Self drive holiday in South Africa
| country: | South Africa | ||||
| location: | Garden Route, Cape Town | ||||
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made throughout the year | ||||
| price: | From R 5,752 (12 days) excluding flights. Price depends on accommodation choices and includes car rental & One Way fee to Port Elizabeth, meals (11 breakfast, 1 dinner) and accommodation as per itinerary
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| more info: | World Cup 2010, 15 May - 31 July, accommodation and rates only on request | ||||
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This 12 day self drive holiday is for the leisure traveller. Drive down our wondrous coastline. It is packed with fun locations and even takes in a touch of history and culture. This trip shows the Rainbow of our Nation, taking in the world famous Garden Route ending in Addo National Park amongst the elephants..
Highlights
Addo Elephant Park Tsitsikamma National Park The Garden Route, Knysna Cango Caves Ostrich farms Cape Town
Highlights day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival in Cape Town: After your arrival at Cape Town International Airport, one of our representatives can meet you, hand you your travel documentation, and assist you in completing the car hire formalities. You can pick up your car at the airport and drive to Cape Town. You have the rest of the day at leisure. They will also explain to you what is in your travel documentation with vouchers, maps etc. If time permits, you can go immediately to the V&A waterfront and take a sunset cruise (weather permitting). Overnight: hotel in Cape Town. |
| Day 2: | Cape Town: After breakfast, you can take a drive around the scenic Cape Peninsula. Take a boat trip to Duiker Island to see the seals. Drive on to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. Return along the False Bay coastline to Boulders and visit the 3 000 strong colony of African Penguins. Returning via Stunning Chapmans Peak trough the fishing village of Hout Bay. Where you can visit the teabags project; started to uplift the community. Optional: Book a FTTSA accredited guided Township Tour in Masiphumelele in Noordhoek, visit local projects on a bicycle! Overnight: Hotel in Cape Town |
| Day 3: | Cape Town: Take this day (weather permitting) to do some shopping, get some rest and tan on the beach. There is much to do and see in the centre of town from antique shopping to local craft markets and some wonderful offbeat cafes on Long Street. Go to World Heritage Site Robben Island, and, not to be missed – Table Mountain. Or book a cultural tour on which you get the chance to meet the people in person. Overnight: Hotel in Cape Town. |
| Day 4: | Montagu: Enjoy the drive from Cape Town, travelling through our world famous winelands before arriving in Montagu, the town best known for its soothing, healthy hot springs. Gateway to the Klein Karoo and route 62, (the longest wine route in the world) the charming, historic village of Montagu is the "Mountain Mecca" of the Western Cape and is only two hours drive from Cape Town. Overnight: Hotel in Montagu. |
| Day 5-6: | De Rust: Today you continue via the impressive Swartberg Pass to Oudtshoorn, dubbed the “Ostrich Capital” of South Africa. Experience the world’s largest, flightless bird at the Ostrich Show Farms in Oudtshoorn. You can also ride an Ostrich - if you dare. Continue your trip to de Rust, where you overnight in unique and historical ox wagons. Spend the next 2 days exploring the area. Outdshoorn is also home to the "shy 5" i.e. meerkats and other secretive critters. Explore the peaceful area of de Rust and visit one of the many projects, as well as the Congo Caves. You can hire a traditional Donkey Cart and participate on a guided tour into the little village and surrounding mountain area. Overnight: Guesthouse in De Rust. |
| Day 7: | Knysna: Departing the Klein Karoo, you drive toward the Garden Route, where you will spend the next 3 days exploring the area. On your way, you can stop at Knysna Elephant Sanctuary, here you can get up close and personal with rescued elephants and learn about their behaviour. Carry on to Knysna, world Famous for its Oyster Festival and the Knysna Heads, nestling between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, with the world-renowned indigenous forests surrounding it. The adventurous can join FTTSA accredited Stormsriver Adventures on exclusive hiking trials and excursions into Tsitsikamma National Park. Also in Tsitsikamma is the famous Bloukranz Bridge – home to the worlds highest bungee jump (216M). Overnight: Hotel or Guesthouse in Knysna |
| Day 8-9: | Knysna: At the heart of Knysna is the 21 ha lagoon protected from the sea by the well-known sandstone Knysna "Heads". Well known for the unique combination of forest and sea and its great hikes through the immense and ancient forests, Knysna is a place of astounding beauty, and home to a variety of animals for example baboons and small antelope. You can explore the forest by foot or mountain bike or see the hidden beauty of the sea on a snorkelling or diving trip. In the afternoon you are welcomed to participate on a cook up dinner with a local family. You can choose to overnight with the local family or return back to your hotel after dinner. Overnight: Hotel or Guesthouse or with local family in Knysna |
| Day 10: | Addo Elephat Park: After breakfast head off in the direction of Addo Elephant Park where you will have the time to visit the Addo Elephant Park and meet these interesting giants. Addo – world renowned for its large Elephant Population is the perfect place to meet the African Elephants. Also home to a variety of other animals, Addo is always full of surprises. Activities in the Park include hikes, horse trails, game drives and bird watching. Overnight: In or near National Park. |
| Day 11: | Port Elizabeth: Today you go for another game drive or exploring the area before your holiday ends. Port Elizabeth is a city situated in the Eastern Cape Province. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. Famous also for its long white beaches, horse rides and museums – Port Elizabeth has something for everybody. Overnight: In or near National Park, |
| Day 12: | Departure: After breakfast, return your car to the airport to connect with your onward travels. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Become Carbon Neutral while travelling on one of our tours! As a sign of commitment in saving the environment we received a Carbon Neutral Certificate from Planet Green Ocean Blue. You can become carbon neutral as well. For every self drive tour booked through us the end a distance in kilometres calculated showing how much damage caused in the atmosphere. In return clients are encouraged to plant a tree at the Food and Trees For Africa to give back to the environment. Besides this we are also BEE-accredited and follow responsible tourism guidelines. At the bottom of the route description for this tour you can find the distance in kilometres calculated and showing how much damage caused in the atmosphere. In return would we like to encourage you to become carbon neutral through the Food and Trees For Africa programme and by this to give back to the environment. All the excursions in this tour are organized by locally owned operators so the contributions will stay in the country and will help to uplift the South African communities. Community On this particular tour, you will have the opportunity to visit several projects in Cape Town and its surroundings. In Houtbay you can visit a dance project and a shop where they sell beautiful things made out of used teabags. Optional: you can book a cultural township tour on which you will meet the people of South Africa at their home. You can experience township life with Fairtrade in Tourism accredited AWOL on a bicycle tour in Masiphumlele. You will participate in a cook up with a local family in Knysna; learn about the typical local dishes, the intriguing history and local culture. Optional: you can even spend the night there in one of the homestays. We stay in accommodations that are dedicated to staff and local community as well as the conservation of the areas in which they develop. We stay in these accommodations to assist in the growth of sustainable tourism. This tour offer tourists the opportunity to uplift the communities by visiting the projects offers tourist an opportunity to visit and uplift project we support through our non-profit organisation, our Trust. One of our Trust's missions is to utilise all aspects of responsible tourism as a sustainable development tool for the people of Southern Africa. The Trust works on transfer of knowledge to the people in the projects by forwarding volunteers with skills and specific needs. The volunteers and visitors, exchange of skills and knowledge, help support the set up of vibrant tourist stops and community development projects. The assistance and participation, visits and feedback of visitors and volunteers boosts the local economy. In turn its always generating direct income and employment for opportunities. Together with local NGO’s and organisations, cooperation is sought for further development of the Trust, providing a network for volunteers and visitors to South Africa, eventually hoping to start a helpdesk for sustainable and responsible holidays. |
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. |