Summary of the Route
This route combines some of South Africa's most popular and diverse attractions with many of the top golfing destinations in the country.
The cost of this route will vary depending on the type of accommodation you prefer and the type of safari you choose - there is a wide range of accommodation all along this route from inexpensive B&Bs and guest houses to 5* hotels and world-class safari lodges.
Another big influence on cost is the time of year you travel: May to September is low season and whilst these are the cooler, wetter 'winter' months, many visitors choose to visit during this time as both safaris and other accommodation are significantly cheaper than in the high season. For more information on the climate and seasons, click here.
Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is one of the world's most beautiful cities - with a magnificent mountain as its centre, miles of sandy beaches, a colourful and moving history, and countless bars and restaurants, Cape Town captures the hearts of visitors from around the world.
During a stay here, you can take in some or all the major attractions in the city (Table Mountain, Robben Island, township tour, Camps Bay, V&A Waterfront, Kirstenbosch Gardens, numerous museums and galleries), or travel down to the Cape Peninsula ... as well as of course allowing enough time to play a couple of the golf courses in the area !
Suggested Golf Courses: Royal Cape (Constantia) and Atlantic Beach (stunning views back towards the city and Table Mountain from near Bloubergstrand Beach).
The Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands are only a short drive from Cape Town, and staying in the university town of Stellenbosch or beautiful village of Franschhoek allows you to enjoy the scenery, wines, and foods of this charming region.
Stellenbosch is South Africa's second oldest settlement (after Cape Town) and is a pretty university town, with whitewashed Cape Dutch architecture along oak-lined avenues set around a pleasant green. There is an excellent wine museum in the town, and the walking tour is also highly recommended.
Franschhoek has earned itself the title of ‘Food and Wine Capital of South Africa’, and quite rightly so. In the village itself, there are many award winning restaurants, and many of the surrounding vineyards also offer excellent lunches as well as wine tasting.
Suggested Golf Courses: Pearl Valley (Franschhoek) and Erinvale (Somerset West).
Along the Garden Route
Beautiful coastlines, breathtaking mountains and valleys, tall forests, deep blue lakes and lagoons - these are the reasons why the Garden Route is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa.
There are a huge number of activities available along the Garden Route for non-golfers too - whale watching in season, hiking, watersports, fishing, horse riding, ostrich farms, mountain biking, long beach strolls, boat trips, shopping for arts and crafts - even bungee jumping from the highest bridge in Africa!
Suggested Golf Courses: Fancourt (near George: 4 courses, all excellent), Plettenberg Bay Golf Club, and Pezula (Knysna). Fancourt will be a real golfing highlight.
The Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate near George has 4 golf courses which are renowned for their amazing year round condition and the attention to detail that is shown.
The Presidents Cup 2004 was held at the Links Course at the Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate, which is consistently ranked in the Top 10 of South Africa's Golf Courses and has some extraordinary holes, like the par-3 second, with its bunker in the heart of the enormous green.
For the non-golfers, there is a Health and Beauty Spa offering a range of treatments.
As well as the fantastic golf, Fancourt is well placed for exploring the Wilderness and Knysna areas of the Garden Route as well as trips to the ostrich farms at Oudtshoorn or the impressive Cango Caves in the Klein Karoo.
On Safari in The Eastern Cape
There are essentially 3 types of safari experience that can be enjoyed in the Eastern Cape area which are only a couple of hours drive from the Garden Route.
Best Wildlife and Safari Lodge options: The safari lodges in the Shamwari and Kwandwe private game reserves offer the best all-round safari experience in the region.
Excellent accommodation is combined with outstanding food and staff, and because the lodges are in large reserves that can support a wide variety of wildlife they do offer better wildlife viewing opportunities than the smaller reserves in the area.
This is the most expensive option in this area but for wildlife enthusiasts and those looking for an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience, this is undoubtedly the option to aim for if possible.
Mid-range options: There are a couple of smaller reserves in the area which offer an all-inclusive safari experience for around half the price of the more expensive lodges.
The smaller reserves cannot support the wildlife populations that can be found in Shamwari, Kwandwe or Addo, and as a result the wildlife viewing opportunities are not as great or as varied as in the bigger reserves.
Having said this, the reserves of Amakhala, Lalibela, Pumba and Kariega do have lion, elephant, rhino and a wide range of other animals, and staying overnight in one of the lodges in these reserves does give a real flavour of the African bush.
Budget options: For visitors on a budget who are still keen to see some wildlife the best options are to either stay in the Addo Elephant National Park at the camp there run by the National Parks Board, or at one of the guest houses just outside the Park.
The Addo Elephant National Park is home to around 400 elephants, and offers some wonderful elephant viewing opportunities.
The accommodation in the Park is clean and basic, and there is a restaurant - outside the Park the accommodation is a little more expensive, but it is also a little more luxurious and comfortable.
If you stay in Addo or at one of the guest houses just outside the Park you can explore the Park yourself on a self-drive basis, join a guided trip in Addo to see the Park with the benefit of a guide, or go as a day visitor to Shamwari or one of the other reserves in the area.
Port Elizabeth
Claiming to have the best climate and more sunshine than any other coastal resort in the country, Port Elizabeth is a popular holiday destination, and renowned for its beautiful coastline and long sandy beaches.
PE is ideally situated for day trips to the Addo Elephant National Park or the Shamwari and Amakhala Big 5 Game Reserves, which have the added attraction of being malaria-free. An ideal place to end your golfing holiday ... with the added benefit of being able to play a couple of extra rounds of golf before you have to fly home !
Suggested Golf Courses: Humewood (a great links course) and St Francis Bay.
Getting Home
At the end of your safari you can either fly back from PE to Cape Town or Johannesburg and connect with your international flight here, or alternatively many visitors choose to have a couple of extra days back in Cape Town before catching their flight home.