South Africa nature holiday, tailor made
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Western Cape, South Africa wildlife reserves |
| departures: | This trip can be arranged at any time and can be tailored to fit your own unique requirements, interests and budget. |
| price: | From £1400 (10 days) excluding flights, based on min 2 people sharing. Price includes transfers, accommodation, entrance and conservation fees and services of an experienced nature guide/driver. Discounts on groups of 4–6 people available |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
At the southern tip of the African continent lies a stretch of land and sea that displays an astonishing diversity of plant and animal life. In this area you find the tiny botanical region known as the Cape Floral Kingdom – recently declared a World Heritage Site. The other five floral kingdoms that are recognised cover huge areas such as most of the northern hemisphere and the whole of Australia.
The Cape Floral Kingdom is both the smallest (about the size of Portugal) and the richest floral kingdom with 70% of the 9600 plants found here occurring nowhere else in the world. This makes it the world’s hottest hotspot of biodiversity!
This unique biodiversity experience takes you through some of the different eco-regions in the Cape Floral Kingdom of South Africa like Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Coastal Thicket and River Forest areas. Thoughout the holiday the focus will be the ecology of the fauna and flora, several other highlights are included to ensure a full diversity experience.
Though the focus will be the ecology of the flora, several other delights, such as a visit to Cape Point, Table Mountain, a wine farm, beautiful beaches, a penguin colony and possibly spotting whales are included to ensure a full biodiversity experience.
The Cape Floral Kingdom is both the smallest (about the size of Portugal) and the richest floral kingdom with 70% of the 9600 plants found here occurring nowhere else in the world. This makes it the world’s hottest hotspot of biodiversity!
This unique biodiversity experience takes you through some of the different eco-regions in the Cape Floral Kingdom of South Africa like Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Coastal Thicket and River Forest areas. Thoughout the holiday the focus will be the ecology of the fauna and flora, several other highlights are included to ensure a full diversity experience. Though the focus will be the ecology of the flora, several other delights, such as a visit to Cape Point, Table Mountain, a wine farm, beautiful beaches, a penguin colony and possibly spotting whales are included to ensure a full biodiversity experience.
day-by-day itinerary
| The sample itinerary below can be modified to your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in different areas. | ||
| Day 1: | Arrival in Cape Town, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens: Breathtaking Kirstenbosch, a botanical garden renowned for the splendour and diversity of the Cape flora it displays. Overnight Cape Town. | |
| Day 2: | Table Mountain & Silvermine nature reserve: One of SA’s most famous landmarks Table Mountain. Picnic lunch consisting of various traditional, locally sourced South African snacks (included). Hiking in Silvermine Nature Reserve, which has many manageable walks with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. Also do an afternoon Baboon Walk. Overnight: Cape Town | |
| Day 3: | Cape Peninsula including the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve & Boulders Beach Penguin Colony: Recognized globally for its extraordinary land formations, rich and diverse fauna and unique flora. Short boat trip to view an island famous for its Cape Fur Seal population and visit Boulders Beach Penguin Colony for unsurpassed opportunities for photography and observation of the very rare African Penguin. Overnight Cape Town. | |
| Day 4: | Harold Porter Botanical Gardens & Fernkloof Nature Reserve: Pollination, seed dispersal and germination - there is always something happening and a story to be told. Both the Garden & Reserve are dominated by fynbos (our very diverse vegetation in this region) and give easy access to a number of the region’s special bird and plant species. Possibly also time for wine tasting along the way and whale watching in season. Overnight Hermanus. | |
| Day 5-7: | Coastal hiking trail: Enjoy a unique two-day coastal hiking trail. From the edge of the cliffs watch thundering waves pound the shores, explore tranquil rock pools and magnificent sandy beaches. During the walk, enhance your knowledge of the rare and indigenous medicinal herbs found here with a local guide. Carry only a light daypack. Drive via the scenic Robertson Pass towards Oudtshoorn. | |
| Day 7: | Little Karoo Private Nature Reserve: This private nature reserve is situated in a rough, mountainous region, which includes high hills and a big plateau. A large part of the reserve is situated in the Succulent Karoo Biome, one of 27 'hotspots' of biodiversity, which are internationally recognised. Here we will enjoy hiking with a local Succulent Karoo specialist. The evening there will be an outdoor dinner, prepared on the reserve and the overnight facilities will be rustic camping. | |
| Day 8: | Little Karoo Private Nature Reserve and Oudtshoorn: Spend some more time exploring the succulent Karoo at the Reserve before departing for the town of Oudsthoorn. Visit the geological wonder of the Cango Caves & experience an Ostrich Farm tour, which includes an explanation of the hatching and rearing of the chicks; mating and grading of ostriches; characteristics and special features of the ostrich, as well as the ecological impacts of these birds. Overnight Private Nature Reserve & Guest Lodge - Oudtshoorn | |
| Day 9: | Meerkat tour, scenic drive to Barrydale: Early morning Meerkat tour with a research biologist. An experienced, active wildlife research biologist and conservationist, who is the world's foremost expert on wild meerkat behaviour gives you this opportunity. The route travelled in the afternoon goes through the mountains - across the breathtaking stretched out countryside of the Little Karoo, famous for its rich geology and dramatic landscapes. Overnight: Barrydale area. | |
| Day 10: | Drive back to Cape Town visiting the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens on the way & African craft markets: Experience this magnificent garden set at the foot of the breathtaking Hex River Mountain Range near Worcester. Here we find plants from the arid parts of our country that store water in their roots, stems or leaves – definitely one of most fascinating and riches succulent faunas of the world. Afternoon arrival in Cape Town, depending on flight time – visit some of the African Craft Markets with their beautiful local products. | |
travellers' tales
The most memorable part was seeing tortoises on Cape Point & diving with Great Whites. The botanical gardens & our guesthouse at Hermanus. Our guide Ince Erasmus was superb. Friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, accommodating & informative. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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At the core of our approach lies the concept of responsible tourism and through our tours we strive to create and maintain a long-term balance between the differing needs of the region visited and the traveller visiting it. The Cape Floral Kingdom is a World Heritage Site because of its unique biodiversity, and therefore it is imperative for us to be certain that the places we support have responsible owners and staff, ensuring that the impact we have in those areas is minimised effectively whilst ensuring the greatest guest experience possible.
By booking this tour you directly contribute to the conservation of the unique natural habitats of our region, especially the smaller private nature reserves. You also add to the economic growth of the local communities in the areas you travel to. Through the activities you take part in, you get the opportunity to interact and enjoy true South African experiences. We take our clients to local festivals when they coincide with a holiday. During our walks we stay on well marked paths and we always take our litter home with us. We work in partnership with local businesses & accommodation. Guests have an opportunity to visit the local aloe factory and we encourage clients to buy home-made products such as dried fruit, jams, honey, nuts and wine from the Biodiversity and Wine Estates along the way. Our team of specialist tour guides and local experts will ensure that you have an authentic experience. The guides have a wide experience and knowledge of cultural traditions & environmental issues and an ability to interpret the places visited. Our vision of low impact sustainable tourism is achieved primarily by keeping group numbers small. In small groups we are able to see and do things that are simply not practical with large numbers. We are thus able to contribute to the smaller community economies since we are able to utilise small accommodations, small local shops and eateries.  As we operate in a coastal area, we support the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative by educating guests on buying ‘green’ seafood products. The Western Cape has a severe water shortage and guests are also educated on this as part of the tour. By joining this biodiversity experience the following projects/people are supported: |
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. |