10 day small group cabin safari. Group size max 12 people. Departs Cape Townon Sunday at 14:00 pm. Ends Cape Town on Tuesday @±16:00 pm.
Highlights:
- Cape Town – Cape Point excursion
- Table Mountain – walk
- Stellenbosch – wine estate tour
- Karoo – wilderness scenery
- Knysna Forest – scenic walks / craft markets
- Hermanus – whale watching
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 - 2: Cape Town
Tour starts at 14:00 in the afternoon with a briefing and departure meeting. After settling in to the hotel, we head out to climb the magnificent Table Mountain, with it’s splendid views over Cape Town, this is the perfect introduction to your holiday. A day’s drive around the Cape Peninsula will take us past the Boulders Beach penguin colony, through to the Cape Point Nature Reserve. We visit the Cape of Good Hope, Chapman’s Peak drive and the harbour at Hout Bay. We will have time to enjoy the Cape’s famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). Meals at a variety of local restaurants (own expense). Lion's Head Lodge Includes: (B)
Day 3 - 4: Stellenbosch
We spend the morning exploring the world-renowned Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, set on the slopes of Table Mountain, before we head out of Cape Town and make our way through wine regions and Stellenbosch. After a delectable lunch on one of the vineyards (own expense) the afternoon is spent sampling some of the fine wines as we visit a few of the famous vineyards in the region. A cellar tour allows us to learn more about the art of wine making. The following morning we head out on foot to enjoy a hike. Our trail meanders across the valleys and through the picturesque vineyards to enjoy the breathtaking views over Simonsberg and Table Mountain. In the afternoon we explore the quaint town of Franschoek and surrounding areas renown for their wine and French heritage. Lodge. Includes: (B), (L), (D)
Day 5: Karoo
Leaving the fertile wine farms behind we cross the mountains into the Klein Karoo, an arid region famous for its ostriches, sheep farming and wide-open spaces. Our overnight stop is in the heart of the Karoo. Cabins. Includes: (B), (L), (D)
Day 6 – 7: Knysna Forest
We descend to the coastline where indigenous Tsitsikamma forests line our route as we wind our way into the town of Knysna which is nestled on a lagoon. We visit ’the Heads’ before moving on to our chalets on the edge of the lagoon. The following day we take a long walk along the rugged coastline of Storms River. The afternoon is free to explore the wonderful craft shops in town or relax on the beach. Chalets. Includes: (B), (L), (D)
Day 8 - 9 Hermanus
We head through the Overberg farming region and the rolling wheat fields on our way to Cape Agulhas, the Southern most point of Africa. No trip to Agulhas is complete without wetting our feet at the lands end. We continue on to Hermanus, the whale capital of South Africa. From May to December Hermanus offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. The next morning is free for optional activities including Great White Shark cage diving and whale watching from a boat or just relaxing on the beach. In the afternoon we will take a walk along this beautiful coastline. Guest House. Includes: (B)x2
Day 10: Tour Ends
Our final morning is free to enjoy the beach and a good swim before returning to Cape Town. Tour ends at 16:00 and transfers to the airport are available. Includes: (B), (L), (D)
2007 Departure Dates
- 21-Jan-07 to 30-Jan-07
- 04-Feb-07 to 13-Feb-07
- 18-Feb-07 to 27-Feb-07
- 04-Mar-07 to 13-Mar-07
- 18-Mar-07 to 27-Mar-07
- 01-Apr-07 to 10-Apr-07
- 15-Apr-07 to 24-Apr-07
- 29-Apr-07 to 08-May-07
- 13-May-07 to 22-May-07
- 27-May-07 to 05-Jun-07
- 10-Jun-07 to 19-Jun-07
- 24-Jun-07 to 03-Jul-07
- 08-Jul-07 to 17-Jul-07
- 22-Jul-07 to 31-Jul-07
- 05-Aug-07 to 14-Aug-07
- 19-Aug-07 to 28-Aug-07
- 02-Sep-07 to 11-Sep-07
- 16-Sep-07 to 25-Sep-07
- 30-Sep-07 to 09-Oct-07
- 14-Oct-07 to 23-Oct-07
- 28-Oct-07 to 06-Nov-07
- 11-Nov-07 to 20-Nov-07
- 25-Nov-07 to 04-Dec-07
- 09-Dec-07 to 18-Dec-07
- 23-Dec-07 to 01-Jan-08
Detailed Tour Info
In a nutshell:
- Explore the Garden Route on a participation safari staying in chalets, hotels and guest houses each night.
- See the best of the Southern Cape including the Southern most tip of Africa.
- Malaria free area.
- Cape Town, wine tasting, whale watching, forest walks!
Why travellers like this trip:
- Variety - this tour is an in depth exploration of the beautiful Garden Route, one of the most beautiful areas of South Africa.
- National Parks and wildlife areas - We visit 5 national parks en route ranging from the unique penguins at Bouldes Beach to the Cape of Good Hope and even whale watching from Hermanus.
- Culture and history - South Africa has a unique and interesting cultural diversity, which we experience through contact with local people as often as possible.
- cenery - breath-taking scenery along the entire route – it isn’t called the Garden Route for nothing!
- Small group - travelling in groups of up to 12 people creates a friendly, holiday atmosphere.
- Walking - every opportunity to get out and walk in the areas such as Cape Point Nature Reserve, Knysna Forests and the Hermanus coastline. Walks are easy to moderate exertion and optional. Duration from 1 - 3 hours.
Accommodation:
- Cape Town, Lion’s Head Lodge – twin share rooms with en suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
- Stellenbosch, Rosenview Guest House – twin share with en suite bathroom. Swimming pool, lounge, telephone.
- Karoo, chalets – 2 bedrooms per chalet which are twin share with 1 bathroom shared between 2 rooms. Telephone.
- Knysna, Ashmead Resort chalets – 2/3 bedrooms per chalet which are twin share with 1/2 bathrooms shared between rooms. The chalets are only a few hundred metres from the beach in Natures Valley.
- Hermanus, Baleens Guest House – 1 night in a comfortable, guest house in Hermanus, with a view of the ocean, all rooms are twin with en suite facilities.
Please note that the accommodation specified above and in the itinerary, is a guide only and is subject to change subject to availability, without prior notice. Alternatives will be of a similar standard.
Transport:
- On foot: easy to moderate walks throughout the tour.
- Vehicle: for longer distance travel, place to place, we use custom-built Sunway Safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. Comfortable touring and good for game viewing. Large, sliding windows and viewing hatches give everyone a good view; or Toyota Hiace minibuses with 10 forward facing seats (roof rack and trailer for equipment and baggage). There are a couple of long days of travelling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed. The emphasis of the trip is “getting out and doing things”.
Local Payment: A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by the tour leader on departure. This covers a portion of the local operational costs including entrance and park fees. This ensures that a major portion of your tour price goes directly into the country you are visiting, benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the area.
Participation: An essential part of your Sunway Safari is participation – from packing away in the morning to helping with cleaning up – it’s all part of your adventure and when everyone puts in a little effort the trip will run smoothly. Your tour leaders will do all the meal preparation but we do ask the clients to help with the washing up. Team spirit is part of the fun!
Shopping: Craft shopping for carvings, candles, batiks, wirework, paintings and clothing, in Cape Town and Knysna, is some of the best in Southern Africa.
Food:
- We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except where shown in itinerary above, where we try out local restaurants.
- The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
- We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
- We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.
Difficulty:
- Anyone who is generally active and in good health should enjoy this trip. The accommodation used is simple and clean, but full of character. This trip offers excellent value for money safari.
- Full itinerary with a couple of long driving days but also plenty of outdoors activity. Most places we visit we spend 2 nights allowing time to explore the area.
Things you should know:
- Includes park entrances
- You will need a valid passport and visas for entry into South Africa. Consult the tour dossier for a more detailed list of visa requirements and consult with your travel agent or Sunway Safaris.
- Luggage, please pack to a limit of 12kgs in a soft sports tog bag. Bring a daypack for walks.
- We recommend that you bring South African Rand for personal expenses on this trip. Travellers cheques can be changed in most large towns. Major credit cards can also be used for optional activities and restaurant bills. See the Sunway tour dossier for approximate costs of drinks and meals etc.
Common questions about this trip:
- What do I need to bring? Comfortable clothes for warm days and cool evenings, walking shoes, a raincoat, hat and sunglasses, swimsuit, a small pair of binoculars also comes in very handy and most importantly - a sense of adventure!
- Is it safe? South Africa, like any many countries, has it’s problems but your guide knows the country intimately and will endeavour to show you the best parts while looking after you. Be aware, but not paranoid, and you will have a great trip!
- Do I need malaria tablets? No, at no point on this tour do we enter a Malaria area.
- Can I buy camera film? Film and other accessories will be available several times on tour. A camera with a zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto, 35-200mm, is advisable to capture both scenic and wildlife shots.
- Can I wash my clothes on tour? There are coin-operated laundries available in Cape Town (day 1&2) and Knysna (day 5&6).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Included:
- 9 nights in hotels / chalets and cabins
- Entrance fees
- Transport in minibus / safari truck
- Meals as per itinerary
- Professional guide
- Local payment due in cash on departure: ZAR1200
- Airport arrival transfer available USD25 per person
- Pretour hotel accommodation available USD31 per person sharing.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
South Africa
Ecotourism
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