Garden Route 4 Day – Cango Caves, Knysna, Wilderness

With its  beautiful stretches of coastline contrasting with  rugged  mountains, tall indigenous forests, lakes, and rivers this region is a study in contrasts and certainly lives up to its name  “the Garden Route “

The Garden Route stretches along the southern coast from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River. Along the way there are many kinds of adventure activities available from Great White shark cage diving to Sky Diving to Bungee  jumping ( the highest in the world at 216 meters!) and  walks in the forests with elephants. A photographer’s dream this tour will not disappoint. For the less adventurous the scenery and wild life is enough for a lifetime of memories!

The Garden Route is  a malaria free area. No anti- malaria precautions are necessary.

Day One
Cape Town – Oudtshoorn 420km

We depart Cape Town at around 8:30 am and head along the N2 towards the Hottentot Holland mountains where we stop at the top of the mountain pass to view the beautiful, scenic  False Bay with views all the way back to Cape Town. As we crest the mountain and move through the Houw Hoek Pass the scenery changes dramatically to rolling wheat fields guarded by the Overberg Mountain range.
At the town  Swellendam ( one of the oldest settlements of colonial times )  we leave the N2 and drive through the awe-inspiring Tradouw’s  Mountain Pass built in 1869  to connect with the R62 guarded by the settlement of Barrydale. We are now in the Klein Karoo
(Karoo is a Khoisan word “land of thirst “)  Another Pass awaits us, the Huisrivier Pass after which we stop in the Port Capital of South Africa  Calitzdorp where we sample some of the local Port before arriving at our destination in Oudtshoorn late in the afternoon. Oudtshoorn is known as the Ostrich capital of the world and is also famous for the Cango Caves with its dramatic Stalactites and Stalagmites sure to impress!

The Route  :  Cape Town-Caledon-Swellendam-Barrydale-Calitsdorp-Oudtshoorn

•         Hottentot-Holland Mountain Pass
•         Houw Hoek Mountain Pass
•         Swellendam
•         Tradouw Mountain Pass
•         Barrydale
•         Huisrivier Pass

Accommodation  Beluda Guest Farm or Oue Werf  Guest Farm  or similar 4*
Meals  included:        Dinner
Activities Included:    Port Tasting                

Day Two
Oudtshoorn-Knysna 150km

Awaken to the sound of a working farm and fresh  Karoo air! After a hearty breakfast, we head for the World Famous Cango Caves to marvel at the subterranean wonder on a guided tour lasting over an hour. Thereafter we head for the Cango Ostrich show farm for a guided tour and for the more adventurous a challenging ostrich ride. Make sure your partner has the camera or video ready!  After lunch, we  drive   through  the Outeniqua Mountain pass and down to the beautiful town of  Knysna , famous for its tidal lagoon, natural forests, also known as  South Africa’s ‘oyster capital ‘ After checking into your guest-house we head for the  Waterfront where after a short stroll around we board the ferry for a sunset cruise  in the Lagoon  ( Optional )

The  Route :  Oudtshoorn-Outeniqua Pass-George-Wilderness-Sedgefield-Knysna

•   Cango Caves
•   Cango Ostrich Show Farm
•   Outeniqua Pass
•   Wilderness
•   Knysna

Optional: Knysna Lagoon Sunset Cruise
Accommodation Protea Hotel  or similar  ( 4 star )
Meals  included;       Breakfast
Activities Included;   Cango Caves, Ostrich Show Farm

Day Three
Knysna-Stormsriver-Knysna 240km

Today we are going to explore the ‘Garden Route’.  For the more adventurous we will visit the Wilderness National Park where we take a canoe ride through the spectacular indigenous forest which boasts over 200 species of birds. After visiting the waterfall and having a quick dip in the cool waters we head back to our starting point. (Optional )
We head for the beautiful Tsitsikamma National Coastal Park, stopping along the way at the Garden of Eden for a walk through the forest ( about 1 Km )  where we get to see the natural beauty of the area. Monkeyland is next where the free-roaming primates (previously caged ) have been reintroduced into the world's first 23 hectares of indigenous forest.  Birds of Eden  is a 4-acre wonderland of the largest free-flight bird aviary in the world where over 3500 birds of 400 different species are in free flight, worlds first!

Next up we stop at   Bloukrans Bridge to view the world’s highest Bungy jump ( 216 meters! )  Finally we arrive at the Tsitsikamma National Park where we take a walk along the forest path with spectacular views of the ocean and indigenous forest to eventually walk over the suspension bridge at the Storms River mouth . We also visit the forest’s oldest inhabitant; the ancient Outeniqua Yellowwood Tree estimated to be over 800 years old was already growing when Europe was still in the dark ages!

The Route :  Knysna-Plettenberg Bay-Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve-Knysna

Garden of Eden
Monkeyland
Birds of Eden
Bloukraans Bridge ( Bungi Jump  )
Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve
Storms River  Suspension Bridge                                                                                            

Optional
Bungi Jump
Tree Top Canopy Tour
Elephant Sanctuary
Canoe ride
Accommodation Tsitsikamma Lodge and Spa or similar 4*
Meals:  Breakfast
Activities Included: Garden of Eden, Birds Of Eden, Monkey Land, Storms River

Day Four
Knysna-Cape Town 490km

Our return to Cape Town takes us to Mossel Bay to visit the Maritime Museum where a replica of the Caravel in which the Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz sailed around the Cape of Storms in 1488 is on view. We also visit the Post Office Tree, where sailors in the 16^th century left their mail to be taken back to Europe by returning ships. The rolling wheat lands of the Overberg give way to the rugged and beautiful Hottentot Holland mountains as we descend Sir Lowry’s Pass with its dramatic views over False Bay  Table Mountain and Cape Town await us in the distance.

The Route: Knysna-Mossel Bay-Swellendam-Somerset West-Cape Town
Bartholomew Diaz Museum
Swellendam
Sir Lowery’s Pass
Meals: Breakfast
Activities Included: Bartholomew Diaz Museum

What to bring
A rain – jacket, costume, sunscreen, hat, towel, warm jacket, camera.

Climate
The Garden Route has a Mediterranean Climate. Summers ( Nov-April) is warm to hot with daytime temperatures averaging in the mid 20’s. Winters ( June- August) are mild 16 Degrees average. One can expect rainfall throughout the year.

Malaria
The area is Malaria free

Transportation
Quantum 9/13 seater luxury busses, Mercedes Benz c220cdi luxury Vehicle

Credit Cards Accepted
Visa. Mastercard

Tour includes :

All accommodation, breakfast/ (dinner Oudtshoorn ), and entrance fees as per itinerary.
Excludes:

Drinks, gratuities.

Private Tour Rates available on request.
Single Supplement rates on request

R12 500 per person