Tour Dates :
22 December 2009 - 1 January 2010
Tour Information :
This exceptional tour is offered annually during the winter months from April to July. Over the past number of years we have offered our overseas clients a variety of tours in the Cape. We have now taken the best from these and combined it into one tour.
Day 1 - Durban
We have an early departure from the Durban International Airport as it is a fairly long stretch to East London, our first overnight stop.
Our tour takes us past the following main centres:
- Port Shepstone – This town, situated approximately 120km south of Durban, is the biggest town on the south coast
- Kokstad – Known for cattle farming, dairy products and the breeding of polo and other horses
- Mount Frere – Established administrative and commercial centre in the old Transkei
- Umtata – The biggest city in the Transkei. This area is suitable for cattle, sheep and corn farming
We should reach our overnight stop in East London during the late afternoon. We shall be able to stretch our legs a bit before sitting down to supper and a well deserved night’s rest.
Day 2 – Port Elizabeth
Immediately after breakfast we depart for Port Elizabeth.
We shall be traveling on the picturesque R72 route along the coast to where we join the N2 just before Port Elizabeth. Among others, our route takes us past Port Alfred.
Port Alfred – A popular holiday destination that offers angling, free diving, surfing and most of the other water related recreational facilities. It is also a mecca for shell collectors. More than 800 different species of shells, some of them very rare, can be found along this coast.
Upon our arrival in Port Elizabeth, we shall first stop at our overnight accommodation to allow everyone to sign in and freshen up before we depart for a short tour of the city.
Day 3 – Knysna
Just after breakfast we depart for our next overnight accommodation at Knysna. We follow the N2 garden route and on the way we pass the following towns:
·
Jeffreys Bay
– World renowned among surfers. National and international surfing
competitions are frequently held at Jeffreys Bay. The entire bay is also
well known for the number and quality of Southern Cape and tropical Indo
Pacific seashells which are washed out regularly.
·
Storms River
- A road bridge spanning the Storms River was
built during the middle 1950’s at a cost of 100 000 to replace the
Storms River Pass built by Tomas Bain. The 192m long bridge was designed
by the famous Italian architect, Professor Ricardo Morandi and consists
of two curved sections which fitted perfectly when they were lowered
from the two opposites sides of the gorge.
·
Big Tree
– We pay a quick visit to this exceptional tree, approximately 5km east
of the turn off to the Storms River Mouth rest camp. A short walk from
the parking area brings you to an enormous Outeniqua yellow wood tree (Podocarpus
falcatus) which towers 36,6m above the forest floor, with a crown width
of 32.5m. The circumference at chest level is 8.5m, while the trunk is
18,3m high with an estimated volume of nearly 51m³.
· Tsitsikamma National Park – We pay a visit to this park and enjoy a light lunch and stretch our legs. The hiking trail leading to the hanging bridge over the Storms River Mouth is very popular. This is ideal for people who enjoy walking. The route takes approximately 40 minutes there and back.
We continue our journey and follow the old Bloukrans Pass route before joining the N2 again.
· Bloukrans Pass
– The pass winds up afforested
precipices and turns towards the coastal plateau. Just before reaching
the summit there is an observation point with breathtaking views over
the Groot River Sand Lake and Nature’s Valley.
· Plettenberg Bay – We pay a quick visit to Plettenberg Bay, stopping at an observation point that offers a beautiful view over the whole coastal area as well as the town of Plettenberg Bay – one of the most sought after holiday destinations along the Southern Cape Coast.
We continue our journey and should reach Knysna at approximately 16h00 and on arrival we shall report at our overnight accommodation.
· Knysna – Situated on the shores of a calm lagoon which is guarded at its mouth by the Heads with the Outeniqua Mountains towering to the north. The town is surrounded by fertile indigenous forests of yellowwood, stinkwood, SA beech (Rapanea melanophleas) and red alder. The town’s history is closely related to the cultivation/exploitation of the forests. Knysna is one of the most popular beach resorts along the Garden Route. The lagoon is also well known for its fresh oysters.
Day 4 - Oudtshoorn
After breakfast we depart on a short trip to the Knysna Heads offering a breathtaking view of the Knysna lagoon mouth. The sheer cliffs of the Heads guarding the entrance to the Knysna lagoon, stand on both sides of the narrow passage carved by waves in a primeval sea terrace.
We return to the centre of Knysna and join the Choo-Choo steam train for a journey from Knysna to Sedgefield where our bus will be waiting for us.
· Choo-Choo Train – The Outeniqua Choo-Choo steam train travels daily between George and Knysna - a journey of approximately 100km through virgin forests and past several lakes.
· Sedgefield – The road connecting Wilderness to Sedgefield, 18km further east, travels through afforested sand dunes towards the sea and lakes, some of which are fringed by forests. Panoramic mountain views can be enjoyed along the route.
From Sedgefield we continue our journey to Oudtshoorn and we pass the following towns:
- Swartvlei
- Wilderness
- George
- Outeniqua Pass
Reaching Oudtshoorn we visit the Cango Caves.
These majestic caves in the southern foothills of the Swartberg mountain range were formed over millions of years by rain water that seeped through cracks in the limestone. After our visit to the caves, we return to Oudtshoorn and report at our overnight accommodation. We shall be just in time to relax before we enjoy cocktails and sit down to a delicious meal.
Oudtshoorn – Also known as the Ostrich capital of the world, it has a rich cultural heritage. Many of its splendid limestone buildings were erected during the ostrich feather golden age.
Day 5 - Mossel Bay
Early morning we travel to one of the ostrich farms in the area for a short tour of the farm before continuing our journey to Mossel Bay. Our route takes us over the Robinson’s Pass.
Upon arrival in Mossel Bay we pay a visit
to the museum complex.
- Mossel Bay – The Bartholomew Dias museum complex consists of several museums and sights, among other the Nautical Museum, where the main attraction is a life size replica of the Dias carvel. There is also the Cultural Museum, depicting the history the town from earliest times, as well as the Shell Museum with its large collection of sea shells. The Post Office Tree is known to all. We then pay a quick visit to The Point, also known as Cape St Blaize. There we shall see a cave carved out by waves, which was inhabited by nomadic Koi people between 70 000 and 100 000 years ago. They exploited the coastal resources. The Cape St Blaize lighthouse above the cave was inaugurated in 1864.
We stay over in Mossel Bay.
Day 6 – Swellendam
After a scrumptious breakfast it is time to take to the road again and today we are going to visit the southern most point in Africa before unpacking in Swellendam where we will stay overnight. En route we shall pass the following small towns:
- Riversdale - We visit the internationally renowned Aloevera aloe factory where all the by-products made of aloe are displayed.
- Cape Agulhas – the first Portuguese mariners called Africa’s southern most point Cabo das Agulhas or Cape of Needles, after they had observed that their compass needles showed very little declination and pointed almost straight north when they sailed past this point.
- Bredasdorp – A high light for visitors is the Shipwreck Museum with its fascinating figure-heads, cannons, coins, porcelain-ware, ships-bells and other artifacts that were recovered from numerous shipwrecks along the Overberg coast. We also visit this museum.
We continue our journey to Swellendam where we round off the day with cocktails and a delicious supper.
- Swellendam – This third oldest town in South Africa can be found at the foot of the Langeberg. The town is famous for its numerous well preserved Cape-Dutch and Georgian buildings.
Day 7 – Wellington
After breakfast we depart for Wellington, following the well known brandy route. En route we pass the following interesting towns:
- Robertson
- Worcester
- Bainskloof Pass – This pass was named after the master road builder, Andrew Geddes Bain, who started building the road in 1849, using convict labour, completing the task four years later. During late afternoon we shall reach our overnight destination at the foot of the pass with a beautiful view of Wellington.
Wellington
Wellington nestles in a picturesque valley which was originally known as the Limiet Valley.
Day 8 – Wine Tasting Day
Before our wine tasting begins, a hearty breakfast is just what is needed to prevent the day from becoming too interesting!
Our guide will provide us with more in depth information regarding the following cellars and towns:
- Bovlei
- Nederberg
- Wellington Cellar
- Paarl
- Franschoek
- Mooiberge
After our visit to the Mooiberge farm stall, we continue our journey to our overnight accommodation in Cape Town.
Day 9 – Cape Point
After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast it is time to take to the road again and explore the peninsula. From Cape Town we travel along the coast to Cape Point and then back again using the coastal route traveling towards False Bay. This is indeed one of the highlights of our tour as this route is world famous for the beautiful natural scenery. Our route takes us past the following suburbs, small towns and sights:
-
Green Point
-
Sea Point
-
Clifton
-
Camps Bay
-
Hout Bay – We enjoy one of the most popular excursions in Hout Bay, namely, a boat trip to Duiker Island, the home of a colony of sea lions
-
Chapman’s Peak Pass – one of the most spectacular coastal roads in the world
-
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve – The Cape of Good Hope section of the Cape Peninsula National Park can be found on the southern point of the Cape Peninsula and covers 7 750h natural scrub vegetation (fynbos) and dramatic coastal landscapes. More than 1 100 different species of natural scrub vegetation can be found here. Amongst the animals that can be seen is the famous Cape Point baboon, bontebuck, grey rheebuck, grysbok, eland and tsessebe. More than 250 bird species have been recorded in the reserve. There is also an excellent whale observation point.
-
Cape Point – If you feel energetic, you may walk from the parking area to the old lighthouse which was built in 1859 on the 249m high Da Gama Peak. Alternatively you can use the rack-railway up to the observation point and walk back.
From Cape Point we start our journey back to Cape Town, travelling past:
- Boulders – this is home to one of only two land based breeding colonies of the threatened jackass penguin specie along the South African coast
- Simon’s Town
- Fish Hoek
- Kalk Bay
- St James
- Muizenberg
- Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden – We visit the 528h natural and cultivated gardens. It is one of the most famous Botanical gardens in the world where more than 4 500 plant species can be seen. During the late afternoon we return to our overnight accommodation.
Day 10 – We start the journey back home
We depart very early in the morning and follow the N2 route to the Gariep Dam where we shall stay overnight. This is the largest dam in South Africa and covers an area of 374 square kilometers.
Day 11
We depart very early for the last leg of our tour. We follow a very scenic and little known route that takes us through the Eastern Free State and through towns like Ficksburg, Fouriesburg and Golden Gate, before joining the N3 to Durban, where our tour ends.
Tour Ends
Our journey may well end here, but this unique tour will undoubtedly have a special place in everyone’s heart …
@ Hannes Du Preez/Pumba Tours
Destination RSA(Pty) Ltd trading as Pumba Tours
PO Box 101016
Meerensee
Richards Bay 3901
Tel: 035 753 3677/753 3962
Fax: 035 753 5875
e-mail: pumbatrs@iafrica.com
Price:
The full price for the 10 day tour amounts to R8 950 per person sharing. There will be a single levy of R650 per single person not sharing accommodation.
The price includes the following.
- All travelling costs
- All accommodation
- All meals as per itinerary (Two meals per day plus other meals as per the itinerary)
- All gate and entrance fees to sites as set out in the itinerary
- Transport in luxury Mercedes Benz Sprinter buses (14 to 19 seats)
- On board refreshments in the form of mineral water
- Public liability insurance amounting to R10 million
- Passenger liability insurance amounting to R10 million
- Colour photo’s of the entire tour on compact disc (CD)
- Complimentary DVD of the entire tour