Garden Route & Wildlife Adventure

by Jul 3, 2020Specials SA

Duration:
14 days

Adult rate :
R3200.00 (rates are subject to availability and season)

Child Rate :
R1200.00 (rates are subject to availability and season) 

Rates are for full duration, the camps are relatively cheap.

After a few months of lockdown it’s good to be able to head out onto the road ago! Explore our stunning coastline, the beautiful Garden Route, Karoo and Addo Elephant National Park on this epic 4×4 self drive trip.   

14 Day Itinerary IN South Africa

Garden Route Adventure

Depart Cape Town 

Day 1 – De Hoop Nature Reserve 
+-3 Hours from Cape Town

De Hoop Collection Camp Site Few other reserves offer as complete an outdoor experience as De Hoop – sea, sand dunes, the vlei, a floral sensation of rare fynbos plants, diverse antelope and the Potberg Mountains. Birders observe wading birds on the shores of the vlei while the Potberg Mountains are home to a colony of endangered Cape vultures. Hikers and cyclists have close-up encounters with bontebok, Cape mountain zebra, eland, baboons and ostrich. Activities are diverse and guests choose between various day walks through the rich fynbos plains or along the deserted coastline, or mountain biking along the many gravel roads or scenic game drives. Lazing on the beach and snorkeling in the many turquoise rock pools is simply another way to pass a rewarding day. 

Day 2 – Vleesbaai 4×4 Dune Campsite (close to Mossel Bay) 
+-3 Hours from De Hoop

The Vleesbaai 4×4 Dune Route near Mossel Bay on the Garden Route puts a smile on any 4×4 enthusiasts face when talking about the great time they had there. Not only can you hone your dune and deep sand skills in a gorgeous environment overlooking the sea, but you can let the kids loose in the sand, and enjoy a family braai along the way. Vleesbaai Dune Route is a coastal trail on the farm Misgunst, 35 km from Mossel Bay. It is one of a few coastal 4×4 trails where dune driving is allowed so close to the beach. Route distance:  12 km | 2-4 hours.

The campsite is comfortable, well equipped and boasts the most magnificent ocean views of the entire Vleesbaai area. All the Mossel Bay attractions of fun at the beach, hikes, golf, shark diving and fishing are there for the taking.  

Day 3 – Wilderness National Park 
+-2 Hours from Vleesbaai

Wilderness National Park is situated in the heart of the Garden Route, South Africa. It is a fascinating combination of rivers, lakes, estuaries and beaches, unfolding against the backdrop or lush forests and imposing mountains. During spring, the area is beautifully blanketed by a kaleidoscope of colourful blossoms, further enhancing its profound beauty.There are also a number of historic sites of archaeological significance.

Eilandvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei are a series of lakes connected by the Touw River. These watery havens host a variety of aquatic species and have been proclaimed as a Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance). Visitors to Wilderness can spot five types of Kingfisher, the Grey Heron and Little Egret and the brightly coloured Knysna Loerie in the forest. This area is also known for the Knysna Seahorse and Pansy Shell.

Wilderness is not only an area of natural beauty it is also an exciting playground for both young and old. Enjoy fantastic Dolphin and Whale sightings from Dolphin Point, hire a canoe or bicycle and explore the area, go abseiling, kloofing and paragliding, boating, fishing and hiking.

Visitors can follow the many nature trails winding through the densely forested areas and along tranquil rivers, spend time at the bird hide or simply enjoy star gazing whilst camping alongside the river in this lush Garden Route Nature Reserve.

Day 4 and 5 – Plettenberg Bay – Keurboom Lagoon Camp
+-1 Hour from Wilderness 

On your way from the Wilderness National park to Plettenberg Bay you can stop at the Knysna forest and lakes and see the famous Knysna Elephants as well as take in the beauty of this incredible area. Plettenberg Bay is a world-renowned holiday destination, but somehow still manages to remain a casual and friendly seaside town, where the beautiful landscape and moderate climate combine to offer you activities such as surfing, swimming, scuba-diving, walking, cycling, boating, horse-riding, fishing and golf… or just plain relaxing.

Day 6 – Tsitsikamma – Storms River Camp
+-2 Hour from Knysna

Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines.

This, “the place of much water”, is the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish.

Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed. 

Day 7 and 8 – Addo Elephant National Park
+-3 Hour from Tsitsikamma

Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park situated close to Port Elizabeth and is one of the country’s 20 national parks. It currently ranks third in size after Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Addo Elephant National Park is a magnificently diverse national park and offers a wide variety of game viewing, outdoor adventure and cultural experiences. The park includes Bird Island and St. Croix Island in Algoa Bay and is home to the Big 7 – Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Humpback Whale and Great White Shark.  

Day 9 and 10 – Baviaanskloof – Makkedaat Caves and Camping
+-3 Hour from Addo 

The Baviaans is the ultimate destination to experience the best nature has to offer in its purest form and life as it was intended to be lived.

Set in the Karoo Midlands, the Baviaans area features majestic mountains rising from rolling plains, with lush green valleys providing stark contrast. With stunning sunsets and clear, starry nights, the Baviaans offers a taste of life at its unspoilt best.

The area encompasses the World Heritage Site of Baviaanskloof and the Karoo towns of Steytlerville, Willowmore, Rietbron, and Groot Rivier and is located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Known for small stock farming and for the richness of its endemic plant species, its interesting cultural heritage and its abundance of bird and animal life, the Baviaans area holds ample opportunity for outdoor recreation for both the adventurous and the less adventurous tourist.

Day 11 – (Oudtshoorn) – Swartberg Nature Reserve – Gamkaskloof Camp
+- 3 Hours from Baviaans 

Declared a World Heritage Site in 2004, Swartberg Nature Reserve stretches 121 000 hectares between the Klein and Groot Karoo, bordering the Gamkapoort Nature Reserve to the north and the Towerkop Nature Reserve to the west. The town of Oudtshoorn is 40km away. San rock art and artefacts are found in caves throughout the reserve. European contributions to the region’s heritage include three mountain passes built in the 1700s, the Toorwaterpoort railway, Meiringspoort Road and the Swartberg Pass, to link the Klein and Groot Karoo.

This reserve conserves a diversity of vegetation from renosterveld to mountain fynbos and spekboom veld. It also supports a variety of wildlife, including antelope, baboons, dassies and leopard. Plants begin to flower on the lower levels of the mountain in spring and those fit enough to brave the higher peaks of the Swartberg Mountain could be lucky enough to spot the rare protea venusta. 

Day 12 and 13 – Tankwa Karoo National Park 
+- 5 Hours from Swartberg Nature Reserve  

Tankwa Karoo National Park is surely one of the most unique and unusual destinations in South Africa. Situated within the confines of the Succulent Karoo, the Park is approximately 150 000 hectares in extent and is bounded by the steep slopes of the Roggeveld Mountains to the east and the R355 in the west which links Karoo Poort and Ceres with Calvinia. The Park straddles the border between the Northern and Western Cape and is drained by the Renoster and Tankwa Rivers.

The Park’s unique fauna and flora offer glimpses of tiny jewel-like flowers on a crisp Spring morning, to the sun-baked vista of blue sky and the grey-green landscape mantled in low scrub, succulents and copses of acacia. Gemsbok, kudu, eland, red hartebeest and Cape Mountain Zebra are some of the larger mammal species to be found together with duiker, steenbok and springbok. Nocturnal species include leopard, porcupine and black-backed jackal.

The Park is also a bird watchers’ paradise with the most sought-after species, Burchell’s Courser, occasionally sighted on the rough grey gravel plains. The stately Ludwig’s Bustard and the Karoo Korhaan are relatively common sightings. 

Day 14 – Head back to Cape Town
End of your 4×4 Safari Experience!!

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