Home to some of the world’s most emblematic wildlife, we aim to spot some of the Big Five at Addo National Park as well as migrating Southern Right whales off the rugged shoreline of Hermanus. From shifting sand dunes to emerald woodlands and a sun-kissed coastline, South Africa’s Garden Route and the Karoo offer a wild beauty best explored on foot.
Safari Tours
From our first stop at the Zuurberg Mountain Village you will visit Addo National Park and spend a full day spotting birds and game from open safari vehicles, accompanied by an expert ranger. You will learn about this very special National Park and the conservation efforts to preserve the African elephant – one of the Big Five.
Woodlands and coast
In Tsitsikamma National Park, you will cross the mighty Storms River Mouth, on suspension bridges, for beautiful views of the crashing Indian Ocean and follow a trail which twists through the emerald forest, with brightly-coloured birds calling from the sub-tropical canopy, to continue over lichen-covered boulders, to bridal veils of spray at a beautiful waterfall - the first day of the famous 5-day Otter Trail.
In Spring myriad wildflowers bloom amongst the typical ‘fynbos’ vegetation in a tapestry of colour en route to sophisticated Plettenberg Bay. You will walk on the Robberg Peninsula with its Cape fur seal colony and sugar-soft beaches.
Rural Inland
From Plettenberg Bay you will travel inland, away from the coastal breeze, to the hot, dry red-earth of Oudtshoorn - the ostrich farming capital of the world - in the Little Karoo, and discover the crystallised stalactites and stalagmites of the Cango Caves. Your guest house is situated in the nearby rural and tranquil village of De Rust, with astonishing views of striking copper-red hills and distant mountains.
From here you will traverse the engineering masterpiece of the Swartberg Pass and walk in the dramatic mountain scenery of the Cape Folded Mountain Belt World Heritage Site.
Wine tasting
In the heart of the Winelands, you will be rewarded with wonderful views of verdant valleys from the Franschhoek Pass and sample exquisite vintages in world-class estates as we stop off at some of the very best wineries in the region.
Cape Town
Finally, in Cape Town, you will explore the city with panoramic views of the City Bowl and the surrounding Atlantic Ocean from Table Mountain. You will visit the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the South Westernmost point of the African continent, and Boulders Beach at Simon’s Town to see the African penguins.
Some free time is built in to explore Cape Town at your own pace, with opportunities to visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, the film-set beach at Camps Bay or Robben Island and its prison where Nelson Mandela spent many years as a political prisoner.