My daughter has just returned from a trip she put together. Flew to J'burg then connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. These are some notes she put together during the planning.
Tim
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Thurs 18 Oct
Flight: BA 57, Heathrow to Johannesburg, dep 2115, arr 0900 tomorrow
Fri 19 Oct
Flight: BA 6241, Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, dep 1110 arr 1250
Pick up hire car, drive to Addo
Lonely Planet says… “Addo is 72km north of P. Elizabeth near the Zuurberg Range in the Sundays River Valley. It’s a small park which protects the remnants of the huge elephant herds that once roamed the Eastern Cape. There are about 180 elephants in the park and you’d be unlucky not to see some. Day visitors are charged R20 per vehicle.”
Need to arrive xxxx for hotel-organised elephant safari (inc lunch) – or we can just pay entry fee at the park and do our own unguided tour. Accommodation:
http://www.woodall-addo.co.za
Sat 20 Oct for 2 days
Area: Addo/Lalibela Private Game Reserve
Activities: need to arrive by xxxx for afternoon safari
Accommodation:
http://www.lalibela.co.za/
Mon 22 Oct for 2 days
Area: Lalibela to Storms River
Activities: Chris and Katie say the drive from Lalibela to Kenton-on-Sea is beautiful… just need to figure out how long it will take…
The Garden Route, split between the western (Wilderness) and eastern (Storms River) gateways will give you the opportunity to explore Victoria Bay, the Wilderness National Park, Knysna, the lakes & lagoons, Knysna Elephant Park, Natures Valley, Monkeyland & the Tsitsikamma National Park and the highest bungee jump in the world
Accommodation:
http://www.forestferns.co.za/
Wed 24 Oct
Activities: Take the train (Outeniqua steam train) to Knysna – it takes a couple of hours but is a nice journey with some lovely scenery. You can get the train back but quicker to take a car – there are a number of companies who will happily pick you up. Knysna is very nice to walk round for a couple of hours and take lunch on the pier. You can take a boat trip to the knysna heads – its ok but I wouldn’t do it again.
Knysna Elephant Park – great experience to feed and touch elephants – just before Knysna
Restaurants – Copper Pot (
www.copperpot.co.za) – been voted in the top 100 South African restaurants for the past three years – really good food.
Plettenberg Bay: Have never spent long here but has great beach and last time spend a few hours on the beach watching a group of dolphins surfing which was fantastic – I guess it may depend on time of year
Restaurant: We ate in the Blue Bay Café which was very nice – not in the same league as some of the Cape Town restaurants
Between Plett & PE try and stop at the big bridge (forgotten the name) and watch them bungee jump – have a go yourself but scared me just watching. Also, if you have time stop at Storms River for an hour of so.
Accommodation:
http://www.cinnamonhouse.co.za/
http://www.milkwoodvillage.co.za/activities.htm is nearby
Fri 26 Oct for 2 days
Area: Wilderness to De Rust, Klein Karoo
De Rust – this Victorian village is the setting for vineyards, orchards and spectacular displays of rare pelargoniums from which all the world’s geraniums originated. The village is situated on one of the most beautiful drives in southern Africa – the Meiringspoort Gorge which travel through the awesome Swartberg mountains and where the road crosses the same river stream no less than 26 times. Halfway through, you will find a beautiful, 60m high waterfall.
http://www.derust.org.za/info.htm
Accommodation:
http://www.housemartin.co.za/
Sun 28 Oct for 2 days
Area: Klein Karoo to Montagu, Brede River Valley
Activities: Route 62, the longest wine & mountain route in the world. Montagu is the rock climbing capital of South Africa. Explore the Robertson Wine Valley and the incredible mountains surrounding the town. Enjoy a tractor-trailer ride to the summit of the mountain to enjoy a glass (or two) of wine, whilst watching the sunset. This part of South Africa includes awesome mountain passes & gorges, including the opportunity to cycle down the Swartberg Pass.
Accommodation:
http://www.7churchstreet.co.za/
Tues 30 Oct
Area: Montagu to Winelands
Accommodation:
http://www.lafontainefranschhoek.co.za/
Wed 31 Oct
Area: Winelands
Activities: We have never been overly keen on the centre of Stellenbosch – shops are ok but not a lot else to do. Much nicer to walk up the main street in Franschhoek which has far more character.
Spier is one of the nicer vineyards. Can get busy with tourists, as there is plenty to do – you can stroke the cheetahs for a fee. Also very nice to grab a picnic (they have their own deli building so you can buy the food on site) and just chill out round the pond.
Restaurants: La Petite Femme (great place for lunch – nice garden and views across the valley)
La Courenne (
www.lacouronnehotel.co.za) – great restaurant – nice for lunch to sit outside and enjoy the superb views – very nice to just relax and chill out
Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant (
www.cabriere.co.za) – just opposite La Petite Femme – very nice for dinner
Accommodation:
http://www.lafontainefranschhoek.co.za/
Thurs 1 Nov for 2 days
Area: Winelands to Pringle Bay
Activities: Shark Cage Diving, whale watching, hiking, cycling, horse riding. Located in a World Heritage site – local attractions include a Penguin Colony, the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, white water rafting. Discovering the Kogelberg Biosphere, a recently proclaimed World Heritage site is a hikers and casual walker’s delights; mountain trails, sandy beaches; rocky coastlines, rivers and forests. Track down the “wild horses” of the Bot River Estuary, visit the Jackass Penguin colony at Stony Point or explore nature’s true wonderland at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens. Get up close and personal with the Great White, ride the white waters of the Palmiet River or skydive in tandem, the whale coast has it all and then there are the wines!
Accommodation:
http://www.moonstruck.co.za/
Sat 3 Nov
Area: Pringle Bay to Cape Town
Accommodation:
http://www.primi-royal.com/primiroyal.htm
Sun 4 Nov for 2 days
Area: Cape Town
Activities: Helicopter rides (Civair
www.civair.co.za – based at the V & A Waterfront) around Table Mountain and southern Cape Town
Robben Island – very interesting but you will need to book
Table Mountain – try to go on a nice evening and watch the sun go down – take a jumper (it will get cold) & a bottle of wine
Afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson – great sandwiches & cake, was good value and a pleasant patio area
Shopping – Canal Walk & the Waterfront
Chapmans Peak Drive
Boulders Beach – not as good as it was as you used to be – you could previously walk amongst them but you can still get close.
Wine Tour – we meet to Groot Constantia (
www.grootconstantia) for a tour and it was very good
If you fancy a drive then drive up to Bloubergstrand – this is where all the pictures of Table Mountain are taken from. Great beaches & nice restaurant (On The Rocks) with fab views of the mountain at night
Kirstenbosch Gardens – we aren’t great garden lovers but there were very nice to wander around for a few hours.
Cape Point – You have to go and see it but once you have been we haven’t been a second time
Boat trip from V & A – Ok – highlight is if you get to see any dolphins
Boat trip from Hout Bay to Seal island was also ok – can get a bit choppy !
Restaurants: On the rocks (
www.dining-out.co.za/member_details.asp?MemberID=596) - Bloubergstrand
Constantia Uitsig –
www.uitsig.co.za – you must go here – arguably the best restaurant in Africa you may well need to book because of time of year
Steenberg (Catharina Restaurant)
www.steenberghotel.com – restaurant is fab (it was an old cellar) and probably my favourite – go early and have a drink outside on the terrace
Au Jardin (Vineyard Hotel)
www.vineyard.co.za – great food & great views of Table Mountain
Accommodation:
http://www.primi-royal.com/primiroyal.htm
Wed 7 Nov
Area: Cape Town
Flight: BA 58, Cape Town to Heathrow, dep 2050, arr 0645 tomorrow