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Western Cape self-drive discovery

Overview
Short Description
On your holiday to South Africa, you could learn about the country’s colonial past in the battlefields of KwaZulu Natal, or focus on its more recent history with a visit to Robben Island. Take a relaxed road trip along the Garden Route, enjoying views over the wave-lashed coast. Or go on a Big Five safari in the Eastern Cape. Meanwhile, rail journeys traversing South Africa’s mountain ranges, grasslands, and semi-arid Karoo Desert allow you to see the country’s untouched, far-flung areas.
Itinerary
Day 1 : International outbound flight
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Cape Town.
Day 2 : Cape Town
On arrival into Cape Town, you will be met by an Audley representative. You will be escorted through the airport and meet your driver who will drive you to your accommodation in Cape Town. Later today you may wish to get your trip off to an exciting start with a trip up Table Mountain. The Cableway allows for stunning 360 degree views across the city as you travel up and down.
Day 3 : Cape Town
Today you will be taken on a full day shared tour of the Cape Peninsula's beautifully rugged coastline, passing through pretty towns and villages. You will visit Cape Point which is one of the most iconic spots in South Africa. Here you can take a funicular to enjoy breathtaking views of the coastline. You will also see the African penguin colony at Boulders Bay and take a stroll through the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, home to a variety of native flora.
Day 4 : Cape Town
Today you will take the half-day excursion to Robben Island. You will learn about where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and learn the history of the island and of Apartheid. The trip departs from the V&A Waterfront and takes about three and a half hours including the ferry ride.
Day 5 : Franschhoek
This morning your hire car will be delivered to you at your guest house before you drive for around an hour and a half to the town of Franschhoek in the Winelands, passing through a patchwork of vineyards and green countryside. After settling into your accommodation, spend the rest of the day exploring the town with its variety of charming boutique shops. Franschhoek is widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Africa, so we recommend dining in one of its many award winning restaurants.
Day 6 : Franschhoek
Today you will make the most of your location in the Winelands by visiting some of the area's wine estates. You will be on board the Franschhoek Wine Tram, which leaves the town several times a day and runs on a circular route, stopping at various wineries along the way where you can hop on and hop off. A portion of your route involves being transported on the tram which is open-sided so you can enjoy views over the countryside. Many wineries can prepare a picnic for you to enjoy in their vineyards if booked in advance.
Day 7 : Franschhoek
We can arrange for you to have a private guided wine tour of the area. One of the best is led by Pietman Retief, who can tailor the tour to your interests, bringing in his knowledge of history, culture and architecture as well as wine. You visit various wine estates to sample local wines, and can even take a bottle home with you at the end of the tour. Alternatively, you may wish to drive to other nearby wine towns, such as Stellenbosch (the second-oldest town in South Africa) or Paarl, which is set at the foot of dramatic granite domes
Day 8 : Tulbagh
Leaving Franschhoek behind, drive for around an hour and a half through the Winelands to the town of Tulbagh. Situated in the Land van Waveren mountain basin. The town is surrounded by towering mountain peaks. Your accommodation is a Victorian farmhouse set within the private Bartholomeus Klip Nature Reserve, and you can spend the rest of the day relaxing in your beautiful surroundings while looking out for passing wildlife. If you fancy a bit more activity, you could try your hand at archery or go for a peaceful walk through the fields.
Day 9 : Tulbagh
Today can be spent exploring the reserve, home to around 40 mammal species including the rare Cape zebra, herds of eland, springbok and black wildebeest, baboons, bat-eared foxes and ostriches. The lake also attracts birdlife such as fish eagles, kingfishers and occasional pelicans. You can head out on guided game drives to see some of the wildlife, with the sunset drive being particularly atmospheric.
Day 10 : Tulbagh
Another day to enjoy in and around the reserve. You could try to tick more wildlife species off your list, or choose from some of the other activities on offer here, including swimming, canoeing and fishing on the lake, mountain biking and walking. If you're visiting in the spring (August to October) you may be able to admire carpets of wildflowers, which bloom following the spring rain showers, transforming the landscape.
Day 11 : Paternoster
Leaving Tulbagh behind you, drive for around two hours to the quaint fishing village of Paternoster on the coast. The whitewashed buildings and brightly painted fishing boats lining the shore add to the laid-back atmosphere here, and after checking in to your accommodation you can relax before heading out to explore. Stroll along the sandy beach and dine on fresh seafood in one of the restaurants that face the ocean.
Day 12 : Paternoster
Spend a relaxing day in Paternoster and the surrounding area. Make the most of your coastal location by taking beach strolls and exploring the coves and bays of Cape Columbine Nature Reserve just outside the village. Horse rides along the beach, kayaking and deep-sea fishing are also options. Around half an hour's drive from Paternoster is the West Coast Fossil Park, where you can see fossils of sabre-tooth cats, bears and short-necked giraffes dating to millions of years ago.
Day 13 : Paternoster
Today you could take a trip to Langebaan Lagoon - around half an hour's drive south of Paternoster - which is a haven for birdlife such as flamingos and African black oystercatchers. The town has plenty of shops and cafes where you can enjoy some lunch. A little further south is the West Coast National Park, which is also an ideal spot for nature lovers, providing a habitat for over 350 bird species and a variety of plant life - you can cycle or hike along the paths to see what you can find.
Day 14 : International return flight
You depart Paternoster today and drive for around two hours back to Cape Town. Drop off your car at the airport's car depot before boarding your onward flight.
Day 15 : International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
Availability
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2,935 Audley Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings
Western Cape self-drive discovery
Company Reviews
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Anniversary Trip to Borneo
I am a Virtuoso Travel Agent in the US…
This has been a challenging time for all of us in the travel business.
I find that far to often people have a tendency to complain about a unfortunate situation but rarely write to express gratitude.
I have clients that were taking their honeymoon with Audley to South Africa and like many had to cancel their trip due to Covid.
They happily accepted their credit and planned on going in the fall of 2020 and then later the spring of 2021. Due to a series of unfortunate situations that occurred they sadly found themselves not able to travel in foreseeable further.
I was impressed, appreciative and thankful for Audley’s response.
I have enjoyed and been impressed by those who I have been in contact with at Audley when planning and now canceling trips and tours for my clients.
I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge my gratitude for:
Elise Cather
Jack Morris
Briana Maiocco
Lucy Halvorson
I hope you and everyone at Audley stay healthy and safe as we navigate our way through Covid.
Amongst the best in the travel business.
Caring, honourable and efficient
Audley COVID-19 response
After a friends recommendation we got in touch with Audley in 2019 and planned out an amazing trip to Thailand. Initially booked for 2020, once COVID-19 seriously kicked in, they were quick to cancel our first holiday and offer us a number of options, delay, change, refund. As it was still early in to the global pandemic we delayed our trip. It was rebooked for 2021. The level of detail in the planning of the trip both times was superb, and the communication brilliant.
Understandably 2021 came around and the phone call was received to cancel the trip. This time around we opted for a refund as who knows when the new normal might arrive or what it will be like.
We will definitely be coming back to Audley travel when holidays can happen again with certainty. We hope that they make it through this tough time because I don’t doubt that more then a few people will be looking forward to being able to travel again.
Audley, and specifically our contact there from day one, Rob Brown, thank you for your work and we look forward to planning and going on holiday with you at some point.
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Intimate Group - 12 max
Trip ID#:
audley-travel-39970
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