Garden Route
Cape Town
Kapstaad (in Afrikaans) or iKapa (in Xhosa) is the second-most populous urban area in South Africa after Johannesburg. Quite few people know that it is also the legislative capital of South Africa as it is the seat of the parliament.
With it's unique location Cape Town is a wonderful place to spend a few days. It offers options for everyone: You can relax on the beach in Camps Bay or Clifton. However, you must be brave if you wanna go swimming there. Due to the Benguela Current the water is really cold all year round, even in summer. Another option is to hike Table Mountain or Lion's Head. In spring and summer Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden with its summer concerts is a beautiful place to visit. For those who like to learn more about the history, we recommend to visit Robben Island or District Six Museum.
Cape Penninsula
The Cape Penninsula belongs to the Table Mountain National Park. It can be explored on a day trip from Cape Town. The first stop can be Hout Bay to see the tuna fishermen or the seal colony; going further south to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. There are also options to do parts of this tour by bike. You can spot quite a view animals like dassies (rock hyrax). But be aware of the baboons in this area. They are used to humans an can get quite aggressive sometimes.
Before driving back to Cape Town you can make a final stop in Simon's Town where you can visit the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. This colony is one of only a few in South Africa and the site has become famous and a popular international tourist destination.
Cape Winelands
The area northeast of Cape Town is also known as the Cape Winelands as it is the primary area of wine making. It covers the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Worcester. Many of the vineyards offer tours and/or wine tastings.
Hermanus
From June to November it is really worth visiting Hermanus as this is the time when you can spot the famous southern right whale. The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town centre but you can also do boat-based whale watching.
Central Garden Route
The towns Oudtshoorn, George and Knysna offer various places to see and stay along the central Garden Route. George and Knysna are situated on the coast whereas Oudtshoorn is inlands.
Quite a number of ostrich farms are based in Oudtshoorn. Some of them are open to visit. Close by are the Cango Caves. An extensive system of tunnels and chambers. Only about a quarter of this is open to visitors, who may proceed into the cave in groups supervised by a guide.
Tsitsikamma National Park
Tsitsikamma National Park is a coastal reserve known for its indigenous forests and coastline. Therefore main activities here are hiking and water activities like canoeing or kayaking.
The famous Otter Trail passes through Tsitsikamma National Park. Hiking the whole trail takes 5 days but you can do a one day hiking trip along the coast.
In the small town Stormsriver you will find accommodation, restaurants, booking offices and an information center.
Near the park is the Bloukrans Bridge with the world's highest bridge bungee jump.
Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant National Park is situated close to Port Elizabeth which is the end of this tour. The park is home to more than 600 elephants and offers some of the most spectacular elephant viewing. Also other mammals like buffalo, zebra, lion and various antelopes are likely to be seen.
