Cape Town – Sedgefield or Knysna

Travel through Riviersonderend and Albertinia, and wilderness canoeing

Your journey begins with an early morning pick-up from your accommodation in Cape Town Central Business District or Stellenbosch. Wind your way through mountain passes where lazy baboons line the roadside. A morning stop at Riviersonderend allows indulging in the South African penchant for home-baked pastry like the creamy and delicious milk tart (Melktert) that the country claims from its Dutch origins.

The abundance of aloe lining the roadside heralds your arrival in Albertinia. By stark contrast, the oasis-like towns of Wilderness and George are surrounded by lush national parks and an afternoon canoe paddle provides the perfect setting to bird watch and enjoy the clean wild air.

Garden Route from Sedgefield to Jeffreys Bay with optional activities

Pristine wild and adventure go hand in hand on this adrenaline-packed day. From a morning spent admiring the views from the imposing Knysna Heads to ocean and green river views atop Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest commercial bridge Bungy jump or as you zipline over a gushing river gorge in the Tsitsikamma forest!

The Bungy bridge itself is fairly unassuming as you drive over it. Bungy jumping is an optional activity (at extra cost), and those that are not keen on jumping, can either decide to zipline through dramatic scenery and waterfalls in the nearby Tsitsikamma forest (at extra cost) or continue onward to start the hike in Tsitsikamma forest. A visit to some of Tsitsikammas’s abundant forests provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. As you head to the coastal belt, towns like Plettenberg Bay show why it and the Tsitsikamma (the first ‘T’ is silent) National Park are favourites with holidaying locals. The short but steep walk to Tsitsikamma’s suspension bridge is worth it for the views alone and, you’ll likely get a thrill as fellow tourists test its swing factor.

The large white caps (or seahorses as the locals call the surf break) of Jeffreys Bay herald your departure from the official Garden Route and your arrival into South Africa’s quintessential ‘Surf City’. Hang ten with the locals and slip into a relaxed frame of mind.

Meals: B

A pre-dawn wake-up call might seem hard to take at first, but trust me, it’s worth getting an early start for your Addo game drive to see even more wildlife as the bush awakes! Your guide will use local knowledge to pinpoint the whereabouts of the park’s big game animals while deftly navigating the maze of dusty dirt roads in search of most of the Big Five. The early morning start means free time in the afternoon and J’Bay’s surf village is perfect for shopaholics. But, if you’ve always fancied learning to surf, then this town or the sand slopes beyond it are the places to put your foot forward and go for it.

Meals: B

South Africa delivers on its contrasts with landscape and lifestyle as you leave the Indian Ocean shoreline behind and wind your way through the Langkloof Mountains to the arid lands of the Klein Karoo. Here, the ostrich reigns supreme. Bird-filled paddocks line the highway with colourful feather stalls and show farms around every corner as you head into Oudtshoorn. A visit to the Cango Ostrich Show Farm gives you a glimpse into the farming industry, allowing you to observe the world’s biggest bird beak-to-beak. Afterwards, it’s time to delve deep underground into the magical Cango Caves’ limestone chambers, alive with drip formation stalactites and stalagmites and remnants of Khoikhoi paintings. Opt for the easy-going Heritage Tour, which provides insight on the cave formation and dripstone evolution, or, by contrast, the Adventure Tour, which allows you to explore the pathways by squeezing and wiggling your way through. After the caves, head back to Oudtshoorn.

Subject to availability, return to the wild for an optional 4×4 game drive with a knowledgeable game ranger at Buffelsdrift Private Game Reserve for a possible sighting of resident giraffe, buck and more. This “bush safari” is more focused on being at one with nature and exploring the natural setting as the reserve only bost a limited amount of game.

Meals: B

As dawn breaks in Oudtshoorn, South Africa’s sunniest town, join an optional stroll with rescued elephants along the dam wall at the Buffelsdrift Private Game Reserve. Gentle giants; Jabari, Malaika and Bulelo made this their home after their parents were poached in the north of South Africa. This experience will have you following in their massive footsteps, making memories you’ll never forget.

Then, it’s time to head back to Cape Town along the famous Route 62, modelled after America’s Route 66, but with a distinctly local flavour. Route 62 is more than just burgers and beers, farm stalls or small country towns, the highway is also the longest wine route in the Western Cape. Oenophiles will be in their element with a wine pit stop to sample Port-style wines en route to Stellenbosch. Reach Cape Town by late evening.

Meals: B

Traverse through the Cape Winelands region and sample a range of delicious wines and snacks as you go. Not only do you visit three esteemed wine farms for fine wine tastings and phenomenal pairings with cheese and chocolate in the Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek regions; the extraordinary scenery along the way will also transport you back to yesteryear to reminisce among white gabled buildings and impressive manor houses flanked by the soaring mountain ranges. Firstly you’ll visit the cheese haven of Fairview for a farmer’s tasting of their wine with local produce. Venture onwards to Franschhoek for a unique way to explore the region’s wine valley by rail on a scenic one-way Franschhoek Wine Tram journey to taste fine wines at Rickety Bridge wine estate. For lunch (not included), you can experience the self-proclaimed culinary capital of South Africa, Franschhoek and end your meander along the Winelands with sweet port-style wines and chocolate pairing at the heritage-rich Muratie wine farm before heading back to the Cape Town region in the late afternoon.

Meals: B

Start with a pick-up from your accommodation. Hout Bay, an unassuming fishing village on the northern side of Chapman’s Peak, is the first stop of the day and offers the chance to visit the seal colony of Duiker Island, just a short cruise from shore or, either, you can explore the local harbour market and see the colourful fishing boats. Chapman’s Peak Road, or Chappies to the locals, is touted as one of the world’s most scenic drives. Rugged mountains face-off with the Atlantic and the roadway, an incredible feat of engineering, cuts a swathe right through and provides unparalleled views of the Atlantic below. Chappies sets the scene for the afternoon’s adventuring as you venture onwards to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwesterly point of Africa. Here, water and wilderness literally collide and create a picturesque jagged shoreline adorned with greenish fringes of fynbos. This is a place to pay tribute to ancient seafarers of old like Bartolomeu Dias (who discovered the Cape of Good Hope back in 1488) and pioneers, like Vasco da Gama, who journeyed through these treacherous waters from Portugal to India.

Indigenous fauna lines narrow winding pathways en route to the Cape’s whitewashed lighthouse, with views well worth the climb. Local wildlife keeps the journey interesting and add plenty of postcard moments for the shutterbugs. As the day lengthens, travel to Simon’s Town, perched on the shores of False Bay and the home of the South African Navy. Just a few minutes to the south lies Boulders Beach, a comely stretch of sand littered with granite. This hotspot is home to a large colony of African penguins who strut their stuff in their black and white feathered finery to the delight of the crowds that gather to watch. Boardwalks separate man from bird and provide the perfect vantage point to see these cute creatures. The journey back to Cape Town sees you travel through the coastal towns of Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay with a stop at Muizenberg Beach. The Victorian-style bathing chalets on the sand are sure to capture your attention as you cheer on the wave riders at Surfer’s Corner. You’ll reach Cape Town by late afternoon.

Meals: B