This tour is perfect for a group of two, four, six or even eight people. Start off with some time in the stunning Cape Peninisula, then take a
drive along Route 62 to see the Garden Route and the treasures it contains.
We at AABTourism will do our best to ensure that your tour of the Garden Route and surrounds will be an experience you will always remember!
We will provide you with the ideal vehicle in which to see South Africa, be it luxurious or spartan. Our selection of Bed and Breakfast accommodation has been carefully selected, using years of experience and taste.
Please browse through the information below and complete the enquiry application form should you be interested.
The international departures terminal at Cape Town International (Photo: Airports Company South Africa)
Fly direct to Cape Town on a number of international airlines. You will pick up your vehicle at the airport.
The airport is about 20 minutes away from the city centre, approximately 10 kilometers on the N2. Roads In Cape Town are of a fairly good standard, rules of the road similar to those in Great Britain. Of course all vehicles are right and drive and in good condition.
Drive from the airport to your accommodation, get your bearings and relax a little. South Africa offers a wide range of accommodation, Aabtourism has a selection of various accommodation establishments, we will try to guide you to what suits you and your party best.
Note that most accommodation establishments have a book in time of around 14H00. (2 p.m.)
Days 1-3. Explore Cape Town and Peninsula
The Waterfront Photograph by Walter Bibikow/Taxi/Getty Images
Cape Town
Cape Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South
Africa due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively
well-developed infrastructure. The city has several well-known natural
features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain, which
forms a large part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the back
end of the City Bowl. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved
either by hiking up, or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway.
Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest
density of Cape Dutch style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style,
which combines the architectural traditions of France, the Netherlands,
and Germany, is most visible in Constantia, the old government
buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street. The
annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its Afrikaans name of
Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrel festival held annually on January 2
or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of
minstrels parade in brightly coloured costumes, either carrying
colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The
Artscape Theatre Centre is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.
The V&A Waterfront
Built
on top of part of the docks of the Port of Cape Town, the V&A
Waterfront is one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with
several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Part of the charm of
the V&A Waterfront, as it is locally known, is that the Port
continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave.
The
V&A Waterfront also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which
ferries depart for Robben Island. It is possible to take a ferry from
the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon's Town and the Cape Fur Seal colonies on
Seal and Duiker Islands.
Night Life
Night life in the city caters for all tastes and with a range of
restaurants and cafes that are generally recognised as including some
of the finest eateries in South Africa (both in food quality and decor
terms). Night clubs and bars abound with popular areas including the
top end of Long Street and its immediate surrounds, as well as the
redeveloped Cape Malay quarter, de Waterkant. Varied accommodation for
tourists is also abundant, ranging from well located backpackers
hostels to hotels that have been rated at the top of their class in
world terms.
Camps Bay in early spring, 26 September 2000 (Wikipedia)
Many tourists also visit Cape Town's
beaches, which are popular with local residents. Due to the city's
unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in
the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Beaches
located on the Atlantic Coast tend to have very cold water as the water
is mostly glacial melt from Antarctica.
The water at False Bay beaches
is often warmer by up to 10 °C (18 °F). Both coasts are equally
popular, although the beaches in affluent Clifton and elsewhere on the
Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a
particularly vibrant strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the
beach at Camps Bay. Boulders Beach near Simon's Town is known for its
colony of African penguins. Surfing is popular and the city hosts the
Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing competition every year.
Landsat Image over SRTM Elevation, showing the Cape Peninsula in the foreground.(Wikipedia)
Cape Point is recognised as the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula. More
than 1.200 different plant species, including 25 protea species. The
reserve has a well developed road network for game viewing. Although
this is primarily a botanical reserve you might with a bit of luck see
zebra, bontebok, eland and red hartebeest.
There are two possibilities
to reach the top of Cape Point - for the fit there is a beautiful but
steep walk up the mountain - for the others there is access via a
vernacular. Should you come across some baboons please do not feed
them. Coming back from Cape Point turn right towards the Cape of Good
Hope, with a bit of luck you will see ostriches on the beach. The Cape
of Good hope sign post is one of the most taken photographs in the
world.
Drive from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and the Winelands.
This is an easy and beautiful drive down the N2 and other A type roads. View the Winelands at your leisure and book into one of our recommened accommodation establishments. Many Wine farms have wine tasting and the scenery in this area is just superb.
A typical Cape Dutch style house in Stellenbosch (Wikipedia)
The Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek valleys form the Cape Winelands,
the largest of the two main wine growing regions in South Africa. The
South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 litres of wine
annually. Stellenbosch is the primary location for viticulture and
viticulture research. Professor Perold was the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. The Stellenbosch wine route, established in 1971 is world renowned and popular tourist destination.
Stellenbosch's eastern suburbs in the winter months. Snow on the
Jonkershoek Mountains with the prominent peak "The Twins" (1494m)
visible (Wikipedia)
The area has a mediterranean-type climate, with dry hot summers, cold wet winters.
It is at the start of the Cape Fold mountains, which have created soil
favourable to vines. Grapes are grown primarily for wine, not as table
grapes.
Stellenbosch Wine region is the best known regions in the Cape. In
1971 the 1st official wine route was founded. It is home to a variety
of cellars producing some of the country's most acclaimed wines.
Boschendal, Neethlingshof, Delheim, Welmoed, Delair, Spier, Saxenburg,
La Motte, Boschendal, Chamonix and Cabriere to name a few.
Franschhoek valley Wine region was settled over 300-years ago by the French Huguenots. Set against the backdrop of the majestic Franschhoek
and Drakenstein mountains, this quaint village has over 30 wine farms:
Akkerdal Estate, Allée Bleue Farms,Bellingham, Boekenhoutskloof,
Boschendal Cabriere, Chamonix, Dieu Donnè, Eikehof, Franschhoek Pass
Winery, Franschhoek Vineyards, Freedom Hill wines, GlenWood, Graham
Beck cellar, Grand Provence ,Grande Provence Wine Estate, Haut Espoir,
La Bourgogne, La Bri, La Chataigne, La Chaumiere Wine Estate, La
Couronne Wine Estate, La Motte, La Petite Ferme, La Roche Landau Du Val
Wines, Le Manoir de Brendel, Lormarins, Lynx Wines, Mont Rochelle
Mountain Vineyards, Moreson, Plaisirdemerle, Rickety Bridge Winery,
Rupert & de Rothschild Vignerons, Solms, Stony Brook, Vrede en Lust.
A number of other excellent wine farms can be found slightly further a field in the Paarl and Wellington regions.
Take a slow drive along Route 62 to Montagu. Approximately 140km from Stellenbosch.
Montagu is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town is name after former secretary of the Cape Colony, John Montagu.
It is 180km from Cape Town on the Route 62 scenic route. Montagu is a tourist destination, known for its hot mineral springs and great scenic beauty. It is an agricultural centre, where orchards and vineyards are in production and local herbs are grown. Nearby rock formations make it one of the country's major mountain climbing centres. Montagu is a stone's thow from the Robertson Wine Valley.
A relaxing alternative to the busy N2 highway,
Route 62 offers travellers on the way from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
an interesting and relaxing inland alternative to the busy N2 freeway.
Not only is this route quicker – it also allows visitors to travel
along sections of the acclaimed Garden Route and a host of other interesting and scenic towns.
Starting in Tulbagh, the route goes through Worcester, Robertson, Montagu, Oudtshoorn, and a number of other towns. The route takes in the Boland mountains, Breede River valley and the Little Karoo.
The section from Tulbagh to Oudtshoorn claims to be the longest wine route in the world.
Between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth you will be able to stop a
while in the following fantastic towns: Montagu - with its thermal
baths and fruit trees. Barrydale and Ladysmith – beautiful towns,
extremely popular amongst hikers. Zoar and Amalienstein - former
mission stations. Calitzdorp – the centre of the South African Port
wine production. Oudtshoorn - South African centre of ostrich breeding.
The Wine Route - Route 62 leads through the wine-growing areas of
Wellington, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson and the Klein Karoo and is
thus one of the longest wine routes in the world. Most of the wine
farms welcome visitors for wine tasting and lunches.
The area in which Oudtshoorn is situated was originally inhabited by the Bushmen, as evidenced by the many rock paintings that are found in caves throughout the surrounding Swartberg mountains.
Mountains of the Swartberg Pass near Oudtshoorn after a dusting of snow in July (Wikipedia)
The first European explorers of the area was a trading party led by a certain Ensign Shrijver, who were guided there by a Griqua via an ancient elephant trail in January 1689. The expedition reached as far as present-day Aberdeen before turning back and exiting the Klein Karoo valley through Attaquas Kloof on 16 March of the same year. However, it was only a hundred years later that the first farmers started settling in the region.
The main reason for the large rise in prosperity was the ostrich,
whose feathers had become extremely popular as fashion accessories in
Europe; they were especially popular for use on hats. Between 1875 and 1880 ostrich prices reached up to GBP
1,000 a pair. The farmers of the region, realising that ostriches were
far more profitable than any other activity, ripped out their other
crops and planted lucerne,
which was used as feed for the ostriches.
The Highgate Ostrich Show Farm
The rising wealth also
finally allowed for the completion of the Dutch Reformed Church - it
was opened on 7 June 1879.
Owing to overproduction, the ostrich industry experienced a sudden slump in fortunes in 1885;
the town's misery was compounded when it was hit by severe flooding
during the same year, which washed away the nearby Victoria Bridge
which had been built over the Olifants River only the year before.
The ostrich industry recovered only slowly and it was not until after the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902
that a second and bigger boom started. It was during this period that
most of Oudtshoorn's famously opulent "Feather Palaces" were built.
This boom peaked in 1913, before collapsing in 1914. As a result the region's economy was ruined and most farmers returned to more traditional crops.
The Garden Route is a popular and scenic stretch of the southern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme eastern reach of the Western Cape. It includes towns such as Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley.
A river mouth in the Tsitsikamma National Park, situated on the Garden Route
It has a maritime climate, with moderately hot summers, and mild to
chilly winters. It is one of the richest all-year-round rainfall areas
in South Africa, most rain falling in the winter months, brought by the humid sea-winds from the Indian Ocean rising and releasing their precipitation along the high mountain ranges just inland of the coast.
A tranquil scene at a lake on the Garden Route
The Route is sandwiched between the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountains and the Indian Ocean. The Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape Fynbos and temperate forest and offer hiking trails and eco-tourism activities. Nearly 300 species of birdlife are to be found in a variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands.
Ten nature reserves embrace the varied ecosystems of the area as well as unique marine reserves, home to soft coral reefs, dolphins, seals and a host of other marine life. Various bays along the Garden Route are nurseries to the endangered Southern Right Whale which come there to calve in the winter and spring (July to December).
Although the most popular exploration of the Garden Route is by car, it is also the site of Africa's last remaining passenger steam train, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe.
The Tsitsikamma National Park is a coastal reserve on the Garden Route. It is well known for indigenous forests, dramatic coastline, and the Otter Trail.
The park covers an 80 km long stretch of coastline. Nature's Valley is at the western end of the park, and the main accommodation is at Storms River Mouth. Near the park is the Bloukrans Bridge, the world's highest bungee jump at 216m.
Addo Elephant National Park is an elephant park situated close to Port Elizabeth in South Africa and is recognized as one of the country's twenty national parks.
The original section of the park was founded in 1931, in part due to Sydney Skaife,
in order to provide a sanctuary for the eleven remaining elephants in
the area. The park has proved to be very successful and currently
houses more than 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, over 48 endangered black rhino as well as a variety of antelope species. Lion and spotted hyena has also recently been re-introduced to the area. A species unique to the area is the flightless dung beetle, namely Circellium bacchus.
The original park has subsequently been expanded to include the Woody Cape Nature Reserve that extends from the Sundays River mouth towards Alexandria and a marine reserve, which includes St. Croix Island and Bird Island,
an important breeding habitat for gannets and penguins, not to mention
a large variety of other marine life. Bird Island is home to the
world's largest breeding colony of gannets - about 120,000 birds - and also hosts the second largest breeding colony of African penguins. This forms part of the plan to expand the 1,480 km² Addo National Elephant Park into a 3,600 km² Greater Addo Elephant National Park.
The expansion has meant not only that the park contains five of South Africa's seven major vegetation zones (biomes) but also that it is probably the only park in the world to house the so-called "Big 7" (elephant, rhinoceros, lion, buffalo, leopard, whale and great white shark) in their natural habitat.
The park receives about 120,000 visitors annually. International visitors make up 54% of this number, with German, Dutch and British nationals making up the majority.
There is a main and four other rest camps as well four camps run by concessionaires.
The main entrance as well as two looped tourist roads in the park
are tarred while the others are graveled. There is also an additional
access road through the southern block of the park feeding off the N2 highway near Colchester; it joins up with the existing tourist roads in the park.
The Dutch Reformed Church (Grotekerk) in Graaff-Reinet.
View from Valley of Desolation to Graaff-Reinet
The town lies 2463 ft. above the sea and is built on the, banks of the Sunday's River, which rises a little farther north on the southern
slopes of the Sneeuberge, and here ramifies into several channels. The Dutch Reformed church
in the town is a prominent stone building in the high street with
seating accommodation for 1500 people. The building is a reproduction
of the Salisbury Cathedral.
The college is an educational centre of some importance; it was
rebuilt in 1906. Graaff Reinet is a flourishing market for agricultural
produce, the district being noted for its mohair industry, sheep and ostrich farming.
Tourist Attractions
The Valley of Desolation, a geological wonder of weathered dolerite pillars which is a declared national monument with magnificent views over the Karoo plains.
The Camdeboo National Park of 20 000ha, on the outskirts of the town with its interesting flora and fauna.
Stretch's Court, a picturesque restored street of Karoo cottages with brightly painted shutters and doors.
Reinet House Museum - a Cape Dutch building, formerly the Dutch Reformed Church parsonage
The Agave Distillery - the only distillery outside Mexico to produce alcohol from the Agave plant.
The Karoo architecture.
The Dutch Reformed Church in the centre of the town
The Drostdy Hotel - A Cape Dutch building erected in 1806 as the local seat of government by the VOC. Currently a hotel.
Prince Albert is a delightful South African village in the Karoo,
Swartberg Pass
which
is part of the Western Cape. Although we live in an arid region we are
blessed with water from the Swartberg Mountains and the village is a
little oasis. Prince Albert enjoys a superb climate, with one of the
highest sunshine index and spectacular night skies. The village is a
small gem, with beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian
buildings - 13 of which are National Monuments. Prince Albert is known
for its sun-ripened fresh and dried fruit, especially figs and
apricots. In the Prince Albert Valley , to the south of the village,
farmers are restoring vineyards last farmed in the 19th century. Karoo
lamb, olives, olive oil and cheese are local delicacies. The Cultural
History Museum in Prince Albert depicts the history of the town and its
environment. The antiques and artifacts were collected largely by
Fransie Pienaar, but the collection is still growing, through donations
from past and present inhabitants of Prince Albert.
Tip: Just 2kms from the foot of the awesome Swartberg Pass, Prince
Albert is the perfect base for exploring all the wonders of the
Swartberg including Gamkaskloof - "the Hell" and Meiringspoort.
Little Karoo
As the name implies, the Little Karoo is the smaller (and more
southerly) of the two Karoo sub-regions. Locally it is usually called
the Klein Karoo, which is Afrikaans for Little Karoo. Geographically it is a fertile valley (bounded on the north by the Swartberg, and on the south by the Langeberg and Outeniqua
mountains). Although the boundaries of the region are not strictly
defined, most people consider the western limit of the Little Karoo to
be in the region of Barrydale and the eastern extremity around
Uniondale.
The main town of the region is Oudtshoorn. Other towns/settlements in the region include Ladismith, Calitzdorp, De Rust,and well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein, Barrydale and Dysselsdorp.
This area was first explored by European settlers in the late 17th century, who encountered only Khoisan people living in this rather dry area. Modern farming methods have brought productivity and wealth to this district.
Tulbagh is a town in the Tulbagh valley and is situated in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, with the valley called "Die Land van Waveren" locally. Closest towns are Wolseley, Prince Alfred's Hamlet, Gouda and Ceres in the Boland (Highland) district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Tulbagh's main street with the Winterhoek Mountains beyond
The historic winefarm Montpellier de Tulbagh near Tulbagh
The valley has been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous Bushmen and Khoi peoples. It was only about 300 years ago when, after a land grant by the Dutch Colonial Government to a more or less equal number of Dutch and Huguenot
settlers to settle the area, that the town of Tulbagh was founded. The
town developed slowly and over time and in the period many notable
examples of Cape Dutch architecture, Victorian and Edwardian
houses and other buildings such as Die Oude Drosdy (the original
colonial Magistrate's complex) were built in the valley. Many of these
lovely buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in 1969
but quite a number did survive the catastrophe. Church Street in
Tulbagh is now graced by the largest number of original Cape- Dutch,
Edwardian and Victorian National Monuments in one street in South
Africa and is a major tourist attraction of the town to the present day.
Church Street "Copyright: South African Tourism"
Tulbagh is situated in a bowl surrounded by imposing mountain ranges, with the Obiqua Mountains to the west, the Winterhoek Mountains in the north and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east. The valley experiences a mediterranean-type
climate. The southern side of the valley is open to cooling south-east
winds during the hot summer months. Accordingly Tulbagh enjoys some of
the most diverse and attractive conditions for viticulture in the Cape, and the differences in terroir available to wine makers allow for a wide diversity of distinctive wines of excellence, attributes which have attracted many new producers to the valley.
Tulbagh is the most complete example of an 18th and 19th century
village in South Africa. There is a whole street of Cape Dutch
architecture that was restored after a devastating earthquake in 1969.
Tulbagh
is framed by the Witzenberg and Winterhoek mountains and is very
popular with hikers. The Oude Kerk Volksmuseum is a complex made up of
four buildings. The church (1743) still has the original furniture and
in an annex Victorian furniture and costumes are displayed.
The original section of the park was founded in 1931, in part due to 
