On an extraordinary private adventure, explore Cape Town and its highlights before venturing to the Garden Route, the most scenic stretch of South Africa's coastline.
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ItineraryGuests are met and welcomed at a location of their choice in Cape Town. The morning is devoted to a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. The main feature of this mountain is a level plateau of 3km, bordered to the east by Devil's Peak and to the west by Lion's Head. Table Mountain is one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in the world. The cable car ride, which lasts about 5 minutes, offers exceptional views of Cape Town. Upon reaching the summit, you may devote some time to visiting the different viewpoints, from which spectacular views of the Cape Peninsula may be enjoyed.
From Table Mountain, we make our way to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The gardens cover an area of 528 hectares, with 36 hectares of cultivated garden. These gardens celebrate South African flora, showcasing only indigenous South African plants. Fynbos, proteas, cycads, and rolling lawns are intermingled with streams and ponds. The gardens are home to many indigenous birds, and some incredible views of Cape Town and the surrounding mountains may be enjoyed from the upper slopes. Following the Kirstenbosch visit, guests are returned to the hotel.
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Itinerary Guests are met after breakfast for a tour of Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, located in one of the two most southern national parks in South Africa. The tour makes its way through Green Point and passes the magnificent beach at Camps Bay en route to Hout Bay, from where it travels via the scenic Chapman's Peak drive to the town of Noordhoek and on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.
The reserve boasts over 40km of coastline, home to over a thousand floral species and a wealth of wildlife. Exceptional views of False Bay can be enjoyed from the lookout at Cape Point on a cliff over 300m above the water's edge. The visit to Cape Point is followed by a short journey to Boulders Beach, where some time is devoted to viewing a colony of African penguins before traveling back to Cape Town via Muizenberg.
Distance ItineraryToday, we visit one of the Western Cape's most extensive and finest wine estates. Anthonij Rupert Estate produces its robust wines on the slopes of the Groot Drakenstein mountains, some in the échalas style of the Rhône region of south-eastern France. We enjoy a cellar tour and wine-tasting experience at the Antonij Rupert Tasting Room. After sampling some of South Africa's finest and allowing some time for lunch, it's on to the Franschhoek Motor Museum.
The Museum houses over 220 vehicles, including an 1898 Beeston motor tricycle and a sought-after 2003 Ferrari Enzo. Several recognizable brands such as Aston Martin, Maserati, Ferrari, and Porsche are exhibited, as well as several lesser-known collectibles like the Humberette (1914), Moretti 750, Bugatti Type 23, and the French-produced Le Zebre - inappropriately named after the African equid of which it bears no resemblance! Their collection includes representatives of the antique, veteran, vintage, post-vintage, post-45, and post-60 categories, all prudently housed in four dehumidified halls. Enthusiasts may spend as much time as they wish to inspect the collection at leisure. We return to Cape Town in the afternoon.
Distance Itinerary After breakfast, guests are met, and we travel southeast. The tour traces the coast from Gordon's Bay, traversing the towns of Rooi Els and Betty's Bay on the way to Hermanus. En route, several stops are made at vantage points where the southern right whale may be spotted. These whales frequent the waters along South Africa's coastline between June and November. They travel approximately 2000km from the Southern Ocean to give birth in these waters. Spotting these graceful mammals splashing about is a most rewarding experience. Lunch is enjoyed in Hermanus with its sweeping views of Walker Bay, which is said to be the best place on the coast from which to enjoy whale watching.
After Hermanus, the tour continues via Gansbaai and Bredasdorp to the quaint fishing village of Arniston. The village takes its name from a tragic shipwreck in these treacherous waters in 1815. The village is situated a stone's throw from the southern tip of Africa, and the coastline surrounding it is noted for its bizarre marine erosion. The most famous is Waenhuiskrans, an enormous cavern eroded from the cliffs.
Distance ItineraryYour tour visits Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Because of the many rocks and reefs in the area, the Portuguese named Cape Agulhas, or the Cape of Needles, 'Cabo das Agulhas' around 1500. Cape Agulhas is the geographical southern tip of the African continent and the official meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Later, we'll make our way inland to Swellendam, once considered the very eastern extremity of the Colony, beyond which lay a wild and unexplored Africa. Many notable explorers and travelers passed here, including François Le Vaillant, Lady Anne Barnard, William John Burchell, and Thomas William Bowler. We'll pay a visit to The Drostdy Museum, which once housed the magistracy of the area. After exploring the Museum, we'll continue to George and Knysna. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Distance Itinerary Today, you'll cross the Knysna Lagoon by ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, a unique 150-hectare (370-acre) private nature reserve encompassing the entire western head. You'll experience spectacular views across the lagoon and ocean from the reserve and the treacherous passage between the two heads, which claimed many a ship in Knysna's days as a timber exporter.
Featherbed is one of South Africa's heritage sites. It is home to two of the Garden Route's icons: the colorful Knysna Turaco and the tiny Blue Duiker, one of Africa's smallest antelope species. The afternoon is spent leisurely exploring the village of Knysna.
Distance ItineraryIn the morning, we depart Knysna and travel along the national highway to the turnoff at Nature's Valley. From here, the road winds through a beautiful indigenous forest to this coastal retreat regarded by many as among the Garden Route's finest. We appreciate the setting and stroll past the estuary onto the beach. Avid bird watchers will delight in the abundant species found here.
We return to the national highway for a drive first to the 'Big Tree,' an Outeniqua Yellowwood that stands 36.6 m tall and is estimated to be between six and eight hundred years old. The walk to the tree is along a well-maintained 500m wooden walkway, immersing visitors into the forest ecosystem. From here, a short drive leads to Storms River mouth, where a hike leads to the suspension bridge crossing the gorge carved by the river, offering fantastic forest and ocean views. Time is then allotted to lunch before returning to Knysna, with a stop in Plettenberg Bay, where one of South Africa's finest coastal resort towns is briefly explored.
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FlightsEn route to the airport in George, your guide will quickly stop at the Map of Africa, a natural feature carved into the forested countryside by rivers traversing the area. After admiring the views, we go to the airport via the old George Knysna road, which traverses the indigenous forest. After a memorable tour of one of South Africa's most exciting regions, you will be assisted with checking in at the airport.
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