WESTERN AND EASTERN CAPE SEMI-ESCORTED TOUR

On arrival into Cape Town International Airport you will be met and transfer to your first hotel for your 4-night stay.

Described by Sir Francis Drake in 1580 as ‘the fairest cape in all the world’, the ‘Mother City’ of Cape Town is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. The oldest city in the country, nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain, Cape Town is a vibrant and colourful city.

With plenty to offer the traveller you should never get bored. Table Mountain is the iconic backdrop of Cape Town rising over 1000m above sea level - it can be seen from all over the city. Taking the revolving cable car up to the top is a must or if you’re feeling adventurous there are several hiking routes to the summit.

The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront is a prime attraction in the city, a working harbour and tourist attraction offering world class shopping, a huge variety of restaurants, cafes & bars and the Two Oceans Aquarium. The ferry trip to Robben Island, the site of Nelson Mandela’s incarceration for much of his 27 years in prison, leaves from here.

The park-like botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town’s beaches and the city centre with its outdoor street markets, boutique shops & stylish restaurants are all added attractions.

After your stay in Cape Town you will be met by your tour guide to begin your small group Garden Route tour. Begin travelling along the scenic Sir Lowry’s Pass, with a stop at a local ‘padstal’ (farmstall) on the way to Cape Agulhas. The southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Explore this rugged area of coastline, that has become something of a graveyard for many a ship, before continuing via historic Swellendam and the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale and the famous Route 62 to Oudtshoorn. Known as the ‘ostrich feather capital’, it is world renown for it’s ostrich farming industry. Enjoy dinner at a local ostrich farm before your overnight stay.

The next day, you will take a tour of the spectacular Cango Caves, a natural wonder of limestone caverns that have been sculpted by nature through the ages. The rest of the day will be filled by a tractor tour at an ostrich farm, and a wine tasting where you can sample local wines of the region. Stay another night in Oudtshoorn.

After breakfast, travel over the Outeniqua Pass to George, the sixth oldest town in South Africa, with many historical landmarks such as the Slave Tree and King Edward VII Library building; said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in the town. The tour travels via Wilderness, an attractive holiday resort to Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route. Enjoy a delicious lunch en route of traditional cuisine and local treats. The remainder of the day is at leisure until you join an afternoon sunset cruise on the Knysna Lagoon. Overnight in Knysna.

Your next day on the Garden Route allows you to explore, visiting the Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary to see a variety of primates free roaming in an enclosed forest that facilitates rehabilitation and frees previously caged primates. Continuing to the Eastern Head, you will be afforded stunning views of the Knysna Heads before travelling on to Brenton on Sea to see the quaint holiday location with unspoilt beaches and peaceful surroundings. Overnight in Knysna.

Travelling east to Plettenberg Bay, a stunning coastal town in the heart of the Garden Route, you will visit the Birds Of Eden Sanctuary - the biggest single free flight aviary in the world. The sanctuary was developed to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds. After, continue to Bloukrans Bridge, where the highest commercially available bungy jump in the world is located, and on to the Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth. The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80 km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes, a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys covered in mountain Fynbos and temperate high forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea. Overnight in the Tsitsikamma area.

Today you travel east to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) for a city orientation tour. Your guided tour ends here, and you can unwind for the afternoon and evening before staying overnight.

You will be collected from your hotel and transferred to one of a variety of game viewing and safari options you can choose from. Private game reserves offer the most exclusive and luxurious option, in an authentic safari environment; country houses and retreats, or a guest house style establishment are more affordable options giving you total flexibility. Any of these options will give you access to the thrill of big game viewing in this non-malarial area of South Africa. Enjoy a 3-night stay.

Transfer back to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) airport in time for your overnight flight(s) to the UK, via Johannesburg.