from £839.00
South Africa Coastal Experience
Or call 0871 230 0040
Days 1 Arrive Durban
Arrive in Durban any time and make your way to the joining point hotel. A brief departure meeting will be held in the hotel reception area in evening on Day 1 of your tour. Upon arrival look for information from your tour leader on the hotel bulletin board regarding the meeting time. Explore the beach and dive into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean just out the front door of our guest house. The Zulu nation’s formation provided wealth for a trade market in this area - European merchants set up a harbour where the base of trade with Zulus could be formed. Durban was thus created by a population of 26 hard-living traders and ivory hunters. It was named on 23 June 1835, after the governor of the Cape, Sir Benjamin D’Urban. The centre of Durban grew around its sugar cane plantations, as large numbers of Indians were brought to work on the plantations. As a result, present-day Durban it the city with the largest Indian population outside of India. The city has grown into one of South Africa's best-known and most popular coastal resorts and commercial ports. With stretches of safe, sandy beaches and abundance of holiday accommodation destinations available and all-year sunshine attract visitors to this festive city every year. This city is enjoyed for its vibrant mix of cultures and experiences, with a large diverse population of people. The beach front area has the usual attractions, from fair grounds to restaurants, to water sports and the now world famous “uShaka Marine World”.
Days 2-3 Wild Coast Area (B)
Approximate distance: 620km Estimated travel time: 8 hrs Leave Durban for a scenic drive to the Wild Coast, a dramatic section of coastline with beaches, cliffs, and inlets. Take note of Mooi River, whose natural beauty so attracted the early settlers they named it “mooi” (pretty). The Mooi River area is also home to several of South Africa's finest stud farms. Enjoy spectacular views of the magnificent landscapes on various hiking trails. The Wild Coast region is one of South Africa’s most unspoiled areas, a vast stretch of hills, beautiful forests and stunning beaches. This area was formerly the Transkei homeland. Nearly everyone is Xhosa and people in the rural areas mostly live in traditional rondavels scattered all over the landscape. In all of South Africa, “Transkei” is the best place to experience authentic African rural life. The rural areas are still communally owned, this is a refreshing thought, here the land is unfenced and fully inhabited.
Day 4 Addo Elephant National Park (D)
Approximate distance: 350km Estimated travel time: 6 hrs Today we leave the coast and head inland as we continue on to the Addo Elephant National Park, a unique wildlife area. Although famous for the Addo elephants, this park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and we embark on an included afternoon game drive in an open vehicle in search of the resident elephants, black rhino, lion, buffalo and even leopard. Although the Addo Elephant belongs to the same species as the African Elephant, it is smaller, with more rounded ears and the females generally have no tusks. The park was named after the KhoiKhoi name Kadouw, which they gave to a forting place over the nearby Sundays River. The bush here is a combination of acacia, Spekboom, Gwarrie and Boerboon. The English name for the Spekboom is “Elephants food”. The black rhino was re-introduced into the park in 1961, and now the park is home to a number of different animals, including the big 5 (elephant, black rhino, lion, buffalo, and leopard), zebra, kudu, eland, warthog, and many types of buck.
Days 5-6 Plettenberg Bay (B)
Approximate Distance: 370 km Estimate Travel Time: 5 Hours On our way from Addo National Park to Plettenberg we visit the Daniell Cheetah Breeding project. The aim of this project is to play a part in the conservation of Cheetah’s, the re-establishment of pure gene lines, as well as educating people to the importance of conserving this amazing species. On this personalized tour you will get a chance to interact with the animals and enjoy a personal encounter with a hand-raised cheetah. Enjoy this popular and scenic stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa on our way to Plettenberg Bay, our next stop. The Garden Route stretches from the Tsisikamma National Park to Mossel Bay. Just linger in this picturesque coastal town of Plettenberg Bay, go on an optional boat cruise or hike, or simply hang out and relax on the beach. For the more adventurous, optional activities include abseiling, sea kayaking, mountain biking, bungee jumping, you will definitely find something to keep the adrenaline pumping. Originally christened “Bahaia Formosa” (Beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, the beautiful sweeping golden beaches characterize Plettenberg Bay, set on a rocky peninsula, with intriguing lagoons and towering forests nearby.
Day 7 Outdshoorn (D)
Approximate distance: 150 km Estimated travel time: 3 hrs We take a scenic drive to travel over the Outeniqua Mountains into the area known as Klein Karoo (“Little Karoo”), where we make the quiet town of Oudtshoorn our base. You can even enjoy the beautiful Outeniqua Mountains with a small miniature train, hop on the Outeniqua power van (optional) in George and explore this unique rail pass which will take you up the Mountain. Our bus can pick you up on top of the Mountain on our way to Oudtshoorn. Tonight you will participate in a "stokbrood/braai" cooking competition. Stokbrood/braai is a typical Afrikaans tradition/style of cooking/BBQ, you make a dough and wrap it around a stick which you then cook over the open fire. The group will be divided into teams and will need to make their own dinner with the help of our chefs and will then be judged and awarded prizes – this is a great way to involve everybody and great fun! Oudtshoorn is notably the ostrich capital of the world. Here ostriches are found in great numbers and the region produces the world’s best feathers, leather products and meat. Amidst the 400 ostrich farms surrounding the town, three have distinguished themselves worthy enough to be named show farms. The Cango Caves are sculptured by nature through the ages, and is filled with mysterious and breathtaking limestone formations in a wide variety of natural colours. They lie in the Swartberg Mountain Range in a limestone belt measuring 1.5km in width and almost 16km in length. This part of the continent was once below the ocean. As the continent rose, the Little Karoo found itself above the water level. The caves started to form some 20 million years ago, when the water level dropped to such an extent that the ground water could start to seep into the limestone. As the water seeped into the ground it absorbed carbon dioxide from the decaying plant and animal matter in the soil and this made it fairly acidic. As it seeped into the limestone, cavities were created that filled with water. Rivers also formed on the surface and cut deeply enough into the limestone to allow them to reach the level of the water pockets. This caused the water to flow out about 4 million years ago. The cave was then, for the first time, exposed to air and the speleothems (cave formations) began to form. The portion of the caves that are accessible to the public extends for 1.2km, with a further 4.1km being kept closed for conservation.
Day 8 Stellenbosch
Approximate Distance: 525 km Estimate Travel Time: 8 Hours Our journey takes us further west to quaint and beautiful Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa. We’ll get settled and continue to explore the wine farms and vineyards to get a taste of the area, of course of its outstanding wines. Stellenbosch was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself — Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's forest". It is situated on the banks of the Eerste River ("First River"), so named as it was the first river he reached and subsequently followed during an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory east of Cape Town. The town grew so quickly that it became an independent local authority in 1682 and the seat of a magistrate with jurisdiction over 25,000 km sq in 1685. Stellenbosch lies in a fertile valley surrounded by vineyards, orchards and mountains. The area has a Mediterranean-type climate, with hot summers, cool winters and clear, sunny skies. It is at the start of the Cape Fold mountains, which have created soil favourable to vines. Soon after the first settlers arrived, this grapes were planted by the French Huguenots, in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch and soon it became the heart of South Africa’s wine industry. Together, the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek valleys form the Cape Winelands, the largest of the two main wine growing regions in South Africa. Stellenbosch Wine of Origin area includes 106 cellars – most of which are open the public. The South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 litres of wine annually.
Day 9 Cape Town
Approximate Distance: 65km Estimated Time: 45 min Today we'll enjoy a day in Cape Town at leisure with optional activities such as a visit to the Castle of Good Hope, the Aquarium at the V & A Waterfront, Table Mountain and Robben Island. The more adventurous should go for cage diving and have a close encounter with great white sharks. Later this evening we'll experience a unique local dinner in a private home in an informal settlement – an authentic community experience that you will take home in your heart. Cape Town's name originated from the term Cape of Good Hope when Bartholomew Diaz and other seafarers looked forward to the sight of Table Mountain, like an inn that promised hospitality and prosperity. The city is steeped in a rich history and is a cultural melting pot with its diverse and vibrant character being derived from Khoxisan and other African tribes from the north, and Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers. Cape Town is the third most populous city in South Africa, with over 3 million inhabitants, and is the provincial capital of the Western Cape. It is also the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located. For shopping, dining and entertainment the V&A Waterfront is a hotspot for foreigners and locals alike. Still a working harbor, the Waterfront is an example of creative architecture and restoration and has become South Africa's most visited tourist attraction. The Waterfront offers over 250 shops from designer boutiques to craft stalls, a host of restaurants and coffee shops. If you still have time, visit Red-Hill pre-school, one of our Planeterra project. Planeterra - the Gap Adventures Foundation is our non-profit organization that was developed to give back to the people and places we visit on our tours. Planeterra supports local community projects, non-profit organizations and international charities that focus on the areas of health, education, community development, environmental conservation and employment skills training.
Day 10 Depart Cape Town (B)
Depart Cape Town at any time.
Or call 0871 230 0040
Like it? Share it.... . .