Garden Route - Hidden Treasures (OV19)

8:30 am pick up from your place of residence in Port Elizabeth and depart along the Port Elizabeth Wild side on our way to the renowned Garden Route.

Our first stop is at a Wildflower Reserve for a fresh cup of tea or coffee and a view of the spectacular bridge over this river gorge.

After the coffee break we continue to Storms River to stretch your legs where we view the deep gorge over which the arch bridge was built before continuing along the Garden Route down to the spectacular scenery of the Tsitsikamma National Park, with stunning views over the Indian Ocean.

We take a walk to the mouth of the river over suspension bridges that span the Storms River amber coloured waters before a light lunch at the parks restaurant, overlooking the bay and the cliff faces as they meet the Indian Ocean.

Leaving the coast, we continue to Bloukrans river gorge with its massive arch bridge and one of the highest Bungee jumps in the world at 216 m above the river bed below.

We continue through the heart of the Garden Route to our overnight accommodation in a lovely guest house situated a short walk away from the beach on a board walk in the holiday town of Plettenberg Bay with it spectacular views out over Formosa Bay or ‘beautiful bay’ as first described by the early Portuguese explores.

Wake up for a delicious breakfast, check out and depart for the famous Garden Route and Knysna with its spectacular Knysna heads and lagoon.

After spending some time at the Knysna Waterfront we have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the entrance of the lagoon before departing for Mossel Bay.

Here, we visit the site of the first European landfall, made by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz in 1488 and the local post office tree. If there is sufficient time we visit the Maritime Museum, housing the replica of the Diaz Caravel.

We depart Mossel Bay and make our way up one of the nearby mountain ranges via a steep pass to a special retreat to overnight in this Fynbos covered mountain range.

After a delicious breakfast, we check out and continue along the scenic Garden Route.

After leaving the main freeway, we head into the countryside through wheat fields that extend for as far as the eye can see, here we cross one of the rivers by a hand powered ferry.

We have lunch on the way before heading down to our accommodation in a delightful fishing village on the coast. We take our evening meal in a local restaurant or make a Braai (Barbecue) of fresh fish by Alan Tours, depending on availability.

After breakfast, we depart for the southernmost point of the African continent, walking to the southernmost point with its fully operational lighthouse for a photo session before making our way to a local restaurant near the small boat harbour for a meal of freshly caught fish.

After lunch, we continue to Hermanus for the best shore based whale watching in the world.

We walk along the shoreline looking for the gentle Southern Right whales in the ocean below the low cliffs before we finally approach Cape Town through expansive wheat fields and towering mountains as we descend to the Cape flats on our way to the Mother City lying before the majesty of that sandstone massif, Table Mountain.

We check into our accommodation and freshen up before evening meal at one of the many restaurants.

After breakfast, we depart for a tour of Table Mountain, the huge, imposing sandstone massif standing sentinel over the Mother City. On reaching the top of the mountain by cable car, one is subject to unsurpassed views of the City, the Cape Peninsula, Africa the Ocean and beyond. (Weather dependant, Plan B is a City tour)

After lunch, we depart on the scenic route around the western seaboard past some of the most expensive real estate in the world with magnificent views of the azure Atlantic ocean as we travel southwards to Hout Bay, on over the spectacular Chapman’s Peak pass, built initially by Italian prisoners of war as it hugs the mountainside affording stunning views of Hout Bay and the ocean beyond.

We continue to the Cape of Good Hope, reaching out into the southern Atlantic Ocean, home to myths and legends of the sea.

Leaving the Cape of Good Hope, we wind our way along the shores of False Bay and have a memorable experience with the African Black footed Penguin colony at the picturesque Boulders beach. If there is sufficient time we visit the world renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens after returning to Cape Town for an evening meal in one of the many restaurants in this cosmopolitan City.

Wake up for a delicious breakfast and check out before we depart inland towards the Cape Winelands, the mountains and onto the spectacular scenery of the Du Toit’s Kloof pass which carries one up over the mountains in spectacular fashion and down into the drier interior.

Here, we find a country covered by extensive fruit tree orchards set amongst the neat vineyards in this rich agricultural area.

On reaching Worcester, we turn off the main route and continue along the R62 a characterful and colourful alternative to the busy highways.

We have lunch on the way, continue travelling through this picturesque countryside before checking into our accommodation in the small tranquil village of Barrydale with its neat houses, large fragrant gardens and crisp clean Karoo air and enjoy our evening meal in a local restaurant before a restful night in this quite valley.

After a hearty breakfast we check out and continuing along the scenic R62 with its ever changing colours of the majestic mountains, passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards as the road meanders through the countryside.

Entering Oudtshoorn, the capital of the ostrich feather industry, with its fabulous old feather palaces, magnificent houses built by the “Feather Barons” who made good during the Ostrich feather fashion boom.

We continue to the magnificent Cango Caves for a guided tour of these incredible underground caverns.

After a lunch break, we make our way up the spectacular Swartberg pass, a national monument offering spectacular views both to the south and later to the north of the country as we drive slowly through fynbos covered slopes with Proteas and many other species of flowering plants and shrubs decorating the verges. Contorted rock formations and tight winding roads provide us with a memorable drive.

We descend into the great expanse of the arid Karoo and the historical town of Prince Albert where we check into our accommodation in a tastefully decorated guesthouse. After our evening meal at a local restaurant we head for bed and a peaceful nights rest in the cool, clean Karoo air.

After a well prepared breakfast in the sunlit breakfast room or el fresco on the swimming pool patio, we check out and depart via a spectacular route through this tortured mountain range, hugging the amber coloured waters of a river to emerge on the far side in one of the celebrated wine growing areas where Hanepoort grapes are grown to produce sweet Desert Wines, Cherries and Ports. Continuing through the Little Karoo we descend through the Outeniqua Mountains over a wide pass to drop back down to sea level to make our way, after a lunch en route, to the well-known Garden Route to Port Elizabeth and the end of the tour.

Check out after breakfast. This day is reserved for your outbound flight.