SOUTH AFRICA FLOWER SPECTACULAR TOUR

Day 1. Arrival in CAPE TOWN
Welcome to Cape Town!  Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2. TABLE MOUNTAIN & KIRSTENBOSCH BOTANICAL GARDENS (B)
This morning you will be taken on a garden tour of The Vineyard Hotel. Thereafter you have one of two options:

Option 1 – Table Mountain & Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Walk:
Table Mountain is undoubtedly a walker’s paradise. The Cape Peninsula offers an abundance of flora and fauna to delight even the most casual observer.

This is a point-to-point walk that starts at the world famous Kirstenbosch Gardens.  An easy walk through the gardens takes us to the steeper ascent of the gorge.  Once we ascend Skeleton Gorge the indigenous forest provides welcome shade and we follow the route of the stream to the half waypoint.  Here there are a couple of ladders and a rockfall to scramble over – nothing too difficult but requiring some level of agility.  A welcome break is taken at Breakfast Rock at the top of the gorge, before we make our way to Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain.  The walk along the eastern face of the mountain is spectacular with views over the whole of the Table Mountain chain.  There is the opportunity to see typical mountain fynbos and if lucky a sunbird or two or even a sugarbird.

On arriving at Maclear’s Beacon, Table Bay, Robben Island and Devil’s Peak take us by surprise as we realise we have crossed the mountain.  There are breathtaking views in every direction.  A break is taken here before we walk across the front of the Central Table admiring the panorama of the city of Cape Town, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill.  An hour from the beacon we arrive at the cableway where time may be spent before we make our way down to Tafelberg Road on the cablecar.  You are accompanied by a professional.

Option 2 – Table Mountain by cable car & Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens:
You will be collected from your hotel and taken to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for a tour.  Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country. The Kirstenbosch Visitors’ Centre includes an information desk and various retail outlets and a coffee shop. The Centre for Home Gardening has outlets for plants and other services to support the home garden.

Thereafter, you are taken to the lower cableway station on the slopes of Table Mountain.
Weather permitting, ascend the mountain by aerial cable car, and from a height of 1067 metres, view the city and Table Bay below, Robben Island, the Atlantic Seaboard as well as most of the spectacular Cape Peninsula.

Return to your hotel in the afternoon.

Day 3. CAPE POINT Tour (B/L)
After being collected from your hotel, you will view the exclusive suburbs of Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay before continuing via Llandudno to the fishing harbour of Hout Bay.

You will have the opportunity to visit a private garden.

Travel along the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive (if open) to Kommetjie, and enter the Cape Point Nature Reserve where you will be taken to the best vantage point to view what is erroneously said to be the meeting place of two mighty oceans. After a stop for lunch, the tour continues to an African penguin colony, the Naval hamlet of Simon’s Town and then continues via Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay to Muizenberg. Return to the city via Rhodes Drive, which bisects the plush suburbs of Bishopscourt, Claremont and Newlands. The tour terminates at your hotel again in the late afternoon.

Day 4. CAPE TOWN to PATERNOSTER (B/L)
The road north from Cape Town leads along the western seaboard past the grand dune fields and the Darling Hills where the wild flowers of spring put on an exquisite show.  En route we stop at Blouberg Strand, where world famous pictures of Table Mountain are taken.  Continue to Paternoster, driving via Langebaan and Saldanha where we will stop for a brief walk in the West Coast National Park.

Look out for a variety of wildlife species (eland, oryx, zebra and ostrich) contrasting prettily with the kaleidoscope of brilliant spring flowers carpeting the reserve.

Paternoster is one of the oldest towns along the West Coast and is famous for its abundance of crayfish. Paternoster is an all year round destination famous for its traditional fisherman’s architecture and endless pristine sandy white beaches.  Visitors to Paternoster delight in the millions of indigenous flowers, which open and densely carpet the earth in bright bursts of colour (usually between late July and September).

Day 5. PATERNOSTER to CLANWILLIAM (B/L)
Today we leave for Velddrif where we visit the Rocher Pan Nature Reserve, which is home to various animals & plants.  Thereafter, we cross the Piekenaarskloof Mountains into the citrus-filled valleys of the Olifant’s River, continuing on to Clanwilliam and the 54 hectre Ramskop Nature Reserve. This reserve is  home to more than 200 different flowering plant species.

In the afternoon we will go on a Rooibos Tea tour. This is the only place in the world where the Rooibos plant grows. We will be enlightened as to how it is cultivated and prepared.

Day 6. CLANWILLIAM to SPRINGBOK (B/L)
We depart early morning and head further north into the flower region known as Namaqualand. During the arid summer months it is difficult to imagine the phenomenon of the yearly wild flower appearance. After the winter rainfall, Namaqualand dons her coat of many colours and the wildflowers invade the countryside…

We arrive in the Northern Cape town of Kamieskroon with its beautiful granite shaped mountains in time for lunch, and spend the afternoon discovering the neighbouring Namaqualand National Park, well known for its seemingly endless fields of orange, blue and white daisies amongst many other flower species.
We continue to the town of Springbok.

Day 7. SPRINGBOK & Surrounds (B/L)
Today we explore the 15,000 hectare Goegap Nature Reserve and Hester Malan Wildflower Garden. This semi desert reserve encompasses the typical granite outcrops and sandy plains of Namaqualand, and apart from its 581 plant species including succulents and spring flowers, is home to a variety of wild animals including Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Oryx, Springbok, Klipspringer and Duiker.  From here we go to Nababeep. The flowers in this town are a must to see.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 8. SPRINGBOK to VREDENDAL (B/L)
We travel back south to Vanrynsdorp for a visit to the largest succulent nursery in the world.  Continue to Vredendal.  The Vredendal Co-operative has one of the biggest cellars in the country. The tour will visit the wine cellar where tours and wine tasting can be experienced.

Day 9. VREDENDAL to RIEBEEK WEST (B/L)
Depart Vredendal towards Citrusdal, through the Citrus plantations along the Olifants River Valley.  Continue to Riebeek West, one of two comparable towns lying in the stunning Riebeek Valley – Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel – with views that have had many a day tripper making rash decisions to relocate. Riebeek West might be regarded as the Cinderella of the two, but has its own draw cards – beautiful old Victorian houses, peace and quiet, and easy access to local vineyards.

Day 10. RIEBEEK KASTEEL to CAPE TOWN (B/L)
Visit Het Vlock Casteel before returning to Cape Town – it derives its name from the castle-like building near the entrance to the farm. This building conjures up thoughts of the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town and is the hub of activity for the processing of the wide range of produce available at the farm shop.

An olive press, where the farm’s olives are pressed for oil, as well as the farm’s wine cellar is also located here.  A visit to the farm’s shop will undoubtedly include a very informative talk by Ansie Vlok herself, as well as an olive oil tasting where you will learn all the tips you need for recognizing a good olive oil. All the other produce for sale can also be tasted.

We wish you a fond farewell as you are transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your onward flight (flight excluded)…

SOUTH AFRICA FLOWER SPECTACULAR TOUR COSTS include:

• Accommodation as stated above, subject to availability.
• Transportation in a luxury air-conditioned vehicle.
• The Vineyard includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Paternoster Lodge includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Clanwilliam Lodge includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Mountain View Guest Lodge includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Melkboomsdrift Guest Lodge includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Riebeeck Valley Hotel includes Bed & Breakfast.
• Lunch during touring (except during Full Day Cape Point Tour) is packed lunches.
• Services of a professional driver.
• Services of a registered and experienced tourist guide.
• Entrance fees and excursions where stated in above itinerary.
• Welcome Pack: (e.g. itinerary, welcome letter, general information, maps, flags, brochures)

EXCLUDED:

• All airfares & airport taxes.
• All other meals other than stated in above itinerary.
• All other entrances and excursions than stated in above itinerary.