Magical Garden Route - 5 Day

Port Elizabeth to Cape Town

Day 01
Departing Port Elizabeth, enter the Garden Route via the high forests of the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Bloukrans and Groot River Passes. Attractions to be visited through the Tsitsikamma Forest area include the Big Tree and the Garden of Eden. Gaze in awe at the scenery whilst crossing the bridge over the Storms River where photographic opportunities abound. After lunch at the scenic Storms River mouth (not included), continue via the 'millionaires' playground of Plettenberg Bay to South Africa's 'oyster capital', Knysna. After a short refreshment stop at Knysna's East Head we continue via Sedgefield to the quaint seaside village of Wilderness.
Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis

Day 02
TIGK TOUR - Nature's Beauty and Nostalgia
From our hotel in Wilderness, we travel to George Railway Station to board the famous Outeniqua Choo-Tjoo. In 1922 the Railways and Harbours Board recommended the construction of a railway between George and Knysna, a distance of approximately 67 kilometres. When this line was built it was regarded as the most expensive piece of 'clickety clack' in the world. Today it is billed as the most beautiful. Travelling from George to Knysna is like being present at an animated art exhibition, each kilometre presenting a new canvas that calls forth exclamations of pleasure. One loses to a certain degree, the sense of time, thanks to a profusion of scenic delights. The line travels through two tunnels of moderate length, cut into the hills above the sea, before it approaches the Kaaimans River Bridge, 210 metres long and 36 metres high.
On arrival at the Knysna waterfront, board the ferry that will take us to Featherbed Nature Reserve on the Western Knysna Head. On arrival at the reserve, enjoy a spectacular 12 dish buffet lunch at the 'Food Forest' - a unique outdoor restaurant situated under the Milkwood Trees. After lunch, 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. After the ferry returns to the Featherbed Ferry Terminus, the day's adventure ends with a scenic drive back to Wilderness for drop off at your hotel.
Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis including lunch

Day 03
TIGO TOUR - Klein Karoo Kaleidoscope
Your adventure begins as we depart Wilderness via Dolphin Point to the historic town of Mossel Bay. Send a postcard to friends or relatives from the famous 'Post Office Tree' before visiting the Diaz and Maritime Museums famed for their relics of early explorers. Our tour continues via the Robertson Pass to South Africa's 'ostrich capital' and the town of Oudtshoorn. Here we visit the Safari Ostrich Show Farm, which is an operating farm where visitors will see large groups of ostriches at differing stages of development. The tour starts in the breeding camp, with a nest of ostrich eggs, where the first stage of the ostrich life cycle is explained. We get the opportunity to test the strength of the eggs by standing on them - a great photo opportunity. During the breeding season visitors can observe ostrich eggs hatching in the incubator rooms. One gets the rare opportunity to sit on an ostrich and those who are brave enough can even try their hand at riding the world's largest bird. The tour ends with an 'Ostrich Derby' where local jockeys display their riding skills.
After a traditional lunch, we continue to the Cango Caves. The fully guided tour starts in the cathedrallike Van Zyl's Hall and ends approximately 600m further into the cave in the African Drum Room. Even though the tour covers the largest chambers of the Cave system, it makes relatively easy walking, including a reasonable number of stairs. The tour takes an hour and enables one to experience the best and largest of the chambers and speleothems that this cave has to offer. Our day continues to the Cango Wildlife Ranch and Valley of Ancients, endangered species breeding facility extraordinaire. This, the oldest and biggest cheetah contact centre worldwide offers visitors the rare opportunity of interacting with hand reared cheetahs and the chance to get actively involved in saving this species and others from extinction. Explore the facts and fiction surrounding crocodiles, view elegant cheetahs and giggle at the antics of Bengal tiger cubs. For the adventurous, enjoy face to face encounters with wildlife in the 'Natural Encounters' programme where you can touch a cheetah, enjoy the closeness of a tiger cub, wrap yourself in a python and even dive with Nile crocodiles (additional cost for these experiences are not included). The day concludes with a scenic drive over the Outeniqua Pass to George and onward to Wilderness where you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast including lunch

Day 04
TIGE TOUR - Return To Eden
Your ecological adventure begins with an exciting beach launch from Plettenberg Bay and heads east past the bird sanctuary and beautiful Keurbooms beach to the famous Arch Rock. One usually encounters large groups of Bottlenose and small pods of the rare Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins, as well as certain shark species here. From Arch Rock we head out into the middle of the bay where pelagic seabirds are normally found about 7km off shore. In addition, resident Bryde's Whales, Common Dolphins, Southern Right and Humpback Whales, and even occasional Orcas can be seen. We then traverse the Bay to the point of Robberg Peninsula and out to the wild side, often seeing groups of whales and pods of dolphins. Cruising back along the inside of Robberg, the unique geology from this unusual viewpoint and the growing Cape Fur Seal colony can be closely observed. Finally we head back along Robberg beach, while a brief rundown on the history and shipwrecks of the area is given. After passing the Beacon Island Hotel (built on the site of an original Whaling Station) we end the experience with an exhilarating beach landing on Central Beach (Plettenberg Bay), where a 4X4 vehicle will meet you. After refreshments, we travel up the Indian Ocean seaboard to the 'Bird's Of Eden' sanctuary. Enjoy a traditional lunch (not included) in this unique two-hectare dome (the world's largest), which spans a gorge of indigenous forest. The sanctuary has its own mysterious ruin, incorporating a walk-behind waterfall. Its dome has the ability to synthesize thunder and create short spells of rain from an irrigation system in the structure. Roofed viewpoints within the gorge have been erected for use during the brief rain storms. 'Bird s of Eden' arises from the need to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flying birds and miniature monkeys. Our visit to Monkeyland affords one an opportunity to enjoy a monkey safari within an indigenous forest conducted by an experienced game ranger. On this safari, you can expect to see numerous species of primates ranging from the gibbons of Asia, and howlers from South America, to the lemurs of Madagascar. All of these species behave, feed and live in as natural an environment as possible. At Monkeyland one is privileged to be able to step into their world to explore and learn fascinating facts about these primates, first hand. This concludes this adventure, and we return to our hotel.
Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis including lunch

Day 05
After a sumptuous breakfast, our journey to Cape Town begins. Driving through Mossel Bay, we travel over the majestic Tradouw's Pass toward Barrydale. On arrival in the Tradouw valley, take a nostalgic trip on a vintage tractor through the vineyards of the Joubert Tradouw Cellars where we enjoy a cellar tour and wine tasting. Continuing through the Little Karoo, we arrive in Montagu in time for a delectable country luncheon at Mimosa Lodge reputed as a place of fine hospitality and superb cuisine. After lunch we traverse Kogmanskloof Pass through to the town of Robertson and over the Franschhoek Pass to Franschhoek. After a short visit to the town's 17th century Huguenot Memorial we travel over the Helshoogte Pass into the town of Stellenbosch. Take a fascinating stroll through 'Oom Samie se Winkel' - Stellenbosch's first trading store, and admire the historical beauty of the heart of the Winelands. With Table Mountain in sight, the tour ends with drop off at your hotel or Cape Town International Airport.

AT A GLANCE

Accommodation
- Upper 3 and 4 star luxury accommodation

Flights
- No flights

Driver / Guide
- Services of SA Tourism Garden Route specialist tourist guide

Main Attractions
- Featherbed Nature Reserve on Knysna s West Head
- Nostalgic and scenic Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe
- Ocean Safari in search of various dolphin, whale and shark species
- Monkeyland and Bird s of Eden rehabilitation centres
- Historic Mossel Bay and the post office tree
- Ostrich farm visit and ostrich derby
- Cango Wildlife Ranch and Valley of Ancients, endangered species breeding facility.