Garden Route
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Garden Route, Western Cape, Eastern Cape |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade year round to suit your own unique requirements, interests and budget |
| price: | Guided: from £825 (5 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people sharing, min. group size 4. Self-drive: from £485 (5 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people sharing, min. group size 2. |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip offers you the opportunity to explore some of South Africa’s long history at your leisure.
The region was home to the Khoi herders who lived an agricultural life style before the European settlers arrived. After 1488, the region became a regular stopping off point for European sailors after rounding the Cape. Dutch settlers moved into the land in the late 18th century and rapidly changed the landscape.
Today little remains of the indigenous forest that once covered the regions. Knysna Forest has some excellent preserved original forests, but elsewhere quick growing pines have been planted.
Despite environmental pressures, the Garden Route retains its beauty and still offers a rewarding experience for the adventure and nature based tourist. The Garden Route's 200 km of coastal plains and mountains with a mild climate has allowed a diverse flora to develop, which in turn supports a wide range of bird and animal life. The climate in the Garden Route region is temperate rather than tropical. Approaching Mossel Bay it is sometimes possible to see snow on the mountain peaks in July (SA winter). Temperatures range from 25-30ºC in the summer and can drop to below 10ºC in the winter.
Self-drive is very common in South Africa with generally good quality roads and they drive on the left. The Garden Route is not only beautiful, but also a joy the drive. It has good quality roads, plenty of viewpoints & picnic places and reasonable distances for day trips.
This trip can be extended with one of our other tours - please contact us for details.
The region was home to the Khoi herders who lived an agricultural life style before the European settlers arrived. After 1488, the region became a regular stopping off point for European sailors after rounding the Cape. Dutch settlers moved into the land in the late 18th century and rapidly changed the landscape.
Today little remains of the indigenous forest that once covered the regions. Knysna Forest has some excellent preserved original forests, but elsewhere quick growing pines have been planted.
Despite environmental pressures, the Garden Route retains its beauty and still offers a rewarding experience for the adventure and nature based tourist. The Garden Route's 200 km of coastal plains and mountains with a mild climate has allowed a diverse flora to develop, which in turn supports a wide range of bird and animal life. The climate in the Garden Route region is temperate rather than tropical. Approaching Mossel Bay it is sometimes possible to see snow on the mountain peaks in July (SA winter). Temperatures range from 25-30ºC in the summer and can drop to below 10ºC in the winter.
Self-drive is very common in South Africa with generally good quality roads and they drive on the left. The Garden Route is not only beautiful, but also a joy the drive. It has good quality roads, plenty of viewpoints & picnic places and reasonable distances for day trips.
This trip can be extended with one of our other tours - please contact us for details.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | On arrival in Cape Town you will be met. If you are on the self-drive option you be assisted with the collection of your rental car. Our representative will also hand you your travel documents and see you safely out of the airport and on to the right road. On the guided tour, you will set of on a trip two hours north of Cape Town. In the scenic Klein Karoo winelands region is a working farm established in 1723 and your first overnight stop. The understated elegance and comfort of the farms original slave quarters adds to the authentic country ambience and history of the early pioneers and settlers, the ringing of the slave bell, a renegade Republic, the tradition and splendour of the early Cape Colony. Overnight Jan Harmsgat (B&B). |
| Day 2-3: | Leave Swellendam at leisure and travel towards Plettenberg Bay, passing through towns such as Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield and Knysna. An area rich in tourism attractions too many to mention and well documented offering the ideal opportunity explore beautiful beaches, quirky art and clothing shops. For the more adventurous, Stormsriver Adventures offer a wide range of fun filled, professionally run adventures such hiking, bungee jumping, canopy tours, river cruises and many more. Or simply relax and enjoy the facilities of your 4-star lodge set on the edge of an indigenous forest in a private nature reserve with panoramic views of the surrounding forests, valleys and mountains. Overnight Hog Hollow (B&B). |
| Day 4: | Continuing further we take the Natures Valley Route and visit Tsitsikamma National Park. There is time today to do some of the activities mentioned earlier as the drive to Port Elizabeth is an easy 2 hours (without stops). Port Elizabeth is well known for its role in the political struggle in South Africa so after checking into your guesthouse and a chance to relax you will be collected by Calabash Tours and taken on an insightful Real City Tour of the townships, culminating in dinner at one of the local shebeens (Taverns). Overnight 5th Avenue Guest House (B&B). |
| Day 5: | After the morning at leisure, travel back to Port Elizabeth airport (self-drive option to drop off your car) in time for your onward flight. |
travellers' tales
South Africa is beautiful with stunning scenery. Everyone is so helpful and the itinerary arranged so expertly by this operator was perfect. I simply told them what we wanted and they delivered. (more)
don't leave it too late!
Please note that due to the nature of tailor-made trips to Sub-Saharan Africa we need at least 14 days between time of booking and departure. This time is essential for you to sort out passport, visa and health requirements and for us to make all the necessary holiday arrangements.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Jan Harmsgat - Owners Brin and Judi Rebstein have shown that it is possible for tourism to make difference, by using Jan Harmsgat to drive community upliftment projects and skills development. From the outset their commitment was to employing people from the local communities and their vision was to provide a high standard of food and service. In both areas they have surpassed their expectations.
Hog Hollow - Debbie and Andy Fermor are both South African-born and bred, one of their strongest desires was to employ and train local people from the surrounding communities to work at Hog Hollow in the various facets of the tourism industry. People, who had spent most of their lives either unemployed, in menial jobs and overlooked in the fields of advancement, were now on the threshold of a new experience. Right there, within their community, they unleashed a new and vital energy with lots of exceptional talent. Stormsriver Adventures - Stormsriver Adventures is more than just an adventure company it strives to enrich the surrounding environment and community by honouring a comprehensive far reaching 10-point commitment statement. 84 % of the 80 employees are from surrounding communities and own 80% equity in the business. Their community involvements is far reaching and includes (amongst others): environmental education, food provision and clothing programmes in schools, craft development projects, animal welfare education programmes, home based care groups and a recycling initiative.  Calabash Tours - Calabash Tours has gained an outstanding reputation for the quality of its Cultural Tours and commitment to 'putting something back', it works closely with the Calabash Trust to ensure that local, often disadvantaged communities, benefit from the visits made by clients through services provided either by community projects or black owned township businesses. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |