dossier

Contrasts of the Cape

Day 1 Arrive in Cape Town

We meet you at the airport and take you to our hotel (20 mins) where we’ll spend the next three nights. We offer an optional city walking tour followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2 Table Mountain 6km/4mi/3hr

After an exciting cable car ride, we walk along a sandstone plateau dotted with velvety pink protea to MacClear’s beacon for panoramic views. The Twelve Apostles’ Peaks seem near enough to touch and the sandy crescent of Cape Town Bay shimmers below. Afterwards we visit the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Day 3 Cape of Good Hope 6km/4mi/3.5hr

Cape sugarbirds flit through the fynbos (like Provençal garrigue) as we walk in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, made famous by the great Portuguese explorers during the Voyages of Discovery. After a picnic lunch (provided), we drive to Boulders Beach in the naval base of Simon’s Town where penguins bathe, before returning to Cape Town.

Day 4 Cape Town to Franschhoek 10km/6mi/2.5hr

On to the winelands, where our walk weaves through mountain cypress to sparkling waterfalls. Afterwards, we lunch in Stellenbosch. Time to explore this, South Africa’s 2nd oldest town, whose oak shaded streets are lined with Georgian and Victorian houses, before arriving in time for a swim at our hotel in Franschhoek.

Day 5 Franschhoek vineyards 8km/5mi/3hr

For a town with just one street, Franschhoek has a lot of wine cellars (27 to be precise!). Today we discover three of them (and taste their wares!) as we follow winding lanes through vines offering sweeping views over Cape Dutch homesteads and encircling sandstone mountains. Dinner’s left to you tonight: Franschhoek is renowned for its cuisine so you are spoiled for choice.

Day 6 Franschhoek to Montagu 5km/3mi/2hr

Today we drive to Montagu, a typical little Karoo town, on the edge of the desert. We lunch en-route (pay locally) before arriving at our hotel, one of the oldest buildings in town, where streets are lined with Georgian houses. We take a leisurely 2 hour walk in the gorge before exploring the town.

Day 7 Montagu to Knysna 6km/4mi/1.5hr

We leave desert and mountains behind to descend to the Indian Ocean. We picnic en-route (provided) before paying a short visit to the ostrich-farming capital of the world, Oudtshoorn. When we arrive in Knysna we take time to stoll around the quaint settlement of Belvidere before settling in at our guesthouse above the Knysna estuary - home for the next two nights.

Day 8 In Knysna 9km/6mi/3hr

Today we walk through indigenous forest following streams once panned for gold looking for shy birds and animals as we go. We lunch in one of the old miners cottages in the historic village of Millwood. Then, with breathtaking views over the Goukamma River meandering to the sea, we descend to the beach at Buffalo Bay where we walk along the shoreline with its crashing breakers.

Day 9 Knynsa to Plettenberg 3km/1mi/3hr or 10km/6mi/5hr

Free time this morning to the explore the waterfront town of Knysna - lunching perhaps on the famous oysters cultivated in the estuary. It’s then on to Kranshoek for a thrilling walk through indigeneous forest down to a boulder beach before heading back up the cliffs and our guesthouse in Plettenberg Bay.

Day 10 Plettenberg Bay 6km/4mi/2.5hr

The halfmoon crescent of Plettenberg Bay frames the horizon as we follow a cliff path dotted with scarlet candelabras. Below us, seals bask on the rocks. Rounding the headland, we descend to a deserted beach for a lazy afternoon picnicking on the sands.

Days 11/12 Kariega Game Reserve

We’ve saved the best until last with our safari at the Kariega Game Reserve. Here we stay in luxurious cabins right in the bush. For our afternoon and early morning game drives, our group has its own exclusive vehicle. Highlights include a river cruise and a game walk to spot antelope, zebra and giraffe.

Day 13 Return Home

We say goodbye to Africa with a final game drive – hopefully sighting elephants and lions - before heading off to Port Elizabeth airport (1hr) for your flight home.

Walking Details:

The walking is on coastal paths that can be stony in parts, along vineyard trails and forest paths. Light walking boots are recommended.