South Africa holiday, Cape escape
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Garden Route, Western Cape |
| departures: | 2009: 28 Nov, 19 Dec 2010: 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 24 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 16 Oct, 23 Oct, 30 Oct, 6 Nov, 13 Nov, 20 Nov, 27 Nov, 18 Dec 2011: 1 Jan, 29 Jan |
| price: | From £1318 - £1926 (13 days) including UK flights, from £720 - £764 excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
The Western Cape has it all - scenic National Parks, some of the finest old towns in South Africa, wine estates, mountains, rolling farmland and some unusual African wildlife!
Cape Town & Stellenbosch
First, we'll spend a day exploring the Cape Peninsula - including the Jackass Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Then, after an ascent (either on foot or by cable-car) of Table Mountain for stunning views over Cape Town, we head into the picturesque winelands. Here, you can choose to hike vineyard trails or admire the typical colonial architecture of Stellenbosch on a self-guided trail. Of course there will be plenty of time for sampling the local vintages!
Ostrich Country & Wilderness N. Park
Next we stop at the dramatic dripstone caverns of Cango, and spend a night in a country lodge near the old Victorian influenced town of Oudtshoorn - a town with the greatest concentration of ostriches in the world. From here we head to South Africa's dramatic coast and have the chance to take the scenic steam train ride from George to Knysna through Wilderness National Park.
Along the Scenic 'Garden Route'
Knysna is an ideal base from which to explore the Wilderness Lakes and Tsitsikamma National Parks. We have a day at leisure here, allowing a choice of activities. The final part of our journey takes us west to historic Swellendam with an option to visit Bontebok N. Park and walk a scenic nature trail. We end with a visit to the southernmost point in Africa at Cape Agulhas and, in season, search for Southern Right Whales off the Atlantic coast.
Cape Town & Stellenbosch
First, we'll spend a day exploring the Cape Peninsula - including the Jackass Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Then, after an ascent (either on foot or by cable-car) of Table Mountain for stunning views over Cape Town, we head into the picturesque winelands. Here, you can choose to hike vineyard trails or admire the typical colonial architecture of Stellenbosch on a self-guided trail. Of course there will be plenty of time for sampling the local vintages!
Ostrich Country & Wilderness N. Park
Next we stop at the dramatic dripstone caverns of Cango, and spend a night in a country lodge near the old Victorian influenced town of Oudtshoorn - a town with the greatest concentration of ostriches in the world. From here we head to South Africa's dramatic coast and have the chance to take the scenic steam train ride from George to Knysna through Wilderness National Park.
Along the Scenic 'Garden Route'
Knysna is an ideal base from which to explore the Wilderness Lakes and Tsitsikamma National Parks. We have a day at leisure here, allowing a choice of activities. The final part of our journey takes us west to historic Swellendam with an option to visit Bontebok N. Park and walk a scenic nature trail. We end with a visit to the southernmost point in Africa at Cape Agulhas and, in season, search for Southern Right Whales off the Atlantic coast.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Cape Town. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Cape Town. |
| Day 3: | Tour of Cape Peninsula, includes Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point & Boulders Beach. |
| Day 4: | Hike or cable-car to summit of Table Mountain; drive Stellenbosch. |
| Day 5: | Exploring Stellenbosch and the 'Winelands'; optional hike. |
| Day 6: | Drive Oudtshoorn via Little Karoo. |
| Day 7: | Optional tour of Canog caves; visit ostrich farm. |
| Day 8: | Drive to George; optional Rail Museum then optional train (15 Aug-15 May only) through Wilderness N. Park to Knysna. |
| Day 9: | At Knysna, visit Tsitsikamma N. Park with optional activities. |
| Day 10: | Drive Swellendam via Mossel Bay; optional Marloth Nature Reserve or Swellendam township tour. |
| Day 11: | Drive Cape Town via Cape Agulhas and Hermanus; land based whale watching (Jul-Dec) or coastal path walk. |
| Day 12: | Free morning in Cape Town; fly London. |
| Day 13: | Arrive London. |
travellers' tales
Most memorable was hiking up table mountain in the morning and doing two wine tastings in the afternoon on one day. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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On a tour that includes many of South Africa’s favourite ingredients, we also have the opportunity of appreciating this young country’s cutting edge programmes of wildlife conservation and environmental care. In season, the Southern Right Whale can be observed off the Western Cape, and there is the chance to explore the Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks – plus, of course, to view the Jackass Penguin colony at Cape Point. South Africa is leagues ahead of many developed nations when it comes to environmental care, and its Zero Litter Tolerance in its reserves is widely respected. Transportation on this guided trip includes chartered bus, boat and ample walking – all contributing to a more in-depth exploration, whilst avoiding the harmful impact of fly/drive tourism. Local businesses are widely supported through our use of local suppliers, hotels and restaurants. In addition there is the option to visit the Township at Swellendam – a great opportunity to learn more about the local people.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |