The
Garden Route and South
Africa offers a long list of interesting
towns with lots to do. Most of these towns are included
in a Garden Route Tour. Remember
to let us know if there is a certain town
you would like to see during your Garden
Route Tour and we will do our best to include
it in the tour.
- The Garden Route Explorer
Tour
How to plan your first tour to
South Africa and The Garden
Route:
This
package combines the diverse northern section of
the country where we experience the wildlife of
Africa with the wild east coast
and garden route south coast ending
in Cape Town.
Johannesburg - Panoramic
Route - Sabie
Our first day on tour takes us
from Johannesburg via Middelburg, Dullstroom and
Robber’s Pass to Pilgrim´s Rest, the early gold
mining town turned into a living museum. Rich deposits
of alluvial gold were found here at the end of the
19th century, hence the existence of the town deep
in the mountains. After exploring this quaint old
town, we continue to Sabie where we have a pleasant
walk through indigenous forest to visit Lone Creek
Falls. Overnight at the Lone Creek River Lodge.
Panoramic Route
- Private Reserve
We travel via Graskop to marvel at scenic areas
such the Pinnacle, God’s Window, Lisbon Falls, Bourke's
Luck Potholes (a walk down the hill to this unique
trick of nature is worth the effort), and the magnificent
Three Rondavels view site at the Blyde River Canyon.
We walk along the cliffs to really appreciate the
breathtaking views. Finally we descend to
the Lowveld via Abel Erasmus pass and the Strijdom
Tunnel to arrive at Mohlabetsi in the Balule private
game reserve. This afternoon our
encounter with Africa's wildlife
begins as we travel on an open vehicle to search
for the game. Enjoy a great dinner under the stars
tonight (weather permitting). Overnight at Mohlabetsi.
Private Reserve
- Kruger National Park
After an early morning hike, searching for the wild
on foot, and breakfast, we enter the Kruger National
Park and spend the rest of day
in this magnificent reserve around 2 million ha
in extent. We overnight in the reserve in chalets
in one of the rest camps.
Kruger National
Park - Swaziland
We rise early for a game drive and return for breakfast
in the camp. We spend the rest of the morning in
the reserve and depart in the afternoon
for the mountain Kingdom of Swaziland. We travel
via Piggs Peak through magnificent mountain scenery
and visit the Ngwenya glass factory where all the
products are hand made from recycled glass. We drive
through Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland, before
travelling to our overnight stop, the Foresters
Arms Hotel, in the mountains just outside Mhlambanyatsi.
Swaziland - Mbabane
- South Africa - Zululand - Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Park
This morning we have an early breakfast and then
visit Swazi Candles in the Malkerns Valley where
we watch the locals hand-moulding wax into a variety
of interesting shapes. We continue through
the Ezulwini Valley past the Houses of Parliament
and the Independence Stadium to the well-known local
craft market where bargaining is the order of the
day. Our route then takes us via Manzini, the country’s
industrial centre, and Big Bend with its large sugar
plantations to the South African
border. We are now getting closer to the Hluhluwe/Imfolozi
game reserve, where we arrive mid afternoon. After
checking in at Hilltop Camp, leave on a late afternoon/early
evening game drive in an open safari vehicle equipped
with high powered spot lights to search for the
shy nocturnal and other animals. Dinner is served
after the completion of this exciting experience.
Zululand - Hluhluwe
- St Lucia - Durban
After an early breakfast we do a final game
drive in our vehicle before travelling
to the village of St Lucia. Here we join a boat
cruise on the estuary of the famous Lake St Lucia
(proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1999), a paradise
with bird species such as fish eagle, Goliath heron
and many more. Your skipper/guide will show you
the world of the hippo and the crocodile and the
other mystic inhabitants of the "deep". After this
unforgettable experience we travel to Durban, the
holiday Mecca of South Africa.
Durban - Oribi Gorge
- Wild Coast - Port St Johns
The drive from Durban along the South
Coast takes you through lush subtropical vegetation
and numerous holiday villages dotted along the seaboard.
We visit the scenic Oribi Gorge and some beautiful
little beaches. Then we turn inland and enter the
Eastern Cape Province, the former
homeland of Transkei, and traverse over hilly grasslands
dotted with Xhosa homesteads, through valleys and
clear streams. Overnight at the Cremorne Lodge in
Port St Johns.
Port St Johns -
Umtata - East London
We travel from Port St Johns to Umtata, the capital
of the former homeland. After a visit to the Nelson
Mandela museum we travel further south
to East London, the only river port in South
Africa, and the place where a prehistoric
coelacanth was caught in 1938. Overnight at Quarry
Lake Inn.
East London - Grahamstown
- Addo Elephant Park - Port Elizabeth
This morning's journey is along the coast and we
enjoy the lush vegetation and rugged coastline.
We visit Port Alfred, an outstanding holiday village
situated on the Kowie river mouth and travel to
Grahamstown. This small cathedral city is considered
the art capital of South Africa
and is steeped in history. At the Addo National
Elephant Park game reserve we have
an excellent chance of an encounter with these giants
of the bush amongst other animals. This afternoon
we reach Port Elizabeth, the fifth biggest city
in the country, set on the shores of the Algoa Bay
and also called the “Friendly City”. Overnight at
Fifth Avenue Beach House.
Port Elizabeth
- Garden Route - Knysna
We depart from Port Elizabeth, along the N2 national
route to the Storms River with the impressive Paul
Sauer Bridge across the valley towering some 139
metres above the river. Our next stop is at Tsitsikamma
National Park (Khoisan for “The place of much water”)
stretching more than 100 kilometers of wild and
rocky coastline characterised by massive cliffs,
narrow isolated beaches and shady indigenous forests
along the river valleys. Now, truly in the famous
Garden Route of the Cape,
we traverse more magnificently scenic river valley
passes to Knysna on the edge of the Knysna Lagoon
with its entrance to the sea guarded by two promontories
known as 'The Heads'. The area also falls within
a National Park proclaimed to conserve the extraordinary
natural beauty of the Lakeland and adjacent indigenous
forests. Knysna offers shopping opportunities of
unusual, locally made, art and craft, etc. Overnight
at the Fish Eagle Lodge.
Garden Route -
Knysna - George - Oudtshoorn
We explore the lake areas, the Wilderness National
Park and travel via the scenic Montagu Pass to Oudsthoorn
also known as the 'Feather Capital' of the world,
as by far the largest concentration of ostrich farms
in the world are found here. We visit the Cango
Caves, regarded as one of South Africa's
foremost natural wonders. The fascinating calcite
caves comprise an underground wonderland of stalactites
and stalagmites. Overnight at La Plume Guest Lodge.
Oudtshoorn
- Mossel Bay - Cape Town
After an early start we visit to an ostrich show
farm for some unique experiences, including ostrich
racing. A ride on the back of an ostrich is not
for the fainthearted. Our route
to Mossel Bay takes us over the Outeniqua Mountains
via Robinson's Pass. Here we visit arguably the
oldest post office in Africa, the
Post Office Tree, and the site of the first landfall,
made by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz
in 1488. After an early lunch we travel via Swellendam
to Cape Town where we arrive late
afternoon.
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