Family self drive holiday in South Africa
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Garden Route, Western Cape |
| departures: | This trip can be arranged at any time and can be tailored to fit your own unique requirements, interests and budget. It can also be incorporated into a longer visit to South Africa to include wildlife safari, scuba-diving, horse riding |
| price: | From £1305 (14 days) per adult and from £1005 per child (under 12 yrs) excluding flights, based on a family of 2 adults & 2 children. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Family self drive holiday in South Africa
A great itinerary with something for the whole family with culture, good food, beach, sightseeing and plenty of different activities like whale watching, safari and penguins. The accommodation is specifically selected with families in mind so no stuffy hotels. The itinerary is on a self-drive basis to give the flexibility necessary for a family holiday. 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 often 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 and picnic places and reasonable distances for day trips.
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 often 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 and picnic places and reasonable distances for day trips.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. A guided orientation tour of the city is followed by a visit to Robben Island. Overnight at Cape Paradise Lodge situated in the gardens suburb high on the slopes of Table Mountain. The Lodge is within walking distance of shops, bars and restaurants on trendy Kloof Street, and a short drive away from the Waterfront and Camps Bay. Overnight Cape Paradise Lodge (B&B). |
| Day 2-3: | Cape Town. Explore Cape Town & Cape Peninsula with two full days of guided tours visiting e.g. Cape Point National Park, the Boulders penguin colony, the historical naval town of Simon’s Town, Table Mountain, Boo Kaap. Overnight Cape Paradise Lodge (B&B). |
| Day 4-5: | Oudtshoorn. Your hire car will be delivered to the lodge from where you will travel inland to Oudtshoorn situated in the Klein Karoo. The town is home to the world's largest Ostrich population with a number of specialized ostrich breeding farms. Most farms offer tours to day visitors. The Cango Caves is another one of Oudtshoorn’s must see attractions. Continue to the Swartberg Country Manor on the farm "Voorbedacht", located in the Cango Valley at the foot of the world-renowned Swartberg Pass. You will have a full day to explore the area. Overnight Swartberg Country Manor - Oudtshoorn (B&B) |
| Day 6: | Garden Route. Travel to the heart of the Garden Route via the spectacular Outeniqua Pass through George and Knysna to Plettenberg Bay. The white sandy beaches around town are very popular with tourists and visitors can choose between Robberg Beach, Beacon Island Beach and Lookout Beach. Overnight Starfish Lodge - Plettenberg Bay (B&B) |
| Day 7-8: | Plettenberg Bay. There is plenty of time to enjoy Plettenberg Bay. From July - October during whale season, a whale watching boat cruise is included in the tour price. All year round a cultural tour in a nearby Qolweni township is included. Both activities are FTTSA accredited. Overnight Starfish Lodge (B&B) |
| Day 9: | Tsitsikamma National Park. Travel onwards to the Tsitsikamma National Park. This is one of South Africa's most scenic coastal parks, known for indigenous forests and a dramatic coastline. The word tsitsikamma is a Khoisan phrase meaning "place of abundant water". Overnight Storms River Family Cottage - Tsitsikamma National Park (B&B) |
| Day 10: | Tsitsikamma National Park. Today you will go on an adventurous Canopy Tour through the Tsitsikamma Forest. This activity is included in your tour price and is FTTSA accredited. Overnight Storms River Family Cottage - Tsitsikamma National Park (B&B) |
| Day 11-13: | Addo Elephant park & Amakhala Game Reserve. Drive the remainder of the Garden Route to Addo Elephant park and Amakhala Game Reserve – a successful conservation project which has seen the reintroduction of elephant, white rhino, giraffe, cheetah, zebra, wildebeest and 16 antelope species. Your stay will be made special by personalized attention and arrangements tailor-made to suit your requirements. There is a full range of excursions and activities, including game drives (both day and night), bird watching, canoeing, guided walks, picnic lunches and a river cruise. Overnight Amakhala Woodbury Lodge –FTTSA accredited (full board) |
| Day 14: | Return to PE for internal flight to Cape Town in time for your international flight home. |
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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On 13 June 2002, the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa certification programme was officially launched in South Africa, marking the first time in the history of the fair trade movement that a trademark or label for the tourism sector had been created. FTTSA awards the use of special label to qualifying businesses as a way of signifying their commitment to Fair Trade criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing, fair operations, equitable distribution of benefits and respect for human rights, culture and environment.
By electing to stay at or use the services of an FTTSA-certified establishment, tourists are assured that their travel benefits local communities and economies, and that the business is operated ethically and in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This itinerary uses Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA) accredited companies where possible. The FTTSA accreditation is based on fair share, democracy, respect, reliability, transparency and sustainability and is the first of its kind in tourism in the world. Amakhala Game Reserve Woodbury Lodge (FTTSA accredited) is a unique conservation initiative that has allowed the re-introduction of indigenous flora & fauna into an area that was previously used to ranch sheep and cattle, and hence making a contribution to the conservation of South Africa’s natural heritage. Stormsriver adventures (FTTSA accredited) is more than just an adventure company it strives to enrich the surrounding environment and community. The vast majority of their 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. Ocean Blue Adventure (FTTSA accredited) marine eco-tours are based on non-consumptive and sustainable utilisation of marine resources. They were awarded the WWF Green Trust award in 2001 for their work on eco-tourism and sustainable tourism in Plettenberg Bay. They donate a proportion of their income to the Ocean Research & Conservation Africa Foundation. Both Ocean Blue and Dyer Island Cruises have also been awarded an educational licence to approach to within 50 m of whales and record information for scientific purposes. For all of our tours we provide customers with an itinerary specific responsible travel guide aprox 4 weeks before they depart. This includes a generic travellers code of conduct which emphasises basic responsible travel advice – e.g. reduction of waste and consumption of natural resources, purchase local produce where possible etc. Our holidays are specifically designed to bring guests into direct contact with locals from a range of different tribes and cultures across Africa. We also therefore provide destination specific guidance including advice on local customs and some key phrases in certain languages (e.g. Swahili). We also offer guidance on how to barter responsibly for local curios and what curios should be avoided (e.g. certain wildlife artefacts such as coral, turtle shells etc.). As all of our guides and groundhandlers are local we also give guidance on what a fair and reasonable level of tipping would be at the end of the holiday. We support the work of Tourism Concern both in distributing their advice to customers and as an active participant in the Ethical Tour Operators Group. Our managing director sits on this group and is a regular attendee of meetings contributing to work towards developing industry wide fair trade standards. We also distribute materials to customers and make periodic donations for the following charities: Tree Aid; International Fund for Wildlife and Survival International Trust. In Southern Africa we support the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative and forward their guidance to all customers on which seafood is sustainable when offered a choice at restaurants. |
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. |
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