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South Africa Family Adventure Self-Drive
Take to the road on a free-wheeling journey across the stunning Cape region that offers fun for all the family. Along the way, you’ll explore unspoiled landscapes and meet the incredible local wildlife – from whales and big cats to tiny penguins and many others – on boat trips, on safari and even on the beach.
£4,095 - £4,595pp. Price for family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children under 12) including international flights.
Itinerary overview
Day 1
Arrival in Cape Town
On arrival in Cape Town, you’ll collect your hire car and make the 30-minute journey – easy thank...
Day 2
Cape Town
Cape Town’s vibrant mix of cultures, a legacy of its position on what was once a major trade rout...
Day 3
Cape Town
After breakfast, you have another day to discover more of Cape Town’s natural and manmade delight...
Day 4
Cape Town & Hermanus
In your own time, leave Cape Town and drive for around 2-hours along the Garden Route to Hermanus...
Day 5
Hermanus
After breakfast, explore the town on foot, while keeping an eye out for passing whales in the bay...
Day 6
Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay
This morning, you’ll set off to Plettenberg Bay, which takes about 5-hours by the most direct rou...
Day 7
Plettenberg Bay
After yesterday’s road trip, you may decide to take things easy on your first full day in Pletten...
Day 8
Plettenberg Bay
Today could be the perfect occasion to explore the Plett area’s natural beauties and get a spot o...
Day 9
Plettenberg Bay
Enjoy a leisurely al fresco breakfast at your hotel, soaking up the sights and sounds of the wood...
Day 10
Plettenberg Bay & Eastern Cape Game Reserve
Leaving Plettenberg Bay behind this morning, you’ll make the 3.5-hour drive to Shamwari Private G...
Day 11
Eastern Cape Game Reserve
Your first of two game drives in the company of a skilled local ranger will give you an insight i...
Day 12
Eastern Cape Game Reserve
You’ll have more opportunities to spot everything from lions, leopards and cheetahs to secretary ...
Day 13
Eastern Cape Game Reserve & Departure
After breakfast, make the 1-hour drive to Port Elizabeth International Airport where you’ll retur...
Highlights of trip
My Cape Town City Tour
Discover Cape Town on this day trip, where you’ll experience everything from Table Mountain to Bo-Kaap street food and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The day starts with a cable car ride up Table Mountain where you’ll enjoy views over the city to the coastline and Robben Island. Your guide will point out the mountain’s exotic fynbos and wildlife such as the rock hyrax. After taking the cable car back down, the tour continues in Bo-Kaap, which was originally home to slaves from Malaysia and Indonesia who were brought over by the Dutch in the 1760s. The area is famous for its colourful houses and offers a mix of history, culture, music and flavour. Taste some samosas and vetkoek, a type of doughy bread that can be filled with jam, cheese or curry. From here, you’ll visit the nearby Company Gardens, where many of the Cape Malay people worked, supplying Dutch ships with fresh fruit and vegetables. Next, you’ll be driven to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which has thousands of species of plants and trees set over 528 hectares. There are themed areas to explore, such as a fragrance garden and greenhouses, canopy walkways and lawns where summer concerts are held. Then you have a choice of two options for the remainder of the day, visiting either the Groot Constantia winelands or Kalk Bay. Groot Constantia is the oldest wine farm in South Africa. Here you’ll enjoy a three-course lunch and wine tasting session at Simon’s Restaurant, in the stunning vineyard. Alternatively, you can go to Kalk Bay for lunch at Harbour House, which overlooks the ocean and is known for its fresh seafood. Boulders Beach lies Just 20 minutes from Kalk Bay, where you’ll finish the tour by observing a colony of cute African penguins.
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My Cape Peninsula Tour
Discover the Cape Peninsula on this private scenic day trip, at your own pace, which includes the option of vineyard lunches, penguin encounters and kayaking with seals. The tour starts with a 30-minute scenic drive down the peninsula to Cape Point, one of the southern-most points in Africa. You can either walk from here or take the Flying Dutchman funicular railway to the Cape Point Lighthouse for the best views over the coast. For the second portion of the tour you have three options. The first is to stop at Boulders Beach, which is a breeding site for African penguins, followed by lunch at Cape Point Vineyard, a mountainside estate with views over Noordhoek Beach. Alternatively, you can visit Hout Bay, where you’ll take a short boat trip to Seal Island which is home to a colony of Cape fur seals. You’ll have time to observe the seals from the boat before heading back to Hout Bay for a seafood lunch. The last option is perfect for adventurous travellers as it involves a kayaking trip from Simon’s Town, to view the penguins. Whichever tour you choose, you’ll make your way back to Cape Town in the afternoon via Chapman’s Peak Drive. This spectacular curvy road twists alongside the ocean and the 12 Apostles Mountain Range. You’ll drive by the popular sandy beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton before being dropped at your hotel in Cape Town. This tour is a great way to get out of the city for a day and explore the Cape’s incredible nature, wildlife and scenery.
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Walk to Freedom and Robben Island
Learn about apartheid in South Africa on this unique Walk to Freedom tour. You’ll hear Nelson Mandela’s story on Robben Island and visit the townships where residents were gravely affected by apartheid laws. You'll also get the chance to talk to the people who live in these communities today. This full-day tour starts at 09.00am on the site of District Six, one of the old residential areas of the city. This once busy, multi-racial community was destroyed during apartheid when the government ordered mass evictions and sent people to townships miles outside of the city centre. Next, visit Langa, a typical black African township where you’ll be greeted by a community site guide who lives here and will show you around, perhaps even introducing you to their family. The tour continues with a visit to Bonteheuwel, a former mixed heritage township where you’ll learn how people were classified as ‘non-white’ during apartheid and separated into different areas. The final stop is at Gugulethu, where you will visit the Gugulethu Seven Memorial which commemorates the deaths of seven young black activists killed by police in 1986 and the Amy Biehl Memorial, who was a young American student and anti-apartheid activist who was murdered here. At about midday, you will be dropped at the V&A Waterfront where you can grab a bite to eat before boarding the boat to Robben Island. This part of the trip is run by the official Robben Island Museum and is split into two legs, a one-hour bus tour of the island and a tour of what used to be the maximum-security prison, led by a former political prisoner. You’ll get to see Nelson Mandela’s cell representing an incredibly important moment in South Africa’s history.
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Dolphin excursion/Marine eco tours
Go in search of dolphins and marine life on this eco-friendly boat trip in the protected marine reserve of Plettenberg Bay. You will meet 30 minutes before the boat departs for a safety briefing and to be fitted with a life jacket and, if necessary, a poncho. The boat trip lasts around an hour and a half and begins with an exciting beach launch. The boat gets dragged into the ocean by a tractor and then launched into the waters. The geography of Plettenberg Bay is very special, with the Robberg Peninsula, creating a half-moon shaped bay that stops a lot of open-water swells. There are two marine protected areas that attracts whales, dolphins, seals and sharks. As you cruise alongside Keurbooms beach towards Arch Rock, endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins may be seen. There are only about 500 left in South Africa so it’s a special experience if you do get to see them. Bottlenose and common dolphins often surround the boat and occasionally you may see whales. You will get to see plenty of seabirds such as the Cape gannets that dive into the water after fish. As you sail past the cliffs of Robberg, there is a colony of 7,000 Cape fur seals and where sometimes you may see great white sharks. The tour ends with a thrilling beach landing. A proportion of the cost of this tour goes towards the ORCA Foundation to continue vital conservation and research work.
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Visit the Born Free Big Cat Sanctuaries at Shamwari Private Game Reserve
Born Free Big Cat Sanctuary and Education Centre was established in partnership with Virginia McKenna’s Born Free Foundation. Guests of Shamwari Private Game Reserve can visit the centre to learn the importance of keeping wildlife in the wild. Behind each of the big cats in their care, there is often a traumatic story. The rescued lions and leopards at the sanctuaries have grown up in appalling conditions of captivity. Whilst they should have been born in the wild, where they belong, unfortunately re-wilding them is not possible. With a dedicated team to monitor them as they adapt to their new surroundings, the sanctuaries give them a better home than they have ever known. There are two centres that Shamwari guests can visit. Located in the southern part of Shamwari Private Game Reserve, the Julie Ward Centre was established in 1999 and provides sanctuary for the rescued cats. Education is also a vital role of what they do and at the Jean Byrd Education Centre, in the northern part of the reserve, guests, local schools and colleges come to learn about South Africa’s wildlife and the importance of conservation for future generations.
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Day 1
Arrival in Cape Town
On arrival in Cape Town, you’ll collect your hire car and make the 30-minute journey – easy thanks to the fact they drive on the left here, too – to your accommodation for the next three nights. With your serviced apartment perfectly located in the heart of the V&A Waterfront District, there’s no shortage of shops, cafés and things to do right on the doorstep. You could start with a panoramic view of the city from its ultra-modern observation wheel, before descending to ground level to check out the Two Oceans Aquarium, rounding it off with an optional sunset cruise on a vintage sailboat. Overnight at Waterfront Village Apartments.
Recommended Hotels
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town
More than a century of service and style at the foot of Table Mountain, this Belmond hotel is excellence personified.
Day 2
Cape Town
Cape Town’s vibrant mix of cultures, a legacy of its position on what was once a major trade route, has left its mark on everything from its buildings to its culinary scene. Spend your first full day exploring this laidback coastal city however you choose, whether that means under your own steam or on an array of optional tours. Among the latter, the My Cape Town City Tour gives you a comprehensive overview of the local highlights or you could splurge on a helicopter tour of the Three Bays. When it comes to eating, back at V&A Waterfront there’s something for all tastes, from global snacks to grown-up seafood. Overnight at Waterfront Village Apartments.
Day 3
Cape Town
After breakfast, you have another day to discover more of Cape Town’s natural and manmade delights. With your own set of wheels, you could go in search of the perfect beach for swimming, surfing or African penguin spotting or check out the best suburban green spaces and adventure parks. If you prefer to let someone else do the organising, some top choices include being whisked off to experience the dramatic scenery of the Cape Peninsula or getting an insight into South African history on a Walk to Freedom tour that takes you to townships and the infamous Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner. Overnight at Waterfront Village Apartments.
Things to do
Day 4
Cape Town & Hermanus
In your own time, leave Cape Town and drive for around 2-hours along the Garden Route to Hermanus. Located on the Western Cape’s renowned Whale Coast, this charming former fishing village is a haven for marine life and wildlife experiences including spotting the Marine Big Five – sharks, whales, dolphins, penguins and seals. From June to December, southern right whales come so close to the shore that they can be viewed from land. For a relaxing afternoon, grab a picnic in the centre of town and stroll along the cliff path to secluded Voëlklip beach; it’s perfect for sunbathing, swimming and boogie boarding and has its own changing rooms. Overnight at Abalone Guest Lodge.
Recommended Hotels
Grootbos Nature Reserve
A Five-Star eco-paradise offering peace, tranquillity and access to an abundance of diverse natural environments
Day 5
Hermanus
After breakfast, explore the town on foot, while keeping an eye out for passing whales in the bay. If you’re lucky, you may even cross paths with the Hermanus Whale Crier. But for front-row wildlife viewing, hop aboard a 60-foot catamaran for an optional whale-watching tour around Walker Bay. This 400 square kilometre sheltered bay offers the warmer, calmer waters that southern right whales need for mating and calving. They generally spend around six months here before returning south to their feeding grounds. There’s also a good chance of spotting humpbacks and Bryde’s whales during the season, as well as other marine life. During the trip, a naturalist expedition guide will share their wide knowledge of whale behaviour with the guests. Overnight at Abalone Guest Lodge.
Recommended Hotel
Day 6
Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay
This morning, you’ll set off to Plettenberg Bay, which takes about 5-hours by the most direct route: inland at first, then along the coast beyond Mossel Bay where there are plenty of scenic viewpoints and roadside craft shops for much-needed pauses. You may want to take a break in Knysna, known as South Africa’s ‘oyster capital’, where you can enjoy a late lunch overlooking the water. Another 30 minutes driving brings you to the holiday playground of Plettenberg Bay – ‘Plett’ to the locals – with its sweeping golden Blue Flag beaches and laidback vibe, your base for the next three nights. Overnight at Hog Hollow Country Lodge.
Recommended Hotels
Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Set to a mountain backdrop close to Plettenberg Bay, this spectacular lodge makes the most of its breathtaking surrounds.
The Plettenberg
A chic and lavish hotel in a superb setting with incredible views over two picturesque bays.
Day 7
Plettenberg Bay
After yesterday’s road trip, you may decide to take things easy on your first full day in Plettenberg Bay. You could go in search of your dream stretch of soft, warm sand – there are ones with lagoon areas for small children or waves for the older and more energetic – for a few hours of R&R. You could linger over a lazy lunch courtesy of the excellent local food scene, which offers casual beachfront seafood grills and rustic cafés where even the pickiest young eaters will find something they love. And you could take to the water in a host of different ways, from renting a kayak for a gentle paddle or heading out into the bay, a protected marine reserve, on an optional eco-friendly dolphin-spotting trip. Overnight at Hog Hollow Country Lodge.
Recommended Hotels
Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Set to a mountain backdrop close to Plettenberg Bay, this spectacular lodge makes the most of its breathtaking surrounds.
Lairds Lodge
A tranquil Cape Dutch country estate set within the heart of South Africa’s stunning Garden Route
Day 8
Plettenberg Bay
Today could be the perfect occasion to explore the Plett area’s natural beauties and get a spot of gentle exercise at the same time. A 30-minute drive from your hotel brings you to Robberg Nature Reserve, which is a World Heritage Site and a National Monument in one. Here, with the open ocean on one side and Plettenberg Bay on the other, you can stretch your legs on a range of scenic trails. You’re free to explore independently or opt for a guided two-hour tour that will open your eyes to sights you might miss on your own, from shadowy shipwrecks to fun facts about the local plants. Overnight at Hog Hollow Country Lodge.
Recommended Hotel
Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Set to a mountain backdrop close to Plettenberg Bay, this spectacular lodge makes the most of its breathtaking surrounds.
Day 9
Plettenberg Bay
Enjoy a leisurely al fresco breakfast at your hotel, soaking up the sights and sounds of the wooded private nature reserve in which it’s situated, while you make plans for your final day in Plettenberg Bay. If you can tear yourself away from the pool, and the mountain views, there are lots of nature walks right on the doorstep. Alternatively, the dramatic scenery of Tsitsikamma National Park, crisscrossed by walking trails, is just a short drive away. Here, you could follow paths used by migrating elephants on an optional guided Woodcutter Journey through the park’s lush indigenous forests, travelling in a specially designed off-road vehicle. Overnight at Hog Hollow Country Lodge.
Recommended Hotel
Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Set to a mountain backdrop close to Plettenberg Bay, this spectacular lodge makes the most of its breathtaking surrounds.
Day 10
Plettenberg Bay & Eastern Cape Game Reserve
Leaving Plettenberg Bay behind this morning, you’ll make the 3.5-hour drive to Shamwari Private Game Reserve for a three-night safari adventure. You should have time for a late brunch and a cool-down in the pool overlooking the waterhole before high tea, the prelude to your first late-afternoon game drive. Thanks to decades of diligent conservation work, Shamwari has a thriving population of everything from big cats to elephants and hippos, not to mention a wealth of spectacular birdlife. That means you’re all but certain to have lots to discuss over dinner, whether that’s indoors or under the stars. Overnight at Riverdene Family Lodge.
Recommended Hotels
Shamwari Private Game Reserve – Riverdene Family Lodge
Riverdene Family Safari Lodge has been specifically designed to ensure that families may enjoy a safe safari experience.
Day 11
Eastern Cape Game Reserve
Your first of two game drives in the company of a skilled local ranger will give you an insight into the morning routines of many of the reserve’s wild inhabitants and is a perfect way to begin the day. After a hearty breakfast, you’ll pay a call at the Born Free Big Cat Sanctuary and Education Centre, where you’ll hear about some of the animals that they’ve rescued from captivity, and which remain in their care, and their goals for the future. After lunch, you could laze by the pool while the children check out the Kids Adventure Centre and other family-friendly facilities before heading out for the second game drive of the day as the air cools and the sun dips in the sky. Overnight at Riverdene Family Lodge.
Recommended Hotel
Shamwari Private Game Reserve – Riverdene Family Lodge
Riverdene Family Safari Lodge has been specifically designed to ensure that families may enjoy a safe safari experience.
Day 12
Eastern Cape Game Reserve
You’ll have more opportunities to spot everything from lions, leopards and cheetahs to secretary birds on today’s early-morning and late-afternoon forays into the reserve’s five biomes, as well as learning about habitats, tracking and the history of the area from your expert ranger. In between, you’ll drop in at Shamwari’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where injured and orphaned animals are cared for until they can be returned to the wild; it’s a fascinating insight into the challenges that they face in this modern world. All too soon, it will be time for a final delicious evening meal and a chance to trade not-to-be-forgotten wildlife encounters with your fellow guests. Overnight at Riverdene Family Lodge.
Recommended Hotel
Shamwari Private Game Reserve – Riverdene Family Lodge
Riverdene Family Safari Lodge has been specifically designed to ensure that families may enjoy a safe safari experience.
Day 13
Eastern Cape Game Reserve & Departure
After breakfast, make the 1-hour drive to Port Elizabeth International Airport where you’ll return your hire car before flying to either Cape Town or Johannesburg for your return flight to the UK or onward travel.
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