Visit: Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Tsitsikamma, Game Lodge, Hermanus, Franschoek
Year Round – small group or tailor made
Accommodation: boutique guesthouse and hotel, game lodge
Garden Route, Karoo and Winelands Tour (Cape Town – Cape Town)
South Africa’s famous Garden Route never disappoints, stunning coastal scenery, whales and dolphins, the little Karoo desert, a safari experience and the Cape Winelands. This trip combines the best elements along the Garden Route for a journey beyond expectation.
This round trip begins in Cape Town and travels through Barrydale, Oudtshoorn and Knysna, where you will experience local life at a farm school, before enjoying the ‘ostrich feather capital’ Oudtshoorn and Knysna, a verdant paradise. Your safari will be reveled in at a private game reserve that is malaria-free and features the Big Five. The journey concludes with a trip to Hermanus, a whale-watching mecca (in season) and ending in Franschhoek, South Africa’s French corner, where wine and art create the ambience of a distinguished experience.
➤Day 1 – Cape Town to Oudtshoorn
This morning you will be met at your hotel by your representative and depart for the ‘Little Karoo’, travelling via Montagu, a picturesque spa town. Enjoy tea and scones at the only original Art Deco Hotel in South Africa. Stop off in the town of Barrydale, where we will have the opportunity to visit a local farm school, interact with the children and teachers, spending time with them in the classroom, learning more about this rural community. A portion of the trip monies go towards our Barrydale Farm School Development Fund, that support local education of underprivileged children in rural communities. (The school visit is subject to the school being open). Sample top quality port style wines in Calitzdorp, before continuing to Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Overnight in Oudtshoorn. Enjoy dinner at an Ostrich Farm, dining on local specialities. [Dinner]
La Plume is a Boutique Guest House with Spa on a working ostrich, alfalfa, and cattle farm offering spectacular views of the Swartberg Mountains and the Olifants River Valley. A warm welcome awaits you at this charming 1902 Victorian homestead with its tranquil surroundings where old-world charm is combined with modern comforts to ensure extraordinary service and personal attention.
La Plume offers stylish luxury with a diverse range of accommodation from a Cottage, Private Farm Villa, Luxury Rooms to Luxury Junior Suite, Honeymoon and Superior Suites.
The restaurant serves a full English Breakfast Buffet, lunch menu, picnic baskets, cheese platters and for dinner enjoy a Four Course Buffet with exceptional local wine in the candlelit dining room of the 1902 Victorian homestead.
Join the owner for an informative tour of this working ostrich, alfalfa and cattle farm. Learn about the day to day activities in the life of a full-time farmer and one of the few experts on the ostrich industry.
Distance Travelled 418 km /260 ml
➤Day 2 – Knysna
After 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. Return to Oudtshoorn for a fun filled interactive tour and light lunch at an Ostrich Farm, including local specialities such as Ostrich Steak.
Your journey continues over the scenic Outeniqua Pass to George, the administrative hub of the Garden Route area and then onto Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Along the way, visit the ‘Map of Africa’, an extraordinary viewpoint in Wilderness. Overnight in Knysna for 2 nights.
[Breakfast & Lunch on day 2]
Distance travelled today: 204 kms
The Rex Hotel is a sophisticated 4 star hotel located in the coastal town of Knysna known for its natural beauty of beaches, forests, lakes, and sea. It promises a warm welcome, timeless elegance and exceptional comfort with superior service to guests, ensuring a special experience during their stay.
The Saltwater Bistro at The Rex Hotel serves a daily buffet breakfast in a contemporary setting, made with the freshest ingredients from Knysna. The hotel provides a gateway for travellers to experience Knysna’s top restaurants, thriving forests, nature reserves, arts and crafts, and peaceful lagoon shores.
➤Day 3 – Knysna – Plettenberg Bay – Knysna
After a leisurely breakfast, drive through the Tsitsikamma Forests. Explore this breath-taking stretch of the Garden Route, where mountains, indigenous forests, deep gorges, and lush vegetation hug the rugged coastline of cliffs and sandy beaches. Visit the spectacular Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). In the afternoon you’ll return to Knysna, with a stop in Plettenberg Bay, originally christened “Bahia Formosa” (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers.
There is an option (for own account and subject to availability) to visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, where you will be able to see a variety of primates, roaming free in the forest. A portion of the trip price of this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, goes towards ensuring that these already endangered species can survive and reproduce for a future reintroduction into the wild. The experience directly advances UN Global Goal 15: Life on Land.
There is also an option (for own account and subject to availability) to visit the Birds of Eden Sanctuary, the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. A portion of the trip price of this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience goes 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. The experience directly advances UN Global Goal 15: Life on Land. Lunch will be enjoyed en route.
Overnight in Knysna. [Breakfast & Lunch]
Distance travelled today: 200 kms
➤DAY 4 – Knysna – Albertinia
After a leisurely breakfast, travel via George and Mossel Bay to Albertinia, a town set against the backdrop of the majestic Langeberg Mountain Range. En route, enjoy a leisurely walk or swim at Victoria Bay, one of the smallest and most beautiful bays along the Garden Route.
Join an afternoon open vehicle game drive, at a malaria free private game reserve, that is home to an abundance of animal and birdlife, including the Big Five. Enjoy a relaxed dinner of safari cuisine, discussing the day’s game viewing.
Overnight in the region of Albertina. [Breakfast & Dinner]
Garden Route Game Lodge is situated in Albertinia, South Africa, near the Albertinia Museum, the Theronsville Community Hall, Tuinplaas Tiny Town and the Boswa Survival Garden Route. Units feature air-conditioning, a safety deposit box, a minibar, a telephone, an en-suite bathroom, a shower and tea and coffee facilities. There is an on-site restaurant where guests can enjoy meals. Additional amenities include a swimming pool, a poolside terrace, a sauna and a steam room
Distance travelled today: 150 kms
➤DAY 5 – Albertina – Hermanus
Your safari adventure continues with an early morning open vehicle game drive. Your expert guide will try to show you sightings of the ‘Big Five’, general game and prolific bird life. Leaving the bush behind, your journey will take you to the picturesque Cape Dutch town of Swellendam.
This charming town was founded in 1745 and is famous for its youngberries, eclectic architecture, and National Parks, as well as outdoor activities.
Your journey further continues to the seaside resort of Hermanus, known as the heart of the whale route, offering the best land-based whale watching (August to November) in the world. Dinner at the Heritage Restaurant, one of the oldest fisherman’s cottages in Hermanus, where delectable dishes are created using seasonal, local produce. Overnight in Hermanus. [Breakfast & Dinner]
Misty Waves Boutique Hotel, Hermanus
Absolutely stunning sea views from your luxurious bedroom make for perfect whale viewing in season. Spacious Suites, some with four poster beds have spa baths, lounge area and private verandah. Refined luxury’s such as: mini-bar, satellite Television, room service etc. Only a minute’s walk from the historic Hermanus Village centre and all its attractions. Scrumptious breakfasts in “Heritage Restaurant” , as well as all day room service, pool service and dinner.
Distance travelled today: 370 kms
➤DAY 6 – Hermanus – Cape town
After a leisurely breakfast depart Hermanus and travel to Franschhoek, a picturesque village surrounded by spectacular vineyards, where French Huguenots settled more than 300 years ago, bringing with them their age-old French wine and food culture.
Our guide will take us on a tour through Franschhoek village, sharing with us the fascinating history of the French Huguenots, then drive past the Victor Verster prison, where Nelson Mandela was released from in 1990. Finally, onto Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa, spectacularly set at the foot of Table Mountain where the tour ends on arrival. [Breakfast]
Distance travelled today: 180 kms
Garden Route
South Africa’s famous Garden Route never disappoints, stunning coastal scenery, whales and dolphins, the little Karoo desert, a safari experience and the Cape Winelands. This trip combines the best elements along the Garden Route for a journey beyond expectation.
This round trip begins in Cape Town and travels through Barrydale, Oudtshoorn and Knysna, where you will experience local life at a farm school, before enjoying the ‘ostrich feather capital’ Oudtshoorn and Knysna, a verdant paradise. Your safari will be reveled in at a private game reserve that is malaria-free and features the Big Five. The journey concludes with a trip to Hermanus, a whale-watching mecca (in season) and ending in Franschhoek, South Africa’s French corner, where wine and art create the ambience of a distinguished experience.
Garden Route Tour Highlights
- - Cape Town: Begin your journey in South Africa’s vibrant Mother City, framed by Table Mountain and Atlantic views.
- - Barrydale: Experience authentic local life at a farm school, gaining insight into the rural community.
- - Oudtshoorn: Visit the ‘ostrich feather capital’ and discover the fascinating history and culture of this unique town.
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