Wonders of the Garden Route • 8 Days • Group Tour

Description

A small-group lodge safari through the Garden Route of South Africa, from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town – 8 Days. The Garden Route offers the finest scenery, ocean sunsets and tropical forests from the Big 5 in the Addo Elephant National Park to the iconic Cape Town. Let the beauty of this unique area unfold before your eyes. The Garden Route offers the finest scenery, ocean sunsets and tropical forests from the Big 5 in the Addo Elephant National Park to the iconic Cape Town. During your stay, you will have the opportunity to partake in an interactive interpretative nature walk, focusing on biodiversity, adaptation, the importance of organisms, interdependence and the need for conservation.

Highlights of the Tour

Addo Elephant National Park

A visit to the Addo Elephant National Park is not only a visit to what’s become a fantastic conservational project, but also a beautiful area of the country.

Garden Route

Along the Garden Route, you can choose from the 10 nature reserves that are dotted along the route. The Garden Route is also known as the best “road trip” route to see the Southern Right Whales, with whale watching ranking as a popular activity among locals and tourists alike!

Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve

Named after the Khoisan phrase that means “place of abundant water”, Tsitsikamma is renowned for its stunning coastline, dramatic rivers and indigenous forest. Proclaimed in 1964 as the first marine national park in Africa, Tsitsikamma offers a variety of activities to enjoy.

Cango Caves

The Cango Caves measure over four-kilometres and are made up of a network of extensive tunnels and chambers. They boast spectacular trails amongst magnificent limestone formations and are located 29-kilometres outside of Oudtshoorn, an area well-known for its ostrich farming.

Winelands

With green rolling hills covered in vines, and grand old manor houses, the Cape Winelands produce international and award-winning wines annually, making it one of the most popular highlights in South Africa.

Cape Town

Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Ships en-route to Eastern Africa and the Far East. The first official recording of the Cape was in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck established the first European settlement here – although prior to that, there was a reference by Vasco de Gama who apparently ‘sighted’ the Cape of Good Hope in 1497.

Accommodation

We make use of mid-range typical African standard lodge accommodation. Accommodation is situated either in National Parks, on the banks of a river, or in other places of interest. The accommodation will be a mix of lodges, chalets and tented camps. Most of them have a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Some properties are equipped with swimming pools and/or bar areas.

Day 1

The Kelway Hotel (or similar)
Garden Route, South Africa

Day 2

Addo Elephant Rest Camp (or similar)
Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape

Days 3 & 4

Tsitsikamma Village Inn (or similar)
Stormsriver, Western Cape

Day 5

Mooiplaas Guest House (or similar)
Oudtshoorn, Western Cape

Days 6 & 7

Radisson Blu Hotel & Residences (or similar)
Cape Town, Western Cape

Included

Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary or of similar standard.
Breakfast daily
All transport in fully kitted vehicle
Game drives and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
Experienced local guide

Excluded

Flights
Pre and post tour accommodation
Optional activities
All drinks
Personal expenses such as telephone calls, curios and tips
Travel insurance and visas

Pre-tour Information

Departure

The Wonders of the Garden Route Safari departs from Port Elizabeth Airport. Please proceed to the information desk, where your shuttle driver will meet you at 12:00 for the transfer to Addo National Park. Private transfers are available at an additional cost.

Transport

JENMAN Safaris uses fully equipped Toyota Quantum’s, Mercedes Benz Sprinters or Vito’s or other appropriate vehicles with comfortable seating, a music system, PA system and air-conditioning. Please note all game drives are conducted in the touring vehicle. Clients have the option to book additional game drives in open game-viewer vehicles. It is recommended that you pre-book additional game drives in advance to avoid disappointment.

Travelling Times and Distances

All travelling times are affected by road conditions, border crossings, detours and weather conditions, therefore on certain days travelling times may be longer than anticipated especially where there is a lot of distance to be covered. Please keep in mind that the time it takes to travel 100 km in your home country is not equivalent to the time it takes to travel 100 km on African roads, therefore we encourage you to sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery Africa has to offer. Where possible additional stops will be made to ensure your travelling comfort at all times.

Meals

Breakfast is included daily and provided by the lodge restaurants. A dinner package is available, at additional cost for 4 dinners. This needs to be booked in advance and the meals are to be taken in the lodge restaurants. Please advise us of any special dietary requirements in advance. Should you not wish to pre-pay for this, dinners will be for your own account and will still need to be taken in local restaurants or at the lodges if there are no restaurants in the nearby vicinity. There are no facilities available for self-catering.

Visas

The onus is on the client to organize all visas required to visit South Africa prior to departure.

Travel Insurance

Please note that travel and cancellation insurance is mandatory for every guest travelling with JENMAN African Safaris. All insurance is solely the responsibility of our guests. Please ensure you arrange your own insurance with protection for the full duration of your journey to cover personal injury, damage and loss of personal items including but not limited to camera equipment and other electronic items, medical expenses, repatriation expenses and loss of luggage, etc. Please speak to your travel agent if you require assistance.