15 Day Cape Town, Garden Route & Kruger National Park

Partly-escorted biking Tour

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Part 1 - Self-Drive tour of Cape Town & Garden Route 

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Day 1 – Western Cape Province – Cape Town

Welcome to South Africa, country of gold, diamonds, wild animals, unspoilt natural beauty and a larger cultural variety than in almost any other country in the world.

On arrival at Cape Town International Airport you collect your rental car, and travel to your hotel, ideally located at the entrance to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Accommodation: The City Lodge Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Bed & breakfast basis

 

Days 2, 3 & 4 – Western Cape Province – Cape Town

You have three full days in which to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town and it’s surrounding areas on your own. In the late afternoon on 22 December your rental car is handed back, and your touring motorbike collected. Please note that depending on time and location there may be collection and/or delivery fees payable on this day.

Accommodation: The City Lodge Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 5 – Western Cape Province – Heidelberg

Today you depart from Cape Town and start the exciting “Garden Route” leg of your tour. Follow the scenic coastal route (Clarence Drive) via Gordon’s Bay, Pringle Bay, Kleinmond and Betty’s Bay to Hermanus, where some excellent land-based whale watching may be enjoyed between July and November. Your route then continues past Stanford, Die Kelders and Gansbaai to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of the African Continent. From Cape Agulhas travel inland via Bredasdorp and Swellendam to a beautiful guest farm near the town of Heidelberg. Skeiding is a 1200 hectare working farm, with 1500 free range Ostriches, 1500 Merino sheep, a small herd of Nguni cattle (a very hardy African breed), as well as 500 hectares of Canola, Wheat, Barley, Coriander and Peas. Guests are involved are far as possible in the workings of the farm

Accommodation: Skeiding Guest Farm

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 6 – Western Cape Province - Knysna
Depart from Skeiding and travel via Mosselbay, George and Wilderness to the charming town of  Knysna, in the heart of the Garden Route. Time permitting you could consider taking the very scenic “Seven Passes” route (which actually consists of 8 passes) from George to Knysna.

Accommodation: Bradach Manor (Lagoon-facing room)

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 7 – Western Cape Province - Oudtshoorn
Travel back to George, and then inland over the magnificent Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn, the “Ostrich Capital of the World”. An alternative route today would be via the extremely scenic but quite challenging Prince Alfreds Pass to Uniondale, and then from there to Oudtshoorn.

Accommodation: La Plume Guest Farm

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 8 – Western Cape Province - Oudtshoorn
You have a full day in Oudtshoorn, to relax at your beautiful guest house, or explore some of the magnificent mountain passes in the area.

A highly recommended circular route would be to travel via the Meiringspoort Pass to Prince Albert, and then return to Oudtshoorn over the famous Swartberg Pass. Should you not feel up to the rather challenging Swartberg Pass, which is a dirt road, you could turn around at the end of the Meiringspoort Pass, and reverse your route back to Oudtshoorn.

Accommodation: La Plume Guest Farm

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 9 – Western Cape Province – Franschhoek

Travel via the famous “Route 62”, past the towns of Calitzdorp, Barrydale and Montagu, and then down the spectacular Franschhoek Pass to the charming village of Franschhoek, in the heart of the Western Cape winelands. A highly recommended detour on the route would be to drive what is possibly the most beautiful pass of them all, called the Seweweekspoort. Please note that the pass must be driven in both directions, out and back, in order to return to the R62, and a couple of hours should be set aside for this.

Accommodation: Lavender Farm Guest House

Bed & breakfast basis

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Day 10 – Gauteng Province – Johannesburg

Most of the morning can be spent exploring the winelands, before you travel back to Cape Town, where your bike is handed back for the end of the self-drive leg of your tour, and you are transferred  to the Cape Town International Airport, in time for a domestic flight to Johannesburg. On arrival at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, you take the complimentary shuttle bus to your nearby hotel, where the night is spent.

Accommodation: The Peermont Mondior Hotel at Emperor’s Palace

Bed & breakfast basis

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 Part 2 - Fully Escorted Safari

 

Day 11 – Mpumalanga Province - Kruger National Park Border
An early departure from Johannesburg as we travel east towards the Mpumalanga Province, passing through the open grasslands and agricultural areas of the “Highveld”. Our journey then continues via the scenic Schoemanskloof Pass into sub-tropical citrus farming and forestry areas. We then visit the many attractions along the “Panorama Route”, including God’s Window, the Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the viewpoint over the Blyde River Canyon at the Three Rondavels. The Panorama Route along the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga is arguably one of the most beautiful and popular travel destinations in South Africa. It leads through the rugged mountain range of the northern Drakensberg. Here, in the northeastern part of the Great Escarpment, the inland plateau declines abruptly and steeply and opens up fantastic views of the plains of the Lowveld up to a thousand metres below. In the afternoon we descend the eastern escarpment and travel through the warm “Lowveld” to a beautiful country lodge, located just a short distance from the nearest entrance gate to the Kruger National Park.

Accommodation: Hippo Hollow Country Estate

Dinner, bed & breakfast basis

 

Day 12 – Mpumalanga/Limpopo Province - Kruger National Park
We depart before dawn and travel the short distance to the entrance gate to the Kruger National Park. Once inside the Park, excitement will mount as we start seeing some of the numerous animals that inhabit this magnificent wildlife sanctuary. Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Breakfast packs will be provided, which we will enjoy at a picnic spot inside the Kruger Park. We spend virtually the entire day travelling inside the Kruger Park, arriving at our “restcamp” in the late afternoon. Accommodation tonight is in comfortable en-suite bungalows or cottages, and dinner is enjoyed in the camp restaurant.

Accommodation: Satara, Olifants, Skukuza or Letaba Restcamp

Dinner, bed & breakfast basis

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Day 13 – Limpopo Province – Private Game Reserve

After breakfast we depart from our restcamp, and spend most of the morning inside the Kruger Park, game-viewing as we go. Around mid-day we exit the Park, and travel to an exclusive lodge in a nearby private game reserve, where later this afternoon your first exhilarating game drive in specially adapted open 4X4 vehicles is undertaken. At dusk sundowners are enjoyed deep in the bush, after which the drive continues, making use of spotlights to search for nocturnal animals. A final highlight today is a specially prepared dinner at the lodge.

Accommodation: Private Game Lodge

Fully inclusive of all meals & game-viewing activities

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Day 14 – Limpopo Province – Private Game Reserve

An early wake up call signals the start of yet another exciting day in Big Five territory. You depart on an early morning safari in open 4x4 vehicles after which you return to the lodge for a late breakfast.

After breakfast you can embark on a guided bush walk with an armed ranger, who will identify spoor and droppings and share with you some of the fascinating secrets of the bush. If you are lucky you may come across big game on foot - a truly exhilarating experience. This evening another safari in open 4x4 vehicles is undertaken, followed by a scrumptious South African dinner.

Accommodation: Private Game Lodge

Fully inclusive of all meals & game-viewing activities

 

Day 15 – End of tour

After your final open vehicle game drive and a late breakfast, you are collected from the lodge and we travel back to Johannesburg, via the scenic Abel Erasmus Pass and through the interesting country towns of Lydenburg, Dullstroom and Belfast. In the late afternoon you are dropped off at the O.R. Tambo International Airport, in time for your onward flight.