6 Night Garden Route 3 star Tour

Day 01

On arrival in Cape Town, you make your way to the Avis Desk, and collect your rented car. You start up the garden route by making your way via Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa and the spectacular Tradoux Pass to to the Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn. Here you check in at the La Plume Guest House for (1) night on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 02

This morning you may want to visit one of the local ostrich farms – very characteristic of the area or take a guided tour of the Cango Caves. From Oudtshoorn you drive over the Outeniqua Mountains to the coast line and continue to the small by vibrant town of Knysna. Here you check into the Ashmead Resort for (1) nights on a bed and breakfast basis.

Ashmead Resort is ideally situated on the edge of Knysna's beautiful lagoon amidst tranquil gardens and magnificent indigenous trees. Ashmead Resort has a total of 66 accommodation units. The majority of units are self-catering, however the resort also offers B&B accommodation to suit tour groups, corporate or conference guests. The brick cottages are spread out along the edge of the water or tucked between tall indigenous trees. The self catering apartments and B&B units are situated in our tranquil and extensive garden. All units have TV and telephone and all bedrooms have ceiling fans and heaters. The resort has a maximum of 220 beds and has secure open parking. All units serviced daily and all linen & bedding and towels are supplied. The modern two storey apartment block is set in our beautiful gardens. The apartments are spacious, comfortable and attractively furnished in bright, bold colours. The self-catering apartments all have fully-equipped kitchens with microwave, hob, electric frying pan and refrigerators. All crockery, cutlery, glassware and utensils are provided. The ground floor consists of: 3 one bedroom apartments / 3 two bedroom apartments / 8 B&B units / 7 self-catering bachelor units. The B&B units are double or twin en-suite rooms ideal for corporate or conference guests, or for the holiday makers who don't want the inconvenience of cooking.

Day 02

This morning you have time for on a boat cruise on the Knysna Lagoon or possibly a guided walk in the Featherbed Nature Reserve. From Knysna you continue to the Tsitsikamma area, where you check in at the Misty Mountain Reserve for (2) nights on a bed and breakfast basis.

David and Val would like to welcome you to Misty Mountain Reserve we will do every thing possible to make your stay relaxing and enjoyable. Situated in the malaria free Eastern Cape 1 ½ hours from Port Elizabeth airport, is the Tsitsikamma which is the gateway to the Garden Route, (the name Tsitsikamma is the Khoisan word for the place of many waters,) The reserve is situated 230metres above sea level on the edge of the escarpment with a180 degrees view of the Indian Ocean, and the view to the north is the Tsitsikamma mountain range. The area is classified as one of the most temperate climates in the world, making this area a hikers paradise 12 months of the year Misty Mountain Reserve is the center point of the new luxury hiking trail called “The Dolphin Trail”. We boundary onto the famous Tsitsikamma National Park the largest marine reserve in South Africa. Add to this the rain forests which harbour giant Outeniqua yellowwood trees, the wetlands and the fynbos, the Tsitsikamma is a bird lovers paradise, from the majestic fish eagle to the spoonbills, and Knysna lourie. The Tsitsikamma has one of the worlds beautiful rugged coastlines. Harbouring a very delicately balanced marine eco-system, and boasts some of finest whale and dolphin viewing sites. The greater Tsitsikamma offers a very diverse bird life. From shoreline estuaries to Fynbos and wetlands, the area is rich in variety and gets the fair share of summer migratory birds. The SHORELINE, which is subject to tidal action, produces a variety of Waders, Terns, Gulls, Oystercatchers and Gannets. The Waders are mostly migratory birds, breeding in the northern hemisphere and spending the summer months in the southern hemisphere. Larger flocks of different species frequent the shoreline from September until March/April. Occasionally during the winter storms, unusual seabirds like Shearwaters and Petrels can be seen. The Tsitsikama is home to a large variety of birdlife including Terns, Cormorants, Darters, Egrets, Herons, Ibis, Spoonbills and Hamerkops. The world's land surfaces are divided into six Plant Kingdoms and Tsitsikamma lies in the heart of the famous Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK) - the smallest and most diverse plant kingdom in the world! The Cape Floral Kingdom lies in the South Western Cape and stretches from Van Rhynsdorp to Port Elizabeth, with a total size of 90 000 km (about the size of Portugal or Malawi) and covers only 0.02% of the world's land surfaces. 8 600 Plants occur in the CFK of which 5 800 - or 68% of the plants are endemic. That means these occur only in the CFK and nowhere else on earth - not even elsewhere in South Africa. (The British Isles - three times bigger - only has 1 500 plants in total. The CFK boasts a total of 1 500 bulbous plants alone!). There are five types of vegetation in the CFK, namely Fynbos (mountain, coastal and limestone), Renosterveld, Thicket, Succulent Karoo and Afromotane Forest. The fynbos element constitutes the biggest component - about 80% - of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Components of fynbos are Proteoids, Erica's, Restios and the geophytes, or bulbous plants. Characteristics of the CFK is that it evolved over million of years on nutrient poor soils. A further unique adaptation is the one of fynbos to regular fire cycles. It is no exaggeration to say that without fire there won't be any fynbos. What makes Tsitsikamma so unique is that all five vegetation types of the CFK are present in the Tsitsikamma area. Beautiful areas of Lowland Fynbos, with patches of Limestone Fynbos can be viewed. South Africa’s southern cape coast offers visitors the wonderful opportunity to watch a truly great mammal, the Southern Right Whale, during winter and spring months when these magnificent creatures come into our calm waters to calf and to protect their young. Plettenberg Bay offers outstanding whale watching facilities with ideal viewpoints along the coastline and a whale hotline for any information about the whales and their whereabouts. Other marine mammals include a permanent colony of Cape seals on the Robberg Nature Reserve and several species of dolphins are regular visitors to the Bay.

Day 03

Today you have the full day to explore this rugged stretch of coastline on foot. Alternatively you may want to visit the nearby Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park or enjoy one of the many other activities of the garden route such as enjoy a boat cruise up the Keurbooms River, pay a visit to Monkeyland or just spend some relaxing in the beautiful setting that you are in.

Day 05

Today you drive further east to the Cape St Francis Bay, where you check in at the Dunes Guest Farm for (2) nights on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 06

Today you have the full day to enjoy the sea & sand in Cape St Francis Bay.

Day 07

Today drive the last stretch of the garden route to the Port Elizabeth Airport where you drop off your rented car.

APPROXIMATE COST:

R 3028 .00 per person sharing (June – Aug 2005)
R 3655 .00 per person sharing (July 2005- April 2006)

* Please note prices quoted are an indication only. For a firm quote please send an enquiry, and we will revert with an accurate quote based on your dates.

^back to top

6 Night Garden Route 3 star Tour

Day 01

Day 02

Day 02

Day 03

Day 05

Day 06

Day 07

APPROXIMATE COST:

Special Interest Safaris

Recomended safaris

Tailor Made Tours

Hotels And Lodges