There are four accommodation options in the reserve – the Addo main rest camp, camp Matyholweni rest camp, Narina bush camp, and the Spekboom tented camp. At night you can hear hyenas and lions really close to the camp.

    • Leg-stretchers George .
    • Activity Guided Ostrich Experience & Town Centre walk of the Town of George.
    • Dinner in KnysnaJohn Benn Dinner Cruise (1 1/2 Hour – Buffet Dinner Cruise on Paddle Cruiser. The Paddle Cruiser is South Africa’s only paddle-driven vessel, offering a unique and unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon.Paddle Cruiser – to Knysna Heads – Buffet Dinner – Two full bars.)
    • Accommodation in Knysna1 night at the 4* Knysna River Club.

    Addo Elephant Park

    Day 5

    (Option 2-Tsitsikamma National Park)

    The Tsitsikamma region is like a treasure trove; a crypt overflowing with protected indigenous forest that bears ancient trees like yellowwood, hard pear, stinkwood, and ironwood; fynbos covered landscape and the appearance of entrancing animals and birds, like the shy Knysna loerie.

    Described as the ‘garden of the garden route’, the Tsitsikamma actually deserves a more vivid description to encapsulate the beauty of the place. Far from being a garden, the Tsitsikamma is a place where magic and the ancient have merged to create a fairytale.
    The Tsitsikamma forest is a huge protected conservation area that supports an incredibly diverse ecosystem. This isn’t any forest. It is eons old and trees tower above one as one walks in the immediate cool and shade their protective cover creates; the floor of the forest an intricate trail of ferns, moss and fragile fungi.

    Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours
    But it is the waters contained in rivers that have carved their way through mountains to create spectacular gorges that have earned the area its unusual name. From these trickle streams that wend their way through vegetation, complete with crystal clear pools that glisten over river pebbles. The deep gorges widen as the rivers make their way to the sea through a series of kloofs and waterfalls. Storms River mouth is one of the most magnificent of these, complete with suspension bridge that spans the mouth and offers visitors incredible views.

    Tsitsikamma Forest

    Flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg

    • Transport. Flight from Port Elizabeth Airport to Oliver Tambo International Airport Johannesburg
    • Transfere. Airport Transfere from Airport to Hotel Arranged
    • Dinner in Johannesburg:Premier Hotel OR Tambo
    • Accommodation in Johannesburg:1 night at the 4* Premier Hotel OR Tambo.

     

    Day 6

    Classic Kruger Park Safari Experience Day 1

    Enjoy an authentic, luxury safari at one of these unique private safari lodges: Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge, Imbali Safari Lodge, Hamilton’s Tented Camp and Makalali Private Game Lodge. Each of these lodges or camps offers a distinctive, individual and totally unique setting from where you can head out with your ranger and tracker to explore the untamed bushveld. You will never forget the sounds and sights of Africa’s magnificent wildlife in a pristine and evocative bush setting.

    Your driver will collect you from the Hotel for a shuttle by road from Johannesburg to Northern Sabi Sands. High tea at lodge followed by afternoon open vehicle game drive. Dinner and overnight at lodge. The Classic Kruger Park Safari will be based at one of the following luxury private lodges:

    • Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge. A unique Tsonga-styled private lodge in an exclusive concession of the world-famous Kruger National Park.
    • Imbali Safari Lodge:Tsonga inspired thatched lodge with African patterned tapestries and traditional artefacts, stone columns and the trees that are emerging through the teak deck.
    • Hamiltons Tented CampA tented camp reflecting a safari adventure of the early 1900s when grace and style were the epitome of luxurious living.
    • Makalali Private Game LodgeA pristine and ethnic bush retreat, with thatched spires and earthy walls, ancient mystical ornaments and Pan African cuisine.

     

    (Hoyo Hoyo Game Lodge)

    Distinct thatched peaks that peep over the tree-line and flashes of burnt orange through lush Leadwood trees signal guests’ arrival at Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge, set on the banks of the Mluwati River in the heart of the Kruger National Park.
    A celebration of the local Tsonga culture, from its traditional rondawel rooms to the splashes of tribal design and earthy tones defining its interiors, Hoyo Hoyo exudes a hearty spirit of warmth and welcoming.

       

     

    Day 7

    A day in the Kruger Day 2

    Early morning tea & coffee followed by open vehicle game drive. Return to the lodge for breakfast. Lunch and afternoon high tea followed by open vehicle game drive. Dinner and overnight at lodge. As one of the first private concessions in the Kruger National Park, Mluwati has worked tirelessly to ensure the sustainability of this pristine wilderness that for over 100 years has been a sanctuary for over 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians, 336 tree species and 147 mammal species, including Africa’s Big Five.

    Keen birders will delight in the hundreds of bird species that call Kruger home. Over 500 species, in fact many of which occur in the Mluwati Concession including the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Crested Barbet and Burchell’s Glossy Starling.

    Guests will enjoy some of Kruger’s most spectacular landscapes and an extraordinary variety of wildlife, birdlife and plantlife within the Mluwati Concession, ensuring that each safari experience will be unique.

    Experience a morning and evening game drive during your stay at Hoyo Hoyo. Witness the excitement of the first rains; the terrapins playing in river pools, the call of the Pied Kingfisher and steady chirping of tree frogs.

    Savour the rich smells of the bush, hear the shrill calls of the Magpie shrike and see the wind blowing through the feather grass dotting the savannah plains.

    A Hoyo Hoyo game drive will reveal new scents, curious sounds and the beauty of an extraordinary African landscape to delight your senses.

    Day 8

    Johannesburg Tranfere

    Early morning breakfast before road transfer with driver only to Johannesburg. Arrive in Johannesburg in the early evening at approximately 18h30.

     

    ****(We bid you Farewell for now)*****