10-Day Kruger National Park-Garden Route-Cape Town Tour
(Self-Drive option also available)

Johannesburg to Cape Town

Day 1 –Kruger National Park. (D)
We will collect you from the Airport or from your overnight accommodation in Johannesburg and travel through Highveld industrial, mining and agricultural areas. Our guide will make this section interesting, adding value with his interpretation of the local history and sights. The scenery is pretty flat but this changes as we approach the Drakensberg Escarpment where we drop down to the Lowveld through scenic passes. This Drakensberg Escarpment area is really beautiful and has scenic vistas over the Lowveld of the Kruger National Park. We then enter the Kruger Park in the south to our preferred camp.
 
Day 2, 3 - Kruger National Park. (Breakfast, Dinner)
After breakfast we depart for the Kruger Park which is an excellent venue with good After breakfast we make our way to the nearby Kruger National Park. Kruger Park is an excellent venue with good sightings of lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, baboon, monkey, hippo and impala regularly seen. The more elusive animals like leopard are an exciting find. We will go on a night drive in an open safari vehicle on one of the evenings, this to enhance the possibility of seeing the nocturnal species such as leopard (always difficult to find), lion, hyena, genet, bush babies and then the other nocturnal animals such as the smaller cats, owls and nightjars. You also get to see most of the diurnal animals, with their eyes lighting up like a little town in the reflection of the spotlights when you chance on a herd of Impala. These drives are conducted by SANParks, the organisation tasked with running this Park.
We will spend our nights in Kruger in bungalow accommodation inside the Kruger Park - subject to availability. Although not graded, these bungalows are of a two or three star standard. Here the rooms have twin beds, each with a private shower, toilet and hand basin en-suite. The brick under thatch rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, some also with ceiling fans and a fridge. There is insect proof screening on the doors and windows. You will be provided with bath and hand towels as well as soap. In the game reserve we will have breakfast and dinners in the restaurants. Breakfast and dinners are generally buffet style. We enjoy a full game-viewing programme for the balance of the days. Depending on which camps we will be staying at so the mid-day siesta period could be spent at the swimming pool - Kruger Park is pretty hot and humid in summer - or to visit one of the camp interpretation centres, which are always interesting. Your guide in his vehicle conducts the remainder of the game drives.
We encourage an early start to make the most of the best time of day to view the animals. So first one out at dawn - this to see if we are able to sight some of the nocturnal predators returning to their daytime resting place and then to have breakfast possibly at a different locality. We recommend staying at different camps to make the most on what the Kruger Park has to offer and to get the best game viewing.

Day 4 – Winelands (Breakfast)
This morning we fly from Nelspruit to Cape Town where we make our way to Franschoek, where we overnight at the Franschoek Inn. This magnificent 4-Star hotel in Franschhoek has a rich history, with one section dating back to the 1880s. The town itself takes its name from the French Huguenots who settled in the area in the early 1680s after fleeing from their home country. Franschhoek has since become one of South Africa's leading culinary and wine-tasting destinations.

Day 5 – Oudtshoorn (Breakfast)
After breakfast we make our way to Oudtshoorn along “Route 62”, the tourist route that meanders between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, offering the shorter, scenic alternative to the N2 highway. It's an area of magnificent landscapes and towering cliffs, crystal clear streams and the abundance of trees and indigenous flora. The ever changing colours of the majestic mountains, scenic passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards, as well as the multitude of attractions, will offer you an unforgettable adventure — whether this is in the physical sense or simply a kaleidoscope of scenic tranquillity. Innovation and pride, combined with a terrain and mild climate that are harmoniously balanced, results in the prominence of this region's wines. Route 62 will take you along the longest wine route in the Western Cape and most likely the whole world. We reach Oudtshoorn in the late afternoon, a town that is known as the "feather capital of the world”.
Overnight at Fosters Manor (or similar).  Experience the days gone by of ostrich feathers and feather palaces at Foster`s Manor Bed & Breakfast - the embodiment of the ambiance of the era when the ostrich and its feathers reigned supreme in the Little Karoo 

Day 6 – Oudtshoorn. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Today we visit the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn which are among the biggest stalagmite formations in the world. Some of the sandstone formations are colourfully illuminated and the bizarre shapes in the caves are mainly composed of calcium carbonate. They develop as limewater drips from the stones and evaporates. The structures growing down from the cave ceiling are called stalactites, while those that grow from the ground to the top are called stalagmites.
We will also visit a working ostrich farm where one can learn more about these fascinating birds. Commercial ostrich farming started during the late 1880's in South Africa; this was also the start of the ostrich industry worldwide. The fashion demand in Europe for ostrich feathers inspired the growth of the industry, with the Oudtshoorn district quickly being established as the “ostrich capital of the world”. During the first decade of the previous century, ostrich feathers gained record prices on foreign markets, ranking 4th on the list of South African exports, after gold, diamonds and wool. The consequence of this newly found opulence meant that ostrich farmers were able to build beautiful sandstone mansions. A unique feature of the farm experience is a visit to the Ostrich Palace "Welgeluk" which was built at the height of the feather boom in 1910. The homestead is a National Monument and is a superb example of the type of architecture that was used at the time. Safari Ostrich Show Farm was established more than 40 years ago. Lunch will be enjoyed at this farm.
From here we will make our way to Knysna, where we overnight at the Knysna River Club (or similar). The award winning Knysna River Club comprising of 35 luxury chalets is situated on the edge of the famous Knysna Lagoon, offering a unique opportunity to experience an unforgettable stay at one of South Africa's prime destinations. The remainder of the day you are at leisure.

Day 7 - Knysna (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast we make our way to the “Featherbed Nature Reserve”. This spectacular four-hour eco-experience includes a return ferry, walk and lunch and a 25-minute ferry trip on the Knysna Lagoon to the Western head (The Reserve is only accessible by ferry.) Upon arrival, guests board a Unimog drawn trailer and drive up to the top of the Reserve. While stopping at a scenic lookout point, our specialist guides will share with you some fascinating tales about Knysna and the surrounding area while you enjoy the panoramic views. An optional 2,2 km guided nature walk takes you through the forest, onto the cliffs, into the caves and along the scenic coast. Once back in the Food Forest, a unique outdoor restaurant situated under the Milkwood Trees, guests can enjoy a spectacular 12 dish buffet lunch. Later this afternoon you are at leisure to stroll around the town or the cute Knysna Waterfront to catch up on some shopping or relaxation.
Overnight Knysna River Club.

Day 8 - Cape Town (Breakfast).
This morning we make our way to the nearby town of Mossel Bay where we visit the Diaz Museum. Of the five National Monuments on the museum grounds, four are buildings dating between 1830 and 1902. The museum grounds themselves, situated on the shores of the Indian Ocean, are a magnificent historical setting. They are situated at the very site where European explorers came ashore and made contact with the indigenous people. Information about the Khoi-Khoi and explorers can be seen in the Maritime Museum. After our museum visit we make our way to Cape town where we overnight at the Breakwater Lodge (or similar). Just minutes away from the Waterfront, the Breakwater Lodge was once a 19th Century prison, and today provides comfortable Cape Town hotel accommodation in a spectacular setting that looks over the bay and up onto Table Mountain.

Day 9 – Cape Town (Breakfast)
Today, we depart from the hotel and travel along the Atlantic Seaboard through Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Camps Bay and Llandudno before visiting the fishing village of Hout Bay. From here we make our way via Chapman's Peak drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve where we visit Cape Point to explore the diversity of plant species in this reserve first hand and hopefully to view the rare bontebok and zebra, eland, baboon and other wildlife of the reserve. The scenery here is stunning and one has the option of getting to the view site by foot or by the less strenuous Funicular, (own account). We will have lunch at the Two Oceans Restaurant before proceeding to the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach to view and learn more about these fascinating birds.
We then travel through the naval-base town of Simon's Town along the False Bay Coastline, and should time allow we would visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country.
Overnight Breakwater Lodge.

Day 10 – Cape Town (Breakfast)
Today you will be taken on a short orientation tour of this magnificent city. Cape Town has something for everyone. From the landmark beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay to the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and Cape Town city centre, the scenery of the Cape Peninsula and more - time spent in Cape Town will not be forgotten.