Selfdrive ‘The world in one country’ (comfort)

You will arrive at Cape Town airport today. After arrival at the airport you can immediately pick up your rental car (Category C or similar). Would you prefer a transfer and have the car delivered to your accommodation? That is also possible at an additional cost. Ask us about the possibilities.

After you have received the car, drive to Cape Town where you will stay three nights at The Walden House or similar based on bed and breakfast.

In the coming days you can explore Cape Town on your own. The versatility of the city makes it a perfect destination for everyone! Nature, culture, beach and a vibrant nightlife can be found in Cape Town. And a short distance from the city, you drive through the wine countries. You can eat everywhere, enjoy good wines, nice shops and beautiful beaches. Cape Town has something to offer for both young and old!

You should not miss the lively V&A Waterfront. Here are cozy terraces, streets, bars and meeting places for both Cape residents and tourists. You can also make boat trips from here. The boat to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela has been imprisoned for a long time also departs from Q&A. If you want to make this excursion we advise you to book it in advance to avoid disappointment on the spot. Also a visit to Table Mountain cannot be missed during your stay in Cape Town. Or how about the colorful Bo-Kaap district?

Don’t feel like driving yourself in Cape Town? Then take a look at our range of excursions in and around Cape Town. Perhaps there is something that appeals to you. In addition, Cape Town is an excellent base for visiting the Cape Peninsula. Here you will find the penguins on Boulders Beach, the seals in Hout Bay and of course Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (sports enthusiasts can book a bike ride to this point).

The wine countries also belong to Cape Town and a visit to Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek should not be missing in this trip. Along the way you can stop at one of the wine farms for a wine tasting and afterwards you may enjoy a delicious lunch at a wine farm.

After breakfast you leave the Mothercity and drive via route 62 through the Kleine Karoo to the “ostrich capital” Oudtshoorn. Depart on time so that you can make a stop on the way, for example, in one of the Karoo villages.

If you are in Oudtshoorn early on, you may already be able to visit an ostrich farm. For the following day we recommend a visit to the beautiful stalactite formations of the Cango Caves. The magnificent stalactite cave system of these caves is in the top ten most visited places in South Africa. In the caves you can admire stalagmites, stalactites and corridors. You are only allowed to enter the caves under the supervision of an accredited local guide. A tour through the caves takes around an hour. You can choose from the regular tour or the adventure tour where you struggle through narrow corridors and come to places where the normal tour passes. Please note, this adventurous tour is not suitable for people with claustrophobia and pregnant women.

Until 500 years ago, the caves were inhabited by the San population, also known as the Bushmen. They only inhabited the first 500 meters of the cave. The caves have a length of 5 kilometers. A fourth part of the cave is open to tourists to view all the natural beauty. Although the San were hidden in the upper chambers of the caves, the Caves did not really become famous until the farmer Jacobus van Zijl first penetrated the lower chambers in 1780. If you want to see this you can book the adventure tour of an hour and a half. However, keep in mind that there are narrow passages with names such as Devil’s Chimney and The Letterbox. Another beautiful trip is through the Swartberg mountains. You can do this under supervision.

If you arrived late in Oudtshoorn yesterday to do something, this is also possible this morning. Your next destination is in short distance.

Today you will leave for the coast where you can visit Wilderness National Park before continuing to your destination for the next two nights: Knysna. Knysna is the ‘capital’ of the Garden Route and is a cozy place with numerous shops and restaurants on the Knysna Waterfront. From here you can also take an optional cruise on the lagoon and visit the Featherbed Nature Reserve.

You stay two nights in Double Dutch, or similar, based on bed and breakfast.

Your destination today is the  Tsitsikamma National Park.

The Tsitsikamma National Park is beautifully situated on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The name comes from the Khoi tribe and means “place with lots of water”. The park was founded in 1964 and has an 80 km long beautiful rugged coastline that is interrupted here and there by a beach. At the mouth of the Storms River a suspension bridge is stretched over the swirling waves from which you can take beautiful photos. Due to the high number of rainy days per year, the park is densely covered with trees. The steep rock walls give it a rugged character. A number of short and longer walks can be made from the visitor center such as the 1 km long Lourie route, the 3 km long Otter route and the 3.7 km long waterfall route. A shorter walk leads via the suspension bridge over the gorge of Storms River. You walk through rugged mountain landscapes, primeval forest, fynbos, along wild rivers and everywhere you have a beautiful view. In this area you can go canoeing, snorkeling, scuba diving, black-water tubing and even bungee jumping.

Around 2:45 pm (make sure you are on time!) You are expected today at the headquarters of the Schotia Game Reserve. Here you park your car and you will be transported to the game reserve with a 4 x 4 open safari car. The coming days you will visit both the Addo park and the Schotiapark. Click for more information on 2 day safari Addo Elephant National Park & Schotia Game Reserve.

In the Schotia park your ranger will look for the giraffe, rhino, zebra, ostrich and many antelopes. You will also hopefully spot the lions! In the dark you will come back to the open “Lapa” where the fire is burning and the drinks and an extensive buffet dinner (with traditional South African dishes) are waiting for you. You spend the night in a bush lodge with only the sounds of the African bush in the background.

Wake up early today for a morning game drive at the Schotia Game Reserve. Upon your return to the lodge you can enjoy a delicious full breakfast. You will then be taken to the Addo Elephant National Park. Here you will get a game drive in a minibus where you will mainly look for and explain the elephants, but you will also be able to spot other animals.

Addo Elephant National Park is the best place to approach the largest mammal (on land), the elephant. The park offers a large population of elephants at home. Other mammals also live there such as; lion, hyena, buffalo, black rhino, zebra and various types of antelope. There are also around 150 bird species in the park, as well as 600 different species of plants. The endangered dung beetle also lives in Addo. As it can get very hot in the park, you will be driven around in a comfortable minibus with air conditioning. Lunch is taken before you are brought back (around 2:30 PM) to the Schotia Park headquarters where your car is parked.

You stay 2 nights in Sylvan Grove or similar on a bed and breakfast basis.

Stay at Rhino Ridge Lodge is on a full board basis and including game drives.

After breakfast you will leave for Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). This little kingdom is really a different country, so keep your passport handy! Eswatini is located between Mozambique and South Africa and you think you are far back in time. Meet the friendly people, explore the area on foot, on horseback or by bike or visit a Swati cultural village. You can probably buy some nice souvenirs at the various craft markets.

You end the Foresters Arms day, where you will stay one night based on bed, breakfast and dinner.

A long journey today where you cross the border back to South Africa. Your accommodation is located in the beautiful private game reserve Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. Many consider this reserve to be one of the best in South Africa for spotting wildlife. The reserve borders the world famous Kruger National Park and there are no gates. Animals can walk back and forth freely here!

The next two nights you will stay at the Umkumbe Safari Lodge, on a full board basis and including game drives. This lodge has a fantastic location on the seasonal Sands River. From the lodge you have a good view of the river (bed) and you can view the wildlife at your leisure. With a little patience and good luck, you can even spot the entire Big Five here without going for it!

You leave the Kruger Park today and start exploring the spectacular Panorama Route. This route is so called because of the beautiful views. Take all the time for the route so that you won’t miss the breathtaking views along the way. Pinnacle Rock, Jock’s View and God’s Window are some of the high-lying rock points from which you can look out over the vast Lowveld. Further north, the Blyde River has carved a beautiful gorge through the mountains (Blyde River Canyon), with the Three Rondavels and Mariepskop as, literally and figuratively, highlights! Don’t forget to go to Bourke’s Luck Potholes en route. Here you reach viewpoints via paths and bridges with a view of a wonderful rock bed shaped by river erosion where the rivers Blyde and Treur meet. You end the day in the town of Hazyview, which takes its name from the mist that often covers the area, especially in the summer.

You will stay 2 nights at Rissington Inn or similar based on bed and breakfast.

You are driving back to Johannesburg today. After you have returned your car at the airport, you can check in for your flight back home.