Cape & Kruger nature tour
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Kruger National Park, Western Cape |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your requirements |
| price: | From ZR 27300 (14 days) excluding flights. Price includes specialist nature guides, transport, accommodation, entrance & conservation fees & all meals during safari section of tour. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This experience combines the adventure of a seven-day safari with the awe-inspiring biodiversity of a seven-day Cape nature tour:
The smells of the African bush with the fragrances of Cape Floral Kingdom The roar of the lion with the crashing of the waves The taste of a big 5 adventure with the delicacies of South African wine, focussing on estates that are part of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative aiming to conserve natural winelands vegetation.
This professionally guided Kruger safari will provide you with the best possible service when it comes to bush interpretation, field guidance and animal behaviour. Your outdoor chef cooks up a storm and caters for all dietary needs during the safari – fireside at dinnertime is an unbelievable experience.
During your visit to the Cape the focus will be on the natural wonders of this area with a qualified, passionate nature guide bringing to life the diversity of the unique flora and fauna (e.g. penguins, whales, rock hyrax, proteas and much more)!
This professionally guided Kruger safari will provide you with the best possible service when it comes to bush interpretation, field guidance and animal behaviour. Your outdoor chef cooks up a storm and caters for all dietary needs during the safari – fireside at dinnertime is an unbelievable experience.
During your visit to the Cape the focus will be on the natural wonders of this area with a qualified, passionate nature guide bringing to life the diversity of the unique flora and fauna (e.g. penguins, whales, rock hyrax, proteas and much more)!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Table Mountain & Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens One of SA’s most famous landmarks Table Mountain and breathtaking Kirstenbosch, a botanical garden renowned for the splendour and diversity of the Cape flora it displays. Overnight Cape Town. |
| Day 2: | 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 3: | 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. Overnight Hermanus. |
| Day 4: | Boat based marine/whale watching trip Southern Right Whales are usually in the area from June to December and boat trips are weather dependent. In the afternoon explore the interesting museums, shops and art galleries in Hermanus or visit some of the excellent wine farms in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Overnight Hermanus. |
| Day 5: | Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. Depart via the beautiful town of Swellendam to this Reserve, situated in the Langeberg, comprising of 250 ha of indigenous forest. Enjoy a guided hike in the forest focussing on the unique fauna & flora of the forest biome. Overnight Barrydale. |
| Day 6: | Karoo National Botanical Garden. Africa's only true succulent garden. Enter the Breede River Valley. Enjoy breathtaking mountain views, orchards, vineyards and indigenous flora. Tulbagh, set in tranquil rural surroundings, is a lovely historical town with the greatest concentration of national monuments in the country. Also visit some of the well-known wine farms in the area. Overnight Tulbagh. |
| Day 7: | Biodiversity and Wine Initiative Estates (focussed on conservation of diversity in Winelands) as well as the first wine producer in South Africa and one of only three in the world to gain Carbon Neutral status by sequestrating its carbon emissions. Include a cellar tour; wine tastings and the opportunity buy wine. Visit Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second oldest town famous for its’ wonderful historical flavour & heritage sites. Late afternoon departure to Johannesburg. Overnight Johannesburg. |
| Day 8: | Johannesburg to the Kruger. Journey through some of the finest, panoramic and historical areas in SA. Over the escarpment (Drakensburg mountains) and down towards the Kruger. Arrive Kruger early afternoon and head for our first overnight, always set deep in the bush, on the banks of a river or dam, or some other beautiful scenery. The lodges we use depend on seasonal and climatic conditions to enhance big 5 and other game viewing opportunities. The world we show you is a world of ancient mystery where nature, in the wider sense, is infinitely more complex than mankind has to yet fully appreciate. A place of learning that will stay in your heart forever. This safari is a story of connections: The invisible links between organism and environment that make up the fabric of a working ecosystem. |
| Day 9-14: | Game drives in the bush. An early morning wake up and out into the bush for either a walk or game drive (you decide!). These activities last for about three hours. Breakfast follows. The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon is spent resting and soaking in the sun’s rays surrounded by the bird life that abounds in this great place. A sundowner game drive in the late afternoon and then back to camp for a sociable dinner and drinks. A three-hour night drive on an open vehicle provides an excellent chance to view nocturnal animals and birds. Then back to the lodge to enjoy a well-deserved bush meal cooked on an open fire. Relax and enjoy the memories of your day while your guide takes you through the planned adventure for the next morning. Spend two nights at our first bushveld lodge then time to move on, the Kruger is a big place (about the size of Israel) and in order to truly experience the great diversity and wealth of animals we move to another lodge in a different eco-zone where we can spend the next three nights exploring the savannah of the Kruger. Our safari is an easy, private and relaxing experience of African wildlife. After six nights in the bush – it’s time to say goodbye. Transfer to Johannesburg. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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During the Cape section of the tour preference will be given to small, locally owned, family-run accommodation with a nature/conservation bias and sympathy. The aim is to support companies and sites that focus on conservation, for example Dyer Island Cruises (Highly commended at the First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards) and wine estates forming part of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, as well as private and public nature reserves and botanical gardens directly aided by entrance fees paid that goes towards environmental research and conservation.
By being a member of associations such as WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), BOTSOC (Botanical Society of South Africa) and the Friends of Tygerberg Nature Reserve the company strives to economically assist conservation through active involvement and annually paying membership fees. Your safari company only conducts small (maximum 8 people) exclusive itineraries in order to keep the impact on the environment to a minimum. The tours are purely eco-friendly and conservation orientated and eco-tourism discussions are paramount to the success of the trip. All of the trips support a local staff educational project and a local school project – although it is a small operator they have donated several computers, DVD machines and other material for learning and environmental education. Guides all sign national field guide codes of conduct which stipulates the protection of the environment, no off road driving and very strict rules about interference at animal and plant sightings. Neil (the owner of the company) is a practising field guide, nature guide and conservationist and author of numerous wildlife and conservation articles. His biggest passion is the Kruger National Park and he is currently writing on a documentary on a topic that is very close to his heart – elephant management – and has guided the production of a recent student film on this topic for five US teenagers, which was shot in July 2006 in Welgevonden and the Kruger.  We always aim to specifically: |
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. |