Private guided trip: ‘The best of the Cape’

You will arrive in Cape Town today. After arrival at the airport you will be met by your driver. He or she will take you to your accommodation for the coming nights. If you have arrived in the morning, you can use this day to recover a bit from the trip (Note: check-in time at the accommodation is from 2 pm). If you arrive late in the evening, you can go to sleep right away!

You will spend the next three nights in The Walden House on a bed and breakfast basis. This cozy accommodation is ideally located for exploring the Cape Peninsula and the mother city of Cape Town from there.

Cape Town is called the Mother city (Mother City) because the Dutch settled here in 1652, the first European settlement. Cape Town may rightly be called one of the most beautiful cities in the world and you will not be bored here for a minute. You will be amazed at what Cape Town has to offer you!

A number of top attractions that you should not miss: Table Mountain, Robben Island, Victoria & Albert Waterfront, Cape of Good Hope, a tour of the Cape Peninsula, the District Six Museum, Greenmarket Square and the beautiful Clifton and Camps Bay. You can also explore the city in a fun way with the Hop on Hop off bus.

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up and drive you north-west to Langebaan. This town is located on the east side of the Langebaan Lagoon, with beautiful views over the crystal clear lagoon. Langebaan is also the gateway to the West Coast National Park that protects the ecosystem of the lagoon. The clear lagoon is not a mouth of a river, but is fed by the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The West Coast National Park is a swamp area of approximately 20,000 hectares and is the habitat for large quantities of birds. Many birds hibernate in this park during the European winter. There are miles of golden beaches close to the waters of the azure blue lagoon. Fields full of wild flowers can be seen here in the South African spring. Enjoy the scenery, the flamingos, pelicans and antelopes. Various water sports can be practiced in the park, such as kayaking, kite boarding and surfing, and you can also enjoy fishing, walking and cycling here.

You stay one night in the At The Rocks guesthouse (or similar) based on bed and breakfast.

Today you leave the coast and head inland towards the south side of the Cederberg. This area consists of soft rock with a lot of iron oxide, creating whimsical shapes that turn bright red, especially at the end of the day. Numerous rock drawings can be found in these mountains.

You will spend the night in Kagga Kamma on a full-board basis.

You leave after breakfast and head straight through the interior to the Kleine Karoo. You may have seen some animals, but you will not get the chance to see the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) until the next two days.

Woke up early for yet another game drive. Early morning is the best time to spot wild animals as the animals are most active, especially the ‘hunters’ such as the lions and cheetahs. Breakfast is ready for you upon your return.

After breakfast you will leave for your next destination. Via the R1 you drive to the ‘ostrich capital’ Oudtshoorn. This place is nestled between the Outeniqua mountains in the south and the Swartberg chain in the north.

At the end of the day you will arrive in Oudtshoorn, where you will undoubtedly visit an ostrich farm in the coming days, but the famous Cango Caves are also worth a visit! The caves are at the foot of the Swartberg Pass. Beautiful stalagmites and stalactites can be seen in the various rooms of the caves. You can visit the caves daily during a standard tour or an adventure tour where you have to crawl through narrow corridors, among other things. Your driver can also make a trip to the Swartberg Mountains.

The Knysna National Lake Area is the 2nd national lake area in the country (Wilderness National Park is the first). You will find here many sandbanks, salt marshes and reed beds where the sea life and organisms abound. The lagoon and the Knysna River Estuary are perfect locations for bird watching and taking beautiful pictures. In the reserve you can still picnic in quiet and deserted places, spend hours walking or explore the forest trails in the area by mountain bike.

Today you leave beautiful Knysna behind. After breakfast, your driver will be ready to continue on the N2 (garden route) to the historic city of Swellendam. The city is about a two-hour drive from Cape Town and borders the Garden Route and Route 62, two well-known routes that show the beauty of South Africa in all its facets.

Swellendam is a charming place with characteristic historic buildings, the famous Drostdy Museum, several good restaurants and interesting ‘art and craft’ galleries.

On the outskirts of Swellendam is the Bontebok National Park where bontebok, zebras and other small game can be seen. If you are on time, you may be able to pay a short visit to this park with your driver.

The seaside town of Hermanus is your next stop. Hermanus is known as the best place for whale watching. This is possible if you are here between July and December. The Southern Right Whale is the most common but the Brydes and Humpback Whale are also seen. The whales come to the coast of South Africa to calve and mate. To see them well, you could book the Whale tour from Kleinbaai.

Stellenbosch is the ‘wine capital’ of South Africa and is hidden in a beautiful valley with many good wine farms in the area where you can taste the delicious wines. But Stellenbosch also has plenty to offer for culture lovers! The center is full of museums and buildings from the colonial era.

The last day of your holiday in South Africa has unfortunately arrived. Today you will be taken to Cape Town airport by your driver. If you leave late, you still have all day to visit the sights with your driver. You may want to do some shopping and purchase nice souvenirs at V&A Waterfront.