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4 DAY GARDEN ROUTE DISCOVERER Cape Town to Port Elizabeth ~ Port Elizabeth to Cape Town Highlights Day
1 - Cape Town to Oudsthoorn This
morning, the spectacular Du Toit's Kloof Pass takes us over the mountains to
Worcester, we we stroll through the Karoo National botanical garden, a haven for
rare or endangered plants. We then
enter the verdant Breede River Valley, the largest of the Western Cape's fruit
and wine producing valleys. As we
follow the "fruit route" we enjoy magnificent mountain views,
vineyards, orchards and indigenous flora. Stocks
will be made at the roadside farm stalls to purchase fruit.
We journey through the unique landscape of the arid little Karoo, passing
through Barrydale and Calitzdorp, to Oudsthoorn, ostrich capital of the world.
We visit and ostrich farm before checking in at our accommodation.
There is time to cool off in the pool before trying ostrich steaks or
karoo mutton for supper. Day
2 - Oudsthoorn to Knysna After breakfast we drive to the Cango Caves, where we embark on a magical journey through massive caverns and fascinating limestone formations. We then leave the little Karoo behind and drive through the protea-covered Outeniqua mountains to George. You have the option of catching the Outeniqua Choo-tjoe steam train to Sedgefield, travelling via Wilderness and scenic lake district, or you can continue by bus. We reach Knysna in time for a long drive along the shores of the Knysna Lagoon to the quaint village of Belvidere. Restaurants in Knysna specialise in locally-caught fresh fish and this evening we have the chance to sample the catch of the day.
This
morning we have a few hours to browse through the best of Knysna's arty-crafty
shops. We drive along the coast to
nearby Plettenberg Bay where we set off on a gentle "eco-stroll" along
the Robberg peninsula, a rocky headland which presents a fine example of how
plants and animals adapt to the interacting influences of land and sea. Robberg
affords excellent views of any whales and dolphins that may be visiting
Plettenberg Bay. Today we are in
the heart of the garden route and we enjoy a scenic drive along the Old Passes
road, stopping for a swim at the unspoilt beaches of Natures Valley.
We stop at the Bloukrans Bridge to witness the world's highest commercial
bungee jump, before reaching our overnight accommodation in the Tsitsikamma
Forest. This evening we will enjoy
country hospitality and typical South African cuisine at our accommodation's
in-house restaurant. Day
4 - Tsitsikamma to Port Elizabeth Today is a spent in the Tsitsikamma Forest, an indigenous primeval forest with towering ancient yellowwood trees, lush vegetation and deep gorges. We drive down a steep pass to the aptly-named Storms River Mouth, where there are numerous short walking trails into the forest. The "Woodcutters' journey" is a trailer or Land Rover ride which follows an old elephant trail through the forest and is an opportunity to learn about flora, fauna and history of the area. After lunch in the forest (included in tour), a short walk brings us to the 800-year old "Big Tree". We leave the garden route behind, reaching Port Elizabeth in the late afternoon.
Highlights Day 1 - Port Elizabeth to Tsitsikamma We leave Port Elizabeth and travel to the Tsitsikamma forest, an indigenous primeval forest with towering ancient yellowwood tree, lush vegetation and deep gorges. The "Woodcutters' Journey" is a trailer or Land Rover ride which follows an old elephant trail through the forest and is an opportunity to learn about the flora, fauna and history of the area. After lunch (included in tour), we drive down a steep pass to the aptly-named Storms River Mouth, where there are numerous short walking trails into the forest. We also visit the 800-year old "Big Tree". This evening we enjoy country hospitality and typical South African cuisine at our accommodation's in-house restaurant. Day 2 - Tsitsikamma to Knysna Before leaving the Tsitsikamma Forest, we stop at Bloukrans Bridge to witness toe world's highest commercial bungee jump. Today we are in the heart of the Garden Route and we enjoy a scenic drive along the Old Passes road, stopping for a swim at the unspoilt Natures Valley or the glamorous resort of Plettenberg Bay. This afternoon we enjoy a sedate 45 minute "eco-stroll" along the Robberg peninsula, a rocky headland which represents a fine example of how plants and animals adapt to the interacting influences of land and sea. Robberg affords excellent views of any whales and dolphins that may be visiting Plettenberg Bay. We reach Knysna Lagoon to the quaint village of Belvidere. Restaurants in Knysna specialize in locally-caught fresh fish and this evening we have the chance to sample the catch of the day. Day 3 - Knysna to Oudsthoorn We have a few hours to browse through the arty-crafty shops in Knysna before you have the option of catching the Outeniqua ChooTjoe steam train to George, traveling via the scenic Lake District and Wilderness, or you can continue by bus. After George, we cross over the protea-covered Outeniqua Mountains to Oudtshoorn, in the Little Karoo. This afternoon we drive to the Cango Caves to explore its massives limestone caverns. We return to our accommodation, where there is time to relax or cool off in the pool. This evening we dine out on ostrich steak or delicious Karoo mutton.
Day 4 - Oudtshoorn to Cape Town This morning we visit an ostrich farm and the journey through the unique landscape of the arid Little Karoo, passing through Calitzdorp and Barrydale. We enter the verdant Dreede River Valley, the largest of the Western Cape's fruit and wine producing valleys. As we follow the "fruit route", we enjoy magnificent mountain views, vineyards, orchards and indigenous flora. Stops will be made at roadside farm stalls to purchase fruit. In Worcester we tour the Karoo National Botanical Garden, which shows off the fabulous wealth of the cape floral kingdom and is also a haven for rare or endangered plants. The breath-taking Du Toit's Kloof Pass brings us over the mountains and into the fairest city of all, Cape Town. All prices are upon request: Contact Debbie at AAT Worldwide Travel 800-288-4868 email: rocky8256@aol.com |
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