Tour Code: CST0306

Garden Route

4  Days / 5 Nights

  

This unique tour takes us through some of the most breathtaking Valleys of the Western Cape. You will visit the Cango Caves, Ostrich Farms, Crocodile Park, Cheetah Land, travel by Steam train to Knysna where you can enjoy a sunset dinner on the lagoon.

Tour Highlights:

Knysna

The name Knysna is a Khoi word but it's uncertain as to its exact meaning. It could mean 'place of wood', or it could mean 'fern leaves', but its most probable meaning is straight down' - an obvious reference to the Heads. Knysna Heads must be the most striking geological features along the entire southern African coastline. They flank a deep but potentially treacherous channel through which the sea pours in to flood the wide and breathtakingly pretty lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River.


Knysna is one of the Southern Cape coast's best known holiday destinations, situated between lush forests and the shores of the peaceful lagoon - it offers many activities and attractions of a wide variety. The most well known attraction being the heads - two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon which connects the estuary with the sea. A lookout has been erected on the Eastern Head, commanding spectacular views of the lagoon, Leisure Isle and Knysna. The Western Head is a privately owned nature Reserve - Featherbed Bay. The Knysna Lagoon is one of the few places along the coast and in the world that supports a oyster hatchery. And the Knysna oysters are reputedly among the tastiest in the world.

 Knysna has many attractions in the surrounding area as well, one of the most spectacular being the Knysna Forest, which is still evident in many places within the town as well. It is the largest indigenous forest in South Africa comprising of tall and ancient trees of local and exotic species, including stinkwood, yellowwood, blackwood, ironwood, white alders and Cape chestnut. Not forgetting the ferns, creepers and wild flowers which add colour to this endless green collage. The forest is vast and extremely dense in places making it impenetrable. Animal life is limited to a few small antelope and a large variety of birds, such as the famous Knysna Loerie.

Home to the once great herds of Knysna Elephants, it is believed that only one lonely cow remains today.    Another historical attraction are the Millwood Gold Mines. Alluvial gold was found here in 1885, which caused a rush to the area. At Jubilee Creek, the exact spot where gold was found, provides a tranquil and beautiful picnic area, with many enjoyable forest walks in the area. Buffalo Bay is the closest beach to Knysna, one of the safest for swimming along the coast and enjoyed by many holiday makers every year. It is very rocky in places, making it a great angling spot, there is also a small slipway available for small boats.

 

Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay consists of one main street just the right length, with restaurants, cafes and enough delectable shops to keep you busy but not to bore you. The beaches have wonderful soft sand and from July to October you will almost certainly see 15 metre long whales bobbing about in the swell near ‘Lookout Rocks’. Schools of dolphins also frequent the area and zoom up and down the coast surfing the waves at high speed.

There are so many things to do around Plettenberg Bay that if lazing on the beach is just too relaxing, take your pick from boat trips, horse riding, canoeing, scenic flights, walks around Robberg Peninsula nature reserve, Monkeyland primate sanctuary, black river tubing in giant inner tubes, strolling with two tame elephants, or for the adrenaline junkie, the highest bungy jump in the world (216 metres) at Bloukrans River bridge.

 

George
George is the sixth oldest town in South Africa, situated in the beautiful Western Cape Province and is the Capital of the Southern Cape. The town is very centrally situated: halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and centre of the Garden Route - ideal from where to explore the areas many variant and diverse scenic wonders. Situated on a 10 km plateau between the majestic Outeniqua Mountain to the north and the Indian ocean to the South.

George also has an extremely sophisticated infrastructure with banks, conference facilities, businesses, major shopping chains, transport and sporting facilities, yet retaining its small town and country atmosphere of peace and tranquility. The town is also a major accommodation centre with a vast array of facilities on offer to suite every taste and pocket. George has many historical landmarks to be visited. Like The Slave Tree, an ancient English Oak planted by Landdrost van Kervel. Known as the Slave Tree because of the very large chain and lock embedded in the trunk, it has been declared a national monument. And the King Edward VII Library building is said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in George. George has much to offer the visitor with its city-like infrastructure but not forgetting its small town roots.

 

Oudshoorn
This is the tourist capital of the Little Karoo and ostrich capital of South Africa with thousands of the beady-eyed birds all over the place. Big bodies but small brains, these long legged monsters eat pebbles to aid digestion and are particularly attracted to the odd earring or glinting necklace from unsuspecting tourists. At the turn of the century ostrich feathers were in such demand that the fashion conscious paid a premium and feathered the nests of the barons who built magnificent mansions known as ‘Feather Palaces’. This fine architecture can still be seen around the sedate and pleasant town.

There are several ostrich show farms which still sell the beautiful downy feathers but now make more money out of the desirable soft strong knobbly leather. There is also an export demand for the eggs, one of which makes an omelette for 20 people. At the show farms you can ride the birds in an ungainly and embarrassing manner or eat them in the restaurant. The meat is deliciously tender and contains no cholesterol.

There is no shortage of things to do in this locality with a tour through the fascinating Cango Caves of stalagmites and stalactites, and Cheetahland, a place where you can stroke the fastest animal on earth while it purrs like a tractor.

There are some spectacular mountain passes with the Swartberg Pass the most sensational in South Africa. The wonderful twisted sedimentary layers of rock sport colours that look as if a painter were splashing about with his palate. The 24 km road has some awesome sheer drops and hair pin bends leading down to great echoing canyons.

 

Wilderness
This exceptionally pretty area offers a unique system of lakes, rivers and wetlands with much alpine style accommodation on heavily wooded hillsides with the sea beyond. The coastal road runs along a narrow strip between the Indian Ocean and the chain of lakes, one of which reputedly contains a mermaid. This is no new legend as ancient Bushman paintings in the mountains depict a woman with a fish tail. She does not seem to interfere with the present day pleasures of boating, yachting, swimming, fishing and canoeing, which is a delightful way to explore the tranquility of the national park area and its abundant bird life.