Eyes on Africa is becoming Eyes on Adventure and adding exciting new destinations - new and expanded website coming soon!
---
India, Madagascar, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galápagos, Pantanal and Amazon.

African Safaris with Eyes on Africa African Safaris with Eyes on Africa African Safaris with Eyes on Africa
Loading

Eyes on Africa on Facebook

Bookmark and Share

 

South Africa Safari 

Wonders of the Garden Route Safari - 7 Days

Small group Lodge Safari - 6 nights / 7 days

Return to Value Safari Packages
Garden Route, Cape Town, South Africa Windelands South Africa Aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa
Tour code: WGR

A 7-day Lodge Safari from Port Elizabeth along the Garden Route to Cape Town.

Departs: Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Ends: Cape Town, South Africa.
Group size: Guaranteed from 4 guests; 14 guests maximum. *Guaranteed departures with no minimum pax available, please enquire.

Summary
A small-group lodge safari, from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, via the Garden Route.

Highlights
Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant National Park, Tsitsikamma, Oudtshoorn, Cape Town.

Meals
6x Breakfast. Breakfast is included daily and provided by the lodge restaurants. A dinner package is available, at additional cost for 4 dinners. This needs to be booked in advance and the meals are to be taken in the lodge restaurants. Please advise us of any special dietary requirements in advance. Should you not wish to pre-pay for this, dinners will be for your own account and will still need to be taken in local restaurants or at the lodges if there are no restaurants in the nearby vicinity. There are no facilities available for self-catering.

SAFARI COST: $950 per person sharing.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $225

*Please note all rates are subject to change according to rate of exchange fluctuations*

CLICK TO SEE DEPARTURE DATES


Cape Nature Garden Route Safari Map


DAY 1;   (1 Night)
PORT ELIZABETH – ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK, South Africa
   [Bungalows]

Addo Elephant National ParkOn arrival in Port Elizabeth Airport, you will be met and transferred to Addo National Park. Suggested time of arrival should be no later than 14h00 in order to make it in time for your afternoon game drive. Transfer from Port Elizabeth Airport to Addo National Park will take about one hour.

A benchmark conservation success, Addo Elephant National Park offers a unique wildlife habitat, famous for the Addo elephants and the remaining population of the flightless dung beetle. We spend the afternoon on a game drive in our tour vehicle, in search of elephant, black rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. Additional game drives conducted in open game-viewer vehicles are available at an extra expense. An evening spent at the floodlit waterhole allows us to watch the nocturnal animals and listen to their calls.

*Please contact our reservations office regarding optional game drive in open gameviewer in Addo Elephant National Park.


Distance / Time: 70 kms
Overnight: Addo Elephant Rest Camp or similar (bungalows with ensuite bathrooms, swimming pool, restaurant).
Meals:
All meals at your own account.


DAYS 2 - 3; (2 Nights)
TSITSIKAMMA, South Africa
   [Hotel]

Tsitsikamma, South AfricaThis morning after breakfast our journey takes us to a region of startling beauty along South Africa’s southern coastline, known as the Garden Route. We spend two nights in the Storms River Village, at the heart of the Tsitsikamma Forest. We will take a leisurely hike along one of the short trails, which allow you to explore the coastal bush and rocky shoreline. There is also an option to plunge off the world’s highest bungi jump at the Bloukrans River (for own expense).


Departure: 8am
Distance / Time:
240 kms
Overnight:
Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, restaurant).
Meals:
2x Breakfast.

DAY 4; (1 Night)
OUDTSHOORN, South Africa
   [Hotel]

Oudtshoorn, South AfricaAfter visiting ‘The Heads’ in Knysna, a town nestled on a tranquil lagoon, we travel over the Outeniqua Mountains into the Little Karoo to the town of Oudtshoorn. We take a trip to the famous Cango Caves, with their impressive ancient stalagmites and stalactites before we overnight in the ostrich capital of the world.


Departure: 8am
Distance / Time:
280 kms
Overnight:
Turnberry Boutique Hotel or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, bar & restaurant).
Meals:
Breakfast.

DAYS 5 - 6; (2 Nights)
CAPE TOWN, South Africa   [Hotel]

Wine Tasting in Cape Town, South AfricaEn-route to Cape Town, we visit the pretty university town of Stellenbosch, for wine tasting and a cellar tour. Once in Cape Town the afternoon is at leisure, enjoy sundowners at one of the fabulous beaches or indulge in some last minute shopping at the V&A Waterfront. The next day we get to explore the many attractions the ‘Mother City’ has to offer on our Cape Point tour.


Departure: 8am
Distance / Time:
450 kms
Overnight:
The Townhouse Hotel or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms and restaurant).
Meals: 2x Breakfast.

DAY 7
CAPE TOWN, South Africa
  [TOUR ENDS]

Cape Town, South AfricaSpend the final day at leisure. Weather dependent there is the chance to take the cable car up Table Mountain (own expense) and enjoy one last view of the Cape of Good Hope before your transfer to the airport.


Departure: 8am
Distance / Time:
150 kms
Meals:
Breakfast.
Optional Activities: Full Day Cape Point Tour, Full Day Cape Winelands Tour, Half Day City Tour, Township Tour, Shark Cage Diving and many more - please enquire so we can arrange for you.


Note: The accommodation specified in the itinerary is a guide only and is subject to availability. Alternatives will be nearby and of a similar standard.

Top   


Included
Six (6) nights in fixed accommodation, all transport in fully equipped vehicle, game drives as mentioned, meals as per itinerary to be taken at lodge restaurants and activities as mentioned in itinerary, park entrance fees, experienced local guide.

Excluded
Travel insurance, flights, pre and post tour accommodation, optional activities, all drinks, tips and curios, all personal expenses.

Pre and Post Tour Arrangements
Pre and post tour accommodation and transfers can be arranged on request.

Departure
The Wonders of the Garden Route Country Safari departs from Port Elizabeth Airport.

Please note that the daily departure times are a guideline only and are subject to change due to seasonal variations, as well as unforeseen circumstances. The final decision rests with your guide who will advise you at what time you will be departing each day. On the evening of Day 1, there will be a meeting presented by your guide, at 18h00, at Addo Rest Camp. It is imperative that all clients attend this meeting so as not to miss out on any critical information.

Whilst it is our every intention to adhere to the above mentioned itinerary, there may on occasion be a necessity to make alterations in order to make the tour more enjoyable or practical. Therefore please treat the itinerary as a guide only.

Transport
Fully equipped Toyota Quantums or other appropriate vehicles with comfortable seating, a music system, PA system and air-conditioning. Please note all game drives are conducted in the touring vehicle. Clients have the option to book additional game drives in open game-viewer vehicles. It is recommended that you prebook additional game drives in advance to avoid disappointment.

Travelling Times and Distances
All travelling times are affected by road conditions, border crossings, detours and weather conditions, therefore on certain days travelling times may be longer than anticipated especially where there is a lot of distance to be covered. Please keep in mind that the time it takes to travel 100 km in your home country is not equivalent to the time it takes to travel 100 km on African roads, therefore we encourage you to sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery Africa has to offer. Where possible additional stops will be made to ensure your travelling comfort at all times.

Accommodation
We make use of mid-range typical African standard lodge accommodation. Accommodation is situated either in National Parks, on the banks of a river, or in other places of interest. The accommodation will be a mix of lodges, chalets and tented camps. Most of them have a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Some properties are equipped with swimming pools and/or bar areas.

Local Payment
A local payment is required on your safari and will be collected by your guide on the day of departure. The local payment is part of the overall tour cost and is used to pay some of the day to day operational costs that are incurred while we are on the road.

We try to prepay as many of the costs as possible however in some cases cash payment on arrival is the only option as some of the attractions we visit on safari only accept cash. Examples include park fees at most of the national parks, a few accommodations or camp sites and any local food markets we visit to stock up on fresh produce during the tour as well as local guides.

The local payment also ensures that a portion of your tour cost actually goes directly to the countries you visit, thus benefiting local communities as well as contributing to conservation of the areas we visit. Essentially having a local payment means your tour price is a bit lower and give you a more inclusive experience.

Visas
The onus is on the client to organize all visas required to visit South Africa prior to departure.

Information on Areas Visited
SOUTH AFRICA
Situated on the tip of the African continent, South Africa has often been described as a world in one country. It has a wealth of natural beauty, pristine wilderness areas, warm and friendly people, cosmopolitan cities and excellent infrastructure - making South Africa a favourite safari destination.

Cape Town
Cape Town has traditionally been the gateway between Europe and Southern Africa and this is still evident in its atmosphere, its playful character, its people and even its architecture.

The 'Mother City' as it's known locally has no shortage of attractions. It's a magnetic, multi-cultural city with an array of diverse offerings within a small, accessible area, surrounded by spectacular topography. Spectacular beaches, mountains (incredibly unique bio-diversity), hiking, water-sport, shopping centers, markets, theatres, museums, historical & cultural attractions, a first-rate waterfront, galleries, night-clubs, restaurants
and an abundance of activities to suit all, are prolific in this world-class destination.

Although tastes vary, some of the more popular sights include the following:

Table Mountain
This 1086 m sandstone landmark dominates the city and has to be ascended! This is a fantastic way to gain a perspective on the city, with some breathtaking views of the peninsula, as well as an opportunity to experience the most concentrated, yet diverse, ecosystems in the world.
The mountain is home to more than 1450 species of plants, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world, such as the Silver Tree and the wild orchid Disa Uniflora. Table Mountain is classified as the smallest of the six floral kingdoms of the world. The 'flat' top of the mountain is approximately nearly 3 km in length and sees almost a million tourist & hikers per year.

Visitors to the top can choose the six-minute trip to the summit via the modern cable car, one of the safest in the world, or alternatively make use of one of the 350 recognized paths all over the mountain. The easiest and quickest of these is the popular Platteklip Gorge route, a path up a ravine clearly visible on the front face of Table Mountain. The summit boasts a modern restaurant, souvenir shop and postal service.

Robben Island
With 150 years of dark, incarceration history, including the 18-year imprisonment of its most famous prisoner, Nelson Mandela, the island is a certain place of interest. After the fall of apartheid, the island was eventually declared a national monument in 1996, formerly opened its doors to the public in 1997, and declared an UNESCO world heritage site in 1999.

The Robben Island experience begins at Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, situated in the Clock Tower Precinct at the V&A Waterfront, where four ferries a day leave for the island. Each round trip is three and a half hours long and includes a visit to the maximum-security prison, a bus tour around the island and visits to the penguin boardwalk and museum shop. A number of antelopes can also be spotted on the island.

The Wine Routes
Constantia, a meager 20 minutes from the city centre, is the birthplace of the wine farming industry in South Africa. Still today, five wine farms in this area produce worldclass wines, recognized for their escalating quality.

Further from the city, a drive of approximately 45 minutes north from Cape Town brings you to a region where grand mountains from a dramatic backdrop to lush vineyards and historic gabled Cape Dutch homesteads. Almost 100 wine farms on four wine routes in this region alone boast not only a multitude of award winning wines, but also restaurants, wine tasting and activities. In the wine regions visitors can also experience a number of quaint villages & towns (especially Paarl, Stellenbosch & Franschhoek), cheese shops, a crocodile farm, a cheetah rehabilitation
centre, hikes and rivers activities.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
As one of the most successful developments in the history of Southern Africa, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a comprehensive shopping and recreational destination ranking amongst the best waterfronts in the world. It's Cape Town's most popular local attraction and has over a million visitors per year, 70% of which are Capetonian. An array of shops, markets, restaurants, cinemas, a theatre, boat trips, helicopter trips, a brewery, hotels as well as a new residential development can all be found within walking distance and surrounded by a working harbor.

Additional attractions worth a visit are the Waterfront Craft Market & the Red Shed craft market, where visitors can watch artists & craftspeople produce as well as buy their wares. The Two Ocean Aquarium offers a constantly updated peak into indigenous Southern African fresh and seawater creatures. Next door to the aquarium the South African Maritime Museum has the largest collection of model ships in the Southern
Hemisphere and some fascinating artifacts.

Garden Route
The Garden Route is an extraordinarily beautiful stretch of countryside that winds along the southwestern contour of South Africa for some 200 km. The route is dotted with charming little towns and villages, including of the country's most notable holiday resorts such as Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. The Garden Route boasts an astounding array of indigenous flora and fauna and attracts adventurers and holiday-makers from far afield. The tranquil coves and sandy dunes are a traveller's paradise.

Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn is situated in the Klein Karoo 55 km from the large coastal town of George. Enjoy the relaxed, friendly, hospitable atmosphere offered in town or at the various surrounding farms. Experience the joy of life in the country! Cango Caves: One of the world's great natural wonders, sculptured by nature through the ages. It is situated close to the Klein Karoo Town of Oudtshoorn. Mysterious and breathtaking limestone formations in a wide variety of natural colors, a subterranean wonderland. The Ostriches: Amidst the 400 ostrich farms surrounding the town, 3 have distinguished themselves worthy to be named 'show farms'. Become exposed to this exotic bird species, the largest in the world.

Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is the jewel of The Garden Route. It's more than a village, less than a town. Sweeping, unspoiled golden beaches characterize it, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for tourists interested in exploring, watching or just lazing.

In and near Plettenberg Bay there is the opportunity to visit a lot of activities such as:
• The highest commercial bungee jump in the world is at Bloukrantz River Bridge. The height is 216 m with a 7 second free fall! N
• Canoeing on the Keurbooms River If you are keen on canoeing; you can hire a canoe and canoe up the Keurbooms River Nature Reserve.
• Gliding effortlessly with qualified pilot over Plettenberg beaches spotting dolphins and whales.

Knysna
Knysna is one of the Southern Cape coast's best-known holiday destinations, situated between lush forests and the shores of the peaceful lagoon - it offers many activities and attractions of a wide variety. The most well known attraction being the heads - two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon, which connects the estuary with the sea. A lookout has been erected on the Eastern Head, commanding spectacular views of the lagoon, Leisure Isle and Knysna. The Western Head is a privately owned nature Reserve - Featherbed Bay.

Tsitsikamma National Park
The Tsitsikamma National Park is an 80 km long coastal strip between Nature's Valley and the mouth of the Storms River. In park the park the visitor finds and almost untouched natural landscape.

Two long hiking routes with some huts for overnight stays are well established. The popular Offer Trail of 48 km and the Tsitsikamma Trail of 72 km, both offer the well-trained hiker an experience of a unique plant and animal world. Some indigenous Yellowwood trees still exist here, over 800 years old. Besides the diverse bird life, one can also observe smaller mammal species, the cute dassies for example, which often graze near the beach.

Hermanus
Known as the heart of the whale coast, this coastal resort offers the best land based whale watching in the world. Southern Right Whales visit Walker Bay from July until December every year. About 60 to 100 of these magnificent animals come here from Antarctica to calf. Tourists are often treated with close up displays as these creatures often come to within 10 meters of the coast. The cliff tops in Hermanus offer the tourist
great views and the ability to watch the whales close up.

Hermanus also offers great beaches, mountain walks and the craft market is famous for its art. Hermanus also has many fine restaurants and is a wine lover's paradise with nearby wine farms offering wine tasting.

Top   

SCHEDULED SAFARI DATES

Please contact us for dates.

 

Top          Return to Budget Safari Packages

 


Travel Insurance

Wilderness Wildlife Trust            Eyes on Africa sponsors Children in the Wilderness            Eyes on Africa is a corporate sponsor of The African Wildlife Foundation

Eyes on Africa is proud to be a certified Fundi - a South Africa Tourism Specialist                           Eyes on Africa is endorsed by IATAN - International Airlines Travel Agent Network           Eyes on Africa is a member of the Better Business Bureau             Eyes on Africa is a member of ASTA - The American Society of Travel Agents (member #900143776)

African Safari - Home          Site Map          Currency Converter          Search          Links          Blog          Africa Weather          Budget Safaris          Photo Safaris

Botswana Safari          Kenya Safari          Malawi Safari          Mozambique Safari          Namibia Safari          Rwanda Safari          Seychelles Islands

South Africa Safari          Tanzania Safari          Zambia Safari          Zimbabwe Safari

Safari Map          About Us          Our African Safaris          Scheduled Safaris          Rates and Pricing          Planning          News          FAQ's          Photography          Contact Us

Eyes on Africa, Ltd.
1743 West Fletcher Street
Chicago, Illinois 60657
Tel: 800.457.9575 / 773.549.0169    Fax: 773.327.2977    Email: Eyes on Africa

All content © 2002-2016, Eyes on Africa, Ltd. All rights reserved.
All images © 1995-2016, James Weis/Eyes on Africa (unless otherwise noted). All rights reserved.
Legal Restrictions & Terms of Use  •  Privacy Statement  •  Travel Terms & Conditions  •  Travel Info Form  •  Travel Agreement  •  Travel Insurance Form  •  Credit Card Form

email webmaster: EOA Webmaster