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African
Safari Home
Garden
Route Tours
Cape
Town Day Tours
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5-Day Garden Route
& Little Karoo Tour -
"Tsitsikamma Trail"
Please note that this tour can be adjusted to your requirements and
interests. This is merely a suggestion from endless possibilities.
 Explore
the Garden Route's mysterious forests, golden beaches, breathtaking
mountains and the rugged arid beauty of the Little Karoo.
Day 1: Cape Town to Prince Albert
We travel over the mountains to Worcester, gateway to the Great
Karoo. Our journey takes us through the magnificent Hex River
Valley where we view the most spectacular mountain scenery, lush
vineyards and indigenous flora. We visit Matjiesfontein, a
nostalgic Victorian village set in the stark surroundings of the Great
Karoo. Passing through Laingsburg we turn away from the main road
and travel to Prince Albert, where we spend a leisurely evening,
enjoying the clear Karoo night sky and feasting on a delicious traditional
dinner of Karoo Lamb.
Day 2: Prince Albert to Oudtshoorn
After a hearty breakfast, we leave the great Karoo, and (weather
permitting), negotiate the magnificent grandfather of all passes, the Swartberg
Pass, rising 1000 meters within 12 kilometers. We descend into the
heart of the mountains and visit the Cango Caves with their
spectacular limestone formations. Our day is concluded with a guided tour
of the Cango Ostrich Ranch. Here we embark on a fascinating guided
tour on the farm where we meet these fascinating birds.
Day 3: Oudtshoorn to Knysna
We continue our tour through the Wonders of the Klein Karoo with a visit
to the Cango Wildlife Ranch where one of the highlights will be an
opportunity to touch a cheetah. Afterwards we leave the Little Karoo and
travel over the breathtakingly beautiful Outeniqua Mountains to George
to catch the Outeniqua Choo-choo. We enjoy this leisurely
steam-train drive via Wilderness and the Lake district to
arrive at our home base for the next 2 days, the beautiful town of Knysna,
famous for its tidal lagoon, indigenous forests, quaint arts and crafts
shops
and .. oysters!!
Day 4: Knysna to Tsitsikamma Coastal Park and Back
This morning we travel to Plettenberg Bay, playground of the rich,
where we make a spectacular detour from the main road through the Groot
River and Bloukrantz Passes, traveling in the heart of
ancient, mysterious and primeval indigenous forests. We visit the
beautiful Tsitsikamma Coastal Park where we embark on a leisurely
stroll to the suspension bridge at the Storms River mouth. We also
visit one of the forest's giant inhabitants, the ancient Outeniqua
Yellowwood Tree that was already growing when Europe was still caught
in the dark ages. We return to Knysna to stroll around the
wonderful arts and crafts shops and take a sunset cruise on the Knysna
Lagoon, cruising to the Heads, large sandstone cliffs towering over
the sea entrance of the huge tidal lagoon.
Day 5: Knysna to Cape Town
We begin our journey to Cape Town, stopping in Mossel Bay to visit
the Maritime Museum where the replica of the Caravel in which the
Portuguese navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, sailed around the Cape of Good
Hope in 1488, is on view. We also visit the old Post Office Tree
that served as a mailbox to the various Portuguese navigators in the 16th
century. Traveling through rolling farmlands, we arrive in Swellendam,
an 18th century frontier town. As we come to the end of our journey, the
open farmlands once again make way for the rugged and beautiful mountains.
We travel through the lush fruit growing area of Elgin and Grabouw
to finally descend the Sir Lowry's Pass with a final and dramatic
view over the Hottentots Holland Mountains and Table Mountain in the
distance.
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Gateway
Africa Safaris specialize in affordable, small group African
travel. Besides the comfort and quality of our African safari tours, our landed
prices are all inclusive.
What
to budget for a African holiday ?
Because
Africa is such a uniquely diverse and varied destination, there is no
quick answer.
Comfortable camping safaris are cheaper than staying in a
luxury safari lodge, except when you are heading into remote wilderness
areas - then safari travel logistics costs come into play.
Certain mobile
safaris operate on a scheduled departure basis at a fixed cost, while
fly-in safaris or tailor-made safaris are planned specifically to meet
your own personal budget and needs.
Affordability
of an African safari tour is in the mind of the
beholder and the value of desired experiences is a personal matter.
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