Garden Route Splendour: Port Elizabeth to Cape Town

Meet your representative and fellow travellers and head westwards along the Garden Route, which follows the Indian Ocean coastline, and is bordered inland by soaring mountain ranges and indigenous forests. Visit the spectacular Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). You'll arrive at your hotel in Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon, in the heart of the Garden Route. Overnight in Knysna.

Distance travelled today: 360 kms

After breakfast, journey into the magical Knysna Forests, the stamping ground of the elusive Knysna elephants.

Discover the stories of the woodcutters who worked the forests, the elephants that were hunted to extinction, and the discovery of gold. Our expedition into the forest starts with a visit to the Dalene Matthee Big Tree Memorial.

The enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years was named after Matthee, best-known author of four books on the Knysna Forest. Enjoy a delicious lunch, in the forest, of traditional cuisine and local treats at the Diepwalle Tea Garden. The afternoon concludes with a visit to the Forest Legends Museum, that exhibits tools and household items used by the woodcutters, the colourful Old Suzie steam engine, that was used to generate power, and the stately Old Forester's House, home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who was the first person to manage the indigenous forest in a sustainable manner. Overnight in Knysna with dinner at Drydock Restaurant, renowned for dishes with glorious aromas and flavours, using the finest local ingredients and freshly picked herbs from the region.

Distance travelled today: 100 kms

Travel through the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn, known as the "ostrich capital" and the centre of the world's Ostrich farming industry. Along the way, visit the 'Map of Africa', an extraordinary viewpoint in Wilderness. In Oudtshoorn, we'll visit an Ostrich Farm for a fun-filled interactive tour and light lunch that includes local specialties such as Ostrich Steak, before taking a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world's great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. We will arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon, in time to check-in and relax before dinner (for own account). Overnight in Oudtshoorn.

Distance travelled today: 210 kms

There is an option (for own account and subject to availability) to enjoy an early morning Meerkat Safari. Witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities (weather permitting). A portion of the monies paid by guests for this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience go towards the Buffelsdrift Foundation, that focuses on Wildlife conservation in the Klein Karoo region, habitat conservation, and the local community. The experience directly advances UN Global Goal 15: Life on Land. After breakfast, the journey continues through the 'Little Karoo' to Barrydale, where you will have the opportunity to visit a local farm school, to interact with the children and teachers, spend time with them in the classroom, learning more about this rural community. A portion of the trip monies goes towards our Barrydale Farm School Development Fund, that supports the local education of underprivileged children in rural communities.
(The school visit is subject to the school being open). Continue to Cape Town, spectacularly set at the foot of Table Mountain, where the tour ends on arrival.

Distance travelled today: 468 kms