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South Africa

Self-drive / Family / Walking / Romance
General Tours / Horse Safaris / Camping Tours

Garden Route Walking

Our new Garden Route walking tour takes the best from two tours to create an escorted tour that also offers some leisurely and optional walking. This unhurried tour gives plenty of time to enjoy the scenic delights of the Garden Route, Little Karoo and Overberg with a diversity of gentle walks, in the mountains, along the coast and in the indigenous forests.
Suitable for the reasonably fit.

Meals Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Accommodation Premier
Departure Dates Fridays ex Cape Town
Transport Luxury VW microbus with Air-conditioning
Price Includes Meals and accommodation as shown in text, transport, services of a guide, all entrance fees
Price Excludes International flights, visas, items of a personal nature, meals not specified
Minimum Number 4 - see below for additonal price for 2 pax
Climate Mediterranean in the Cape (hot dry summers, cooler wetter winters), summer showers on Garden Route
Best time to go October/November through to May
Health Requirements None. Sunblock essential
Combines well with Cape Town Eastern Cape safari Short Breaks in the Cape
Other Ideas Parties of 4 or more can choose their own departure date, subject to availability.

Day 1 : Depart Cape Town for 2 nights, Eight Bells Mountain Inn, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Scenic drive via Swellendam to Eight Bells Mountain Inn for 2 nights. This afternoon we enjoy a walk from the hotel up into the lower slopes of the Outeniqua mountains (1 to 2 hours). The Garden Route thoroughly deserves its reputation for enchanting beauty. The 'Garden' refers not to cultivated gardens, but to the indigenous forests of tall yellowwoods and milkwoods, covering the slopes of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountains. This region, between Mossel Bay and the Storms River, offers a spectacular coastline of dramatic headlands giving way to white sandy beaches. Behind the sand dunes lie placid lagoons and wetland lakes, bordered by indigenous rainforest and soaring mountains. Eight Bells is in a superb location near the Robinson Pass, and has excellent sporting and leisure facilities. The site in 1816 was originally a small homestead for travellers en route between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. Many features in this hotel, for example the 45cm thick walls of the billiard room, are part of the original homestead.

Day 2 : Morning walk, visit Ostrich farm and Cango limestone caves
Today we enjoy a stunning two hour walk from the mountains. It?s a particular good walk for botany lovers with a good variety of fynbos and associated birds such as the Orange-breasted sunbird and the Cape sugarbird. Afterwards we drive over the Robinson Pass into the Little Karoo and enjoy a visit to one of the local Ostrich farms for a tour of the farming process and a tour of the Cango limestone caves. We return to Eight Bells for dinner.

Day 3 : Tour of Knysna, optional walk, 3 nights, Mallard River Lodge, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Enjoy a tour of Knysna prior to a boat cruise over the Lagoon to Featherbed Nature Reserve for lunch. Knysna is an attractive little town on the edge of the glorious Knysna lagoon, backed by the magical Knysna forest with its great yellowwood trees and massive ferns some 3 metres high We begin our exploration of Knysna by driving up to the Heads, two sandstone buttressed cliffs at the mouth of the lagoon. In the mid afternoon you have some time at leisure for browsing in some of the arts and craft shops or you can take an optional walk in Diepwalle Forest (1 to 2 hours). 3 nights Mallard River Lodge or similar. Mallard River Lodge is a tranquil haven with glorious sweeping views of the river and vlei. Ideal for birders and those who enjoy utter peace. Birds fly past at almost eye level whilst ducks and geese make their home in the reeds of the river bank. The five beautifully decorated chalets each have hand-painted murals, sitting area with fireplace, TV, telephone, mini bar, ceiling fan and private deck overlooking the river. Swimming pool.

Day 4 : Visit Monkeyland, afternoon walk
Visit the Monkeyland primate sanctuary then enjoy a scenic drive through the Tsitsikamma forest to the Storms River mouth. In the afternoon we walk down to the unspoilt Salt River estuary. The indigenous forest and coastal fynbos belt is rich in birdlife, including the Knysna lourie and Paradise flycatcher. From Salt River the walk follows the rocky coastline before ending on the golden beach of Natures Valley where you may like to swim (2 hours walk).

Day 5 : Boat trip & afternoon walk in Robberg Nature Reserve
A more leisurely day today. This morning is at leisure with our guide on hand for touring. You may like to head into Plettenberg Bay for a boat trip to view the whales and dolphins, enjoy the beaches or browse through the stylish shops. Plettenberg Bay is a chic resort town with wide sandy beaches and a panoramic view of the sweeping bay, backed by the Tsitsikamma Mountains. After lunch on Lookout beach, we visit the Robberg Nature Reserve for a spectacular coastal walk (2-3 hours) or relax on the golden beaches. Here you can choose how far you wish to walk: the full 8km circuit around the peninsula (4 hours), the shorter half circuit (2 hours) or the short walk to the beach at The Gap.

Day 6 : Short walk in Wilderness National Park and visit the Bartholomeus Dias museum, 1 night Arniston Hotel, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
This morning we enjoy a short walk in the Wilderness area along the Brownhooded Kingfisher Trail. This pleasant walk is through forest and riverine bush up to the Valley of the Duiwe River and a waterfall and back again. Later we visit Swellendam, time permitting, before continuing to the Arniston. Arniston Hotel is set right on a truly azure sea, amid wild wind-swept dunes in a 200-year-old fishing village. This peaceful village has many well-restored whitewashed thatched fisherman's cottages (at Kassiesbaai) and sandy beaches running down to its exquisite turquoise sea (with warm sea bathing as it is east of Cape Agulhas where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cold Atlantic Ocean.) From here you can visit Cape Agulhas, the southern point of Africa, and also explore the Waenhuiskrans cave, or simply relax on the beach. The hotel is known for its friendly service and the terrace restaurant which serves simple fresh-caught local seafood.

Day 7 : Visit Waenhuiskrans, Cape Agulhas and the picturesque town of Hermanus, return to Cape Town
This morning we enjoy a coastal walk to Waenhuiskrans (tides permitting) and then visit Cape Agulhas, the Southern-most tip of Africa, Later we head to the picturesque town of Hermanus in time for lunch. We continue back to Cape Town via the scenic coastal road with a visit to the magnificent Vergelegen wine estate.