SOUTH AFRICA - CAPE TOWN AND THE GARDEN ROUTE

Day 1 – 5 Cape Town

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Your journey begins in the beautiful city of Cape Town. A Tribe favourite, Cape Town harmonises spectacular mountain scenery and perfect beaches with an abundance of history and culture. Enjoy a relaxing drink at the sophisticated V&A Waterfront, then hop on the ferry to Robben Island for an absorbing reminder of the country’s difficult past.  Play on the golden sands of Clifton Beach, then enjoy a picnic lunch at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, nestled against the eastern slope of Table Mountain, before a cable-car ride through cliff-hugging clouds to the peak to watch the sunset over the surrounding city below.

 

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Day 5 – 7 Stellenbosch and Franschhoek

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Less than an hour’s drive away lies the elegant and energetic town of Stellenbosch and it’s sleepy but beautiful neighbour Franschhoek, where a white wash of Cape Dutch architecture and a cracking selection of activities for your Tribe await. For the adults there’s fabulous wineries nestled before the stunning backdrop of the Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains. For the kids there’s duck parades, animal farms, nature reserves and an abundance of parks and outdoor space perfect for picnics and play.

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Your Tribe can either stay on a working winery enjoying spectacular views of surrounding vineyards, or in the heart of Stellenbosch within walking distance of the fabulous cafes, bakeries, ice cream parlours and boutiques that line the towns charming streets. We can arrange for a local expert guide to take you to a selection of the best wineries and cafes, or you can hire a bike or hop in the car and plan your own trail.

 

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Day 7 - 9 Oudtshoorn and the Karoo

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After travelling east along the famous Route 62 you'll arrive at Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. Thanks to a Victorian craze for ostrich feathers, the town of Oudtshoorn flourished in the early 20th century and ostrich farms and their accompanying mansions became common place. Your Tribe will have the chance to stay on a working ostrich farm and watch handlers race the giant birds along dusty tracks. The town also makes the perfect base to visit the spectacular Cango Caves; an underground labyrinth of cavernous spaces, dripping stalactites and rising rock columns.

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We recommend an early rise on the morning of day 8, so your Tribe can share the days beginnings with a wild meerkat mob, as the sentinel awakens his family and they dig for grubs. In the afternoon, head for the rising red peaks of the Swartberg mountains to enjoy a host of activities including mountain biking, horse-riding and trekking, or simply take-in the vast untamed nature of your surroundings.

 

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Day 9 - 12 Knysna and Plettenburg Bay

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A short drive back to the Ocean brings you to the heart of the Garden Route. Surrounded by ancient forest and boasting a stunning lagoon, the town of Knysna is a perfect stop on-route to Plettenburg Bay. There’s several ways to take in the lagoon – by boat, from daring boardwalks overlooking Knysna Heads or from the fabulous café at its foot. You can also take your adventurers into the surrounding forests where talk of roaming wild elephants will have them eagerly bounding ahead on the look-out for signs of giants.

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A short hop along the coastal road and you’ll arrive at your base for the next few days – Plettenburg Bay. With the plunging cliffs of the Tsitsikamma Mountains behind, and a powder-soft sandy beach stretching in both directions, Plett Bay is an ideal base to kick back and enjoy some beach time with your Tribe. There’s an assortment of excellent cafes and restaurants to choose from and the deep canyons and daunting suspension bridges of the Tsitsikamma National Park are a stone’s throw to the east, where one of the world’s most daring zip-lines awaits. If that wasn’t enough, then a cluster of three fantastic eco-ventures; Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and an Elephant Sanctuary, will keep adventurers of all ages engaged when the sun and sand has been exhausted.

 

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Day 12 – 13 Addo Elephant National Park

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After a beautiful drive along South Africa’s Wild Coast, you’ll reach the grassy plains, mountainous peaks and wild coastline of Addo Elephant National Park. Huge families of elephants gather at the many watering holes while lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo, as well as great white sharks and southern right whales (which complete the famous big seven – only seen here) are frequently sighted. It's also a fabulous park for little adventurers with fossil digs, a giant geology puzzle, sand boxes and animal tracking all on offer at the Ulwazi Interpretive Centre, specifically designed with families in mind. The Spekboom trail, where you can leave the vehicles behind and walk through a botanical reserve, coming face to face with some of the parks smaller animals, is also a great way to keep little adventurers involved when the bumpy jeep-rides are too much.

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After a day self-navigating in your own vehicle or being guided by our expert local bushmen, return for a relaxing dip in the pool, or an evening stroll around the orange groves at your accommodation; a working citrus farm in the heart of the countryside.

 

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Day 14 - 15 The Cape Peninsula 

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It’s a short flight back to Cape Town next, ready for your final day exploring the Cape Peninsula. Drive past colourful beach huts to Boulders Beach, where giant rocks divide small sandy coves and hundreds of tiny penguins will vie with you for prime beach space. Continue to Cape Point, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet at the continents most southerly point. Kids will enjoy splashing in the rock pools that line the coast and the Two Oceans restaurant, with incredible views of the Cape, is a great lunch spot with delicious, fresh seafood. The journey back will have your Tribe roaring with delight (or terror) as you tackle the 114 curves of Chapman's Peak Drive. The road follows the rocky coastline to a 600-metre peak, revealing stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, before Table Mountain and Cape Town roll into view.

 

On day 15 you will be transferred back to the airport for your flight home.