This itinerary takes in many of our favourite properties. Staying at friendly guest houses along the way and ending with an authentic tented safari experience, this is a great holiday for visitors to South Africa who want to get the best out of their budget.
Starting with 3 nights at Floreal House at the foot of Table Mountain, you have a few days in Cape Town with a hire car to explore the city and the surrounding area. Why not take a day trip down to the Cape Peninsula, stopping en-route there or back at Boulders Beach which is home to one of only 2 mainland nesting colonies of African penguins in South Africa.
On leaving the city you will then stay in the beautiful village of Franschhoek to enjoy some of the fine wines produced in the surrounding vinyards. Your friendly guest house here is a 5 minute walk from the main High Street with its quaint mixture of restaurants, art galleries and artisan shops.
Next stop is the town of Oudtshoorn, famous for its ostrich farms and meerkat experiences. A warm welcome awaits you at De Zeekoe where you also have the unique opportunity to sit and watch wild meerkats at sunrise!
Then it's off to the Garden Route coastline. There are a huge number of things to do in and around the town of Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the Garden Route including elephant sanctuaries, Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, whale and dolphin watching in season, golf and much more. Periwinkle Guest Lodge is directly across the road from the Robberg Blue Flag Beach, so you can also enjoy some 'down time' on the beach during your stay here.
The holiday finishes on a real highlight with a 2 night safari in the Amakhala Game Reserve where you can go in search of Africa's Big 5. Woodbury Tented Camp offers large, comfortable en-suite tents, all with private patios giving you seclusion, tranquility and a real feeling of intimacy with the African bush. During your stay you will be able to enjoy morning and afternoon daily game drives conducted by experienced rangers which will leave you in awe of the wildlife and spectacular scenery on the reserve.
Arrive into Cape Town Airport. Collect your luggage and make your way to the Europcar Rental office. Complete the necessary paperwork - you will need to present your driving licence, passport and credit card. The keys to your hire car will then be handed over to you.
13 Day Car Rental: Group D Economy Auto - Hyundai Venue Automatic or similar (Classic Plus Cover GPS PACKAGE)
Drive to Floreal House, situated in the exclusive surburb of Oranjezicht and nestled at the foot of Table Mountain. Cape Town is consistently voted amongst the top cities in the world to visit so it is no surprise that this wonderful city is one of the highlights of a holiday to South Africa.
Allow about an hour to drive to Franschhoek, a small village nestled at the bottom of a valley in the heart of the Cape Winelands and surrounded by rolling green hills, strawberry farms and endless rows of grapevines. One suggestion during your stay here is to take a hop-on/hop-off tour on the Franschhoek Wine Tram - a totally unique and leisurely way to see the Franschhoek Valley as you trundle in an open-side tram bus through vineyards and stunning scenery, stopping at wine estates along the way.
Allow about 4 hours to drive the Route 62 to Oudtshoorn, which offers the scenic alternative to the N2 highway. The ever changing colours of the majestic mountains, scenic passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards will give you an unforgettable drive. Oudshoorn itself is famous for its meerkat adventures and its Ostrich Show Farms, as well as the impressive Cango Caves, which are only 30 km from Oudshoorn. The caves are illuminated to show some of the biggest stalagmite formations in the world.
Drive to Plettenberg Bay (the journey is about 155 km so allow about 2 hours). Plettenberg Bay is home to some of the best beaches along the Garden Route. It is a trendy, upmarket beach town set in a curving bay with a backdrop of rugged mountains. The endless white sandy beaches are ideal for swimming or for just relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.
Drive to Amakhala Game Reserve (a drive of approximately 280 km so allow 3 hours). Become part of Africa as you experience a Big 5 safari adventure here on daily morning and evening game drives. Wildlife likely to be encountered during the game drives in the reserve are lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and plenty of antelope species. Woodbury Tented Camp offers rustic and secluded accommodation coupled with an authentic African wildlife safari experience.
After you return from your morning game drive you will have time to enjoy breakfast at the camp before you need to depart for the drive to Port Elizabeth Airport (approx 70 km / 50 mins). Return your hire car and check in for your flight home via Cape Town or Johannesburg - passengers are advised to check in at least 90 minutes prior to the departure time of a domestic flight.
All the flights and flight inclusive holidays on this websiteare financially protected either by ABTOT or the ATOL scheme.
When you pay for something protected by the ATOL scheme you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it.