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8-Day Karoo and Garden Route Safari
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
Private Guided Safaris & Garden Route Tours in South African
Day 1: Cape Town – Sanbona Game Reserve
We collect you from your overnight accommodation in Cape Town or from the Cape Town International Airport and make our way to the Sanbona Game Reserve. Seated at the foot of the Warmwaterberg Mountain Range in the heart of South Africa's Little Karoo, Sanbona pays tribute to the San people who made this arid environment their home for centuries. Sanbona has an alluring atmosphere of stillness, an air of isolation amid the raw beauty and boundless plains. Sanbona, invites you to explore a special wilderness sanctuary, offering five-star accommodation at luxurious lodges, surrounded by ancient volcanic mountains and endless vistas. Interactive game drives last up to 3 hours and take place in the tranquil moods of sunrise and sunset. Sanbona is an ongoing conservation project that aims to restore the ecological balance in a landscape formed during cataclysmic times 350 million years ago. Travel through 3 different biomes, and many habitats, including the quartz fields of the succulent Karoo, a very special habitat characterised by beds of angular quartz debris and home to a flora of stunning minute succulent shrubs.
You will traverse this wild landscape with a qualified ranger in a comfortable open Land Cruiser. During the drive, either in the early morning or at sunset, numerous species of plants, animals, big game and birds can be seen.
Day 2: Sanbona Game Reserve
Today we follow the lodge programme, which is normally a morning game drive, breakfast, sometimes a guided walk (if available and which is optional), lunch, afternoon tea followed by the evening game drive and dinner
Day 3: Oudtshoorn
After our morning game drive and breakfast, make our way to Oudtshoorn along “Route 62”, the tourist route that meanders between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, offering the shorter, scenic alternative to the N2 highway. This is an area of magnificent landscapes and towering cliffs, crystal clear streams and the abundance of trees and indigenous flora. The ever-changing colours of the majestic mountains, scenic passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards, as well as the attractions, will offer you an unforgettable adventure — whether this is in the physical sense or simply a kaleidoscope of scenic tranquillity. Innovation and pride, combined with a terrain and mild climate that are harmoniously balanced, results in the prominence of this region's wines. We reach Oudtshoorn in the late afternoon, a town that is known as the "feather capital of the world”.
We will overnight at the Hlangana Lodge (or similar). Set in a low-rise building in landscaped grounds, this polished hotel is 2 km from Oudtshoorn town centre and has airy, streamlined rooms with satellite TV, DVD players and free WiFi, plus tea and coffeemaking facilities, and minibars. A champagne breakfast buffet served in an airy dining room or on terrace with garden views is a daily vent. There's also an outdoor pool and a gym.
Today we visit the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, which are among the biggest stalagmite formations in the world. Some of the sandstone formations are colourfully illuminated and the bizarre shapes in the caves are mainly composed of calcium carbonate. They develop as limewater drips from the stones and evaporate. The structures growing down from the cave ceiling are called stalactites, while those that grow from the ground to the top are called stalagmites.
We will also visit a working ostrich farm where one can learn more about these fascinating birds. Commercial ostrich farming started during the late 1880's in South Africa; this was also the start of the ostrich industry worldwide. The fashion demand in Europe for ostrich feathers inspired the growth of the industry, with the Oudtshoorn district quickly being established as the “ostrich capital of the world”. During the first decade of the previous century, ostrich feathers gained record prices on foreign markets, ranking 4th on the list of South African exports, after gold, diamonds and wool. The consequence of this newly found opulence meant that ostrich farmers were able to build beautiful sandstone mansions. A unique feature of the farm experience is a visit to the Ostrich Palace "Welgeluk" which was built at the height of the feather boom in 1910. The homestead is a National Monument and is a superb example of the type of architecture that was used at the time. Safari Ostrich Show Farm was established more than 40 years ago. Lunch may be enjoyed at this farm.
After the farm visit, we make our way to Knysna where we overnight at The Rex Hotel. This hotel is a celebration of urban style, making it one of the most exhilarating getaway destinations in its class. Expect an eclectic mix of modern and classic comforts that capture the essence of 4-star luxury. The Rex Hotel offers travellers a gateway to Knysna’s outstanding restaurants, blossoming forests, nature reserves, arts and crafts, and the shores of the serene lagoon.
Day 5: Knysna
After breakfast we make our way to the “Featherbed Nature Reserve”. Featherbed gives visitors to the Garden Route an unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon. The Lagoon, more accurately defined as an estuary, has five fresh water rivers flowing in from the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains meeting with the surge of sea water from the Indian Ocean through the mighty headlands – known as the 'Knysna Heads' - the grand sandstone cliffs towering above the entrance to the Knysna Lagoon. Featherbed is a privately-owned, registered Nature Reserve and a South African Heritage Site, No.59. It is a pristine piece of paradise situated on the Western Head of Knysna and is accessible by ferry only. After driving through the reserve to the top of the Western Head, you can take the optional, 2.2 kilometre guided walk, passing through Milkwood forests onto the steep sandstone cliffs, into ancient Khoi Khoi sea caves and along a scenic coastal path fringed with aromatic fynbos. Your guide will inform you on the ecology, fauna, flora, bird and marine life in the reserve. On the coastal walk back, you can often spot the resident Black African Oyster Catcher, one of the rarest coastal birds in South Africa. Featherbed Nature Reserve is home to a breeding program of the rare Blue Duiker - one of the smallest antelope species in the world - the beautiful Knysna Loerie and the endangered Knysna Sea Horse.Lunch will be at The Forest Restaurant is situated on the edge of the Lagoon under a canopy of Milkwood trees. Later this afternoon you are at leisure to stroll around the town or the cute Knysna Waterfront to catch up on some shopping or relaxation.
Day 6: Addo Elephant Park
After breakfast we travel via Port Elizabeth to the Addo Elephant National Park. Deep within the shadows of the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape is the Addo Elephant National Park. Here, the evenings are punctuated by the strident howl of the black-backed jackal, and the francolin's call heralds each new dawn. Safe from relentless persecution in the past, the grey leviathans of the bush now roam in peace. This park conserves no less than five of South Africa's seven biomes, is also home to one of the densest African elephant populations on earth and is home to the unique flightless dung beetle.
Depending on our arrival time, the afternoon will be spent on game drives into the various areas of this park which offers some of the most spectacular elephant viewing in the world.
Now the third largest national park in South Africa, Addo Elephant National Park has expanded to conserve a wide diversity of biodiversity, landscapes, fauna and flora.
The original elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only sixteen elephants remained in the area. Today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 550 elephants, lions, buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, a variety of antelope and zebra species, as well as the unique Addo flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo.
Day 7: Addo Elephant National Park
Today will be spent on extended drives into the various areas of the park with your guide. For those times when you want the opportunity to stretch your legs in the camp, there are two hides in the camp, the Red Bishop Hide for birders and a game viewing hide situated in the camp, and elephant are often seen here enjoying the waterhole.. The main game area boasts a list of 170 bird species, while the expanded park may contain as many as 450 species in a diversity of habitats.
NB! Optional: You can opt for any of the luxurious lodges listed hereunder instead of the Addo Elephant Park itself:
Gorah Elephant Camp
Kwandwe
Shamwari
Amakhala Game Reserve
Kariega Game Reserve
Lalibela Game Reserve
After your morning game drive and breakfast you will be dropped off at your overnight accommodation in Port Elizabeth or at the airport in Port Elizabeth in the early afternoon for your return flight.