Wonders of the Garden Route - 8 days

The Garden Route offers the finest scenery, ocean sunsets and tropical forests from the Big 5 in the Addo Elephant National Park to the iconic Cape Town. Let the beauty of this unique area unfold before your eyes.

A small-group lodge safari through the Garden Route of South Africa, from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town – 8 Days

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOUR
ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
A visit to the Addo Elephant National Park is not only a visit to what’s become a fantastic conservational project, but also a beautiful area of the country.

GARDEN ROUTE
Along the Garden Route, you can choose from the 10 nature reserves that are dotted along the route. The Garden Route is also known as the best “road trip” route to see the Southern Right Whales, with whale watching ranking as a popular activity among locals and tourists alike!

TSITSIKAMMA NATURE RESERVE
Named after the Khoisan phrase that means “place of abundant water”, Tsitsikamma is renowned for its stunning coastline, dramatic rivers and indigenous forest. Proclaimed in 1964 as the first marine national park in Africa, Tsitsikamma offers a variety of activities to enjoy.

CANGO CAVES
The Cango Caves measure over four-kilometres and are made up of a network of extensive tunnels and chambers. They boast spectacular trails amongst magnificent limestone formations and are located 29-kilometres outside of Oudtshoorn, an area well-known for its ostrich farming.

WINELANDS
With green rolling hills covered in vines, and grand old manor houses, the Cape Winelands produce international and award-winning wines annually, making it one of the most popular highlights in South Africa.

CAPE TOWN
Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Ships en-route to Eastern Africa and the Far East. The first official recording of the Cape was in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck established the first European settlement here – although prior to that, there was a reference by Vasco de Gama who apparently ‘sighted’ the Cape of Good Hope in 1497.

ITINERARY

On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. The rest of the day may be spent at leisure in the “friendly” city by the sea to participate in optional activities or enjoy a relaxed afternoon at the beach.

ITINERARY

Today we will explore Route 67 on a walking tour, which consist of a series of public art works celebrating the 67 years of public service of the freedom icon, Nelson Mandela, fondly known as Tata Madiba. In the early afternoon, you will be transferred to Addo National Park. A benchmark conservation success, the park offers a unique wildlife habitat, famous for the Addo elephants and the remaining population of the flightless dung beetle. We spend the afternoon on a game drive in our tour vehicle, in search of elephant, black rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. Additional game drives conducted in open game-viewer vehicles are available at an extra expense. An evening spent at the floodlit waterhole allows us to watch the nocturnal animals and listen to their calls.

ITINERARY

This morning after breakfast our journey takes us to a region of startling beauty along South Africa’s southern coastline, known as the Garden Route. We spend two nights in the Storms River Village, at the heart of the Tsitsikamma Forest. We will take a leisurely hike along one of the short trails, which allow you to explore the coastal bush and rocky shoreline. There is also an option to plunge off the world’s highest bungi jump at the Bloukrans River (for own expense).

ITINERARY

After visiting ‘The Heads’ in Knysna, a town nestled on a tranquil lagoon, we will enjoy an interactive and educational oyster tasting experience. We continue our journey, travelling over the Outeniqua Mountains into the Little Karoo arriving in the town of Oudtshoorn. We take a trip to the famous Cango Caves, with their impressive ancient stalagmites and stalactites before overnighting in the ostrich capital of the world. During your stay, you will have the opportunity to partake in an interactive interpretative nature walk, focusing on biodiversity, adaptation, the importance of organisms, interdependence and the need for conservation.

ITINERARY

En-route to Cape Town, we visit the pretty university town of Stellenbosch, for wine tasting and a cellar tour. Once in Cape Town the afternoon is at leisure, enjoy sundowners at one of the fabulous beaches or indulge in some last minute shopping at the V&A Waterfront. The next day we get to explore the many attractions the ‘Mother City’ has to offer on our Cape Point tour.

ITINERARY

Spend the final day at leisure. Weather dependent there is the chance to take the cable car up Table Mountain (own expense) and enjoy one last view of the Cape of Good Hope before your transfer to the airport.

We make use of mid-range typical African standard lodge accommodation. Accommodation is situated either in National Parks, on the banks of a river, or in other places of interest. The accommodation will be a mix of lodges, chalets and tented camps. Most of them have a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Some properties are equipped with swimming pools and/or bar areas.

Day 1: The Kelway Hotel or similar
Day 2: Addo Rest Camp or similar
Day 3 & 4: Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar
Day 5: Mooiplaas Guest House or similar
Day 6 & 7: The Townhouse Hotel or similar

INCLUDED
Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
All transport in fully kitted vehicle
Game drives and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
Park entrance fees
Experienced local guide

EXCLUDED
Flights
Pre and post tour accommodation
Optional activities
All drinks
Personal expenses such as telephone calls, curios and tips
Travel insurance and visas

Departure: The Wonders of the Garden Route Safari departs from Port Elizabeth Airport. Please proceed to the information desk, where your shuttle driver will meet you at 12:00 for the transfer to Addo National Park. Private transfers are available at an additional cost.

Transport: Jenman Safaris uses fully equipped Toyota Quantum’s, Mercedes Benz Sprinters or Vito’s or other appropriate vehicles with comfortable seating, a music system, PA system and air-conditioning. Please note all game drives are conducted in the touring vehicle. Clients have the option to book additional game drives in open game-viewer vehicles. It is recommended that you pre-book additional game drives in advance to avoid disappointment.

Travelling Times and Distances: All travelling times are affected by road conditions, border crossings, detours and weather conditions, therefore on certain days travelling times may be longer than anticipated especially where there is a lot of distance to be covered. Please keep in mind that the time it takes to travel 100 km in your home country is not equivalent to the time it takes to travel 100 km on African roads, therefore we encourage you to sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery Africa has to offer. Where possible additional stops will be made to ensure your travelling comfort at all times.

Meals: Breakfast is included daily and provided by the lodge restaurants. A dinner package is available, at additional cost for 4 dinners. This needs to be booked in advance and the meals are to be taken in the lodge restaurants. Please advise us of any special dietary requirements in advance. Should you not wish to pre-pay for this, dinners will be for your own account and will still need to be taken in local restaurants or at the lodges if there are no restaurants in the nearby vicinity. There are no facilities available for self-catering.

Visas: The onus is on the client to organize all visas required to visit South Africa prior to departure.

Travel Insurance: Please note that travel and cancellation insurance is mandatory for every guest travelling with Jenman African Safaris. All insurance is solely the responsibility of our guests. Please ensure you arrange your own insurance with protection for the full duration of your journey to cover personal injury, damage and loss of personal items including but not limited to camera equipment and other electronic items, medical expenses, repatriation expenses and loss of luggage, etc. Please speak to your travel agent if you require assistance.

Click here to view the detailed itinerary on WETU.