Cape Town and Garden Route 8 days

Cape Town and Garden Route 8 days

Cape Town and Garden Route 8 days
Norwegian youth group 61 youngsters approximate cost R5162 pp

Day 1: Cape Town
You will be met at Cape Town airport and transferred to your backpacker accommodation in the suburb of Gardens which lies in between the slopes of Table Mountain and the city centre. Supermarkets, restaurants, historical attractions, markets, planetarium and entertainment are within walking distance of your accommodation.
Afternoon activity to be arranged dependant on arrival time of flight.
Overnight at Cape Town Backpackers

Day 2: Cape Town
After breakfast you will have the option of a City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off topless bus experience , closest stop is the Mount Nelson Hotel departing at 09h38, this will then take you past the Castle of Good Hope and several other attractions before heading up to the Table Mountain cable way station, where you can climb off the bus and purchase a cableway return ticket that will take you to the top of Table Mountain to get a look at the awesome view that looks out west towards Robben Island and north to the Swartland Mountains and east over the Cape Flats. The Hop-on Hop-off bus departs from the bottom of the cableway station at 11h45 and heads down into the luxurious suburb of Camps Bay, which has a beautiful white sandy beach lined with palm trees, for those that would like to take a swim in the chilly Atlantic ocean, here is your opportunity. At 14h00, you can get board the Hop-on Hop-off bus that will take you along the Atlantic seaboard , through Clifton, Bantry Bay, Sea Point and on to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which has many hotels, restaurants, shops, the harbour is still a working harbour for fishing boats, there is an aquarium, and always many entertainers from mime artists to jazz bands. The last Hop-on Hop-off bus will depart the Waterfront at 17h20 and take you through the city back to the Mount Nelson Hotel.
Or
A Robben Island tour which is 3 ½ hours long with the return ferry ride which takes approximately 30 minutes each way. Ferries depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, weather permitting, from the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. The Robben Island Tour includes:
• A return boat trip across Table Bay
• A visit to the infamous Maximum Security Prison
• Interaction with an ex-political prisoner
• A 45-minute bus ride with a guide providing commentary The opportunity to explore the Murray's Bay Harbour precinct attractions, such as the Muslim shrine, or kramat, and the Museum Shop.
• Overnight at Cape Town Backpackers

Day 3: Cape Town - Peninsula
You will be collected from your accommodation after breakfast and head out along the Atlantic seaboard to the harbour village of Hout Bay, then along the beautiful Chapman’s Peak drive and on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve for a short walk and a chance to see the light house at Cape Point. We will then continue to Simons town for lunch where you visit the rare Jackass Penguins at Boulders Beach. From Simons town you travel to Muizenberg and out to the Cape Flats where the group will have the opportunity to visit a Township where the community is somewhat under privileged, church group or school visit still to be arranged. Make our way back to Cape Town in the early evening.

Day 4: Cape Town
A free day to do whatever you would like to do , meet at the local restaurant in the early evening for dinner. Overnight at Cape Town Backpackers

Day 5: Cape Town to Struisbaai via Gansbaai 220 km
We head out of Cape Town along the N2 highway over Sir Lowry’s pass, where you
can see the whole of the Cape Flats and False Bay and even Cape Point, on a clear day. We make our way to Hermanus , where those who prefer not to do the Shark cage diving , can disembark and wander around this quaint seaside town that has many coffee shops , outdoor market and a great 3km cliff walk track that looks over Walker Bay or you could go sea kayaking for 2 hours.
The coach will head to Gansbaai which is approximately 30 km away where the Great White shark cage divers will head out by boat and take turns in the cage to see these awesome creatures of the sea UP CLOSE. This should take 3 to 4 hours, we head back via Hermanus to collect the rest of the group before making away our way to Struisbaai, which is the Southern most point of Africa, here we will overnight at Cape Agulhas Backpackers where we enjoy a fish barbeque this evening.

Day 6: Cape Agulhas to Plettenberg Bay 421 km
An early morning start is essential as a high speed 20 minute boat trip has been arranged, the first 27 people will depart at 7am while the rest of the group can enjoy their breakfast box on the beach, the second group of 27 people will depart at 07.30 am and the last group will leave at 8am …..and lets hope there will be dolphins in the bay because they love racing the boats . After this adrenalin rush you take a shower and collect your belongings as we board the coach and drive to Plettenberg Bay which should take close to six hours with a brief stop for lunch, so that we hopefully arrive at around 4pm where you can check into Albergo Backpackers for 3 nights in this stunning seaside town, here the beaches are fine white sand and beautiful, plus the water is warm so it is recommended that you head down to the beach for the late afternoon swim or walk or volley ball . Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
Plettenberg Bay is the jewel of The Garden Route and is tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather special. Originally christened “Bahia Formosa” (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay offers the visitor miles of sweeping, un spoilt golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its exceptional climate and beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for travellers interested in exploring, watching or just lazing.

Day 7: Plettenberg Bay to Storms River 60 km
You should wake up around 6am if you would like to take an early morning swim in the beautiful warm Indian Ocean before breakfast which should be at around 8 am as we have a full day of events to fit in, we depart for Storms River to enjoy the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour, which involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 meters above the beautiful indigenous forest floor...
Most platforms are located in giant Outeniqua Yellowwood trees. The scenery and bird life is spectacular and professional guides provide interesting facts about the forest ecology during the 2½ to 3 hours.

The concept of guiding people through the upper canopy of a rainforest originated in Costa Rica, where adventurous biologists devised new methods for accessing the forest canopy in order to conduct research on the undiscovered canopy ecosystem. The idea soon developed into a breathtaking form of eco-tourism which allowed people to enter and experience a previously inaccessible natural environment.
Construction of the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour has been done in accordance with strict civil engineering standards. The system was designed and created by an adventurous civil engineer who constructed a similar canopy tour in Costa Rica. The safety standards have been significantly enhanced and the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour uses state of the art equipment and has been rated as the most sophisticated of it's kind in the world. Concept to completion took fourteen and a half months.

The tour begins with a detailed safety briefing followed by a 'kitting up' session where full body harness, pulleys and climbing equipment is issued and checked. A short drive into the Tsitsikamma forest and it is time to monkey around!
From the start on the launch platform a new world unfolds as one gently glides on a steel cable to the first tree platform. All groups are escorted through the forest canopy by a lead guide and a follow guide to ensure your safety as you slide from tree to tree. The platforms, built high up in the giant Outeniqua Yellowwoods, provide an unbelievable view of this enchanting new world - any fear of heights is soon lost as you gather in your new surroundings...

Spend a couple of minutes relaxing while your guides enthusiastically explain the ecology of the forest - pointing out different trees and the magnificent giant ferns way below. The bird life is incredible. Knysna Loeries, sightings of the elusive Narina Trogon and the Vervet monkey are not uncommon.

The Tsistikamma Canopy Tour consists of 10 platforms and 10 'fufi' slides, the longest of which is 100m! About three hours later you exit the forest, having undertaken the journey of a lifetime. You have contributed to the creation of new jobs and are helping the forest regeneration project.

A maximum of 8 people are allowed per group so this will mean that you will have six groups and to save waiting around, it is suggested that two of those groups go to the Bloukrans Bungy first, which is only 5km from the Tsistikamma Canopy Tour, and when the groups finish the Canopy Tour, they can head to the Bloukrans Bungy
for those who would like to do the highest commercially operated Bungy jump bridge in the world. You are secured in a full body harness and proceed to walk along a specially designed catwalk (216m long), which is suspended beneath the road surface, which will then lead you to the top of the arch - 216 meters above the Bloukrans River. Here you will be given final instructions by highly experienced staff, a countdown and off you go! Bloukrans utilizes pendulum bungy technology ensuring you the smoothest, most comfortable bungy jump possible. This activity is optional and the cost is presently R650 per person.

At 15h00 we need to be at Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve, the Garden Route's largest wildlife reserve which is about 60 km from Storms River, here we will join experienced and knowledgeable game rangers for a two-hour game drive in an open Land Rovers so you can feel close to Nature and enjoy the sensory experience of Africa. Expect to see any of the Big Four species on the Reserve - buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino - as well as numerous species of Blue Wildebeest, gemsbok, eland, Cape grysbok, bush pig, honey badger, impala, kudu, mountain reedbuck, red hartebeest, reedbuck, scrub hare, vervet monkey, giraffe, mongoose, water buck, nyala, zebra, hippo and crocodiles. If you are interested in birds and the smaller wildlife species which have made their home here, our rangers will gladly point out the indigenous reptiles, insects and vegetation and share their knowledge about them.

At the close of your game drive experience, you are welcome to enjoy a refreshing drink at the bar, while you recollect your experience.
Then we head back to Plettenberg Bay , enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Albergo Backpackers.

Day 8:Plettenberg Bay to George Airport
At least grab the opportunity to head to one of the most beautiful beaches before breakfast because today is your last chance to enjoy the warm water of the Indian Ocean , after breakfast we head to the Elephant Sanctuary which offers a one-hour trunk-in-hand elephant educational program. An experienced guide introduces you to the elephants, sharing with you their backgrounds, behaviours, personalities and more. You can touch, feed, interact and walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants which takes approximately one hour.
The Elephant Sanctuary is a family orientated business catering for both young and the old. We believe that the positive energy an elephant exudes is transferred to people and makes a major contribution towards people’s wellbeing.The set-up is very child friendly: relaxed yet fun and educational for all ages.Our guests are made fully aware of the details and information of the educational programs and have to sign an indemnity before participating in the program. We always use the correct elephant handler to elephant ratio for maximum guest safety and elephant comfort.Because our elephants are exercised and stimulated daily, a firm foundation for trust and bonding exists between the elephants, their handlers and visiting guests. Every day, we also do properly researched stimulation exercises that encourage emotional and physical wellbeing as well as healthy bowels.
After this amazing experience, we get into our coaches and head to George Airport to board our flight MN 906 departing George at 14h05 and arriving at Johannesburg at 15h50 .

Included in the above cost:
* Airport transfer Cape Town airport to Cape Town city
* 3 nights dormitory bed accommodation on a room only basis, 30 beds at Ashanti Lodge, 11 Hof Street, Gardens & 15 beds and Blue Mountain Backpackers, 208 Long Street, Cape Town, these two backpackers are approximately 15 minutes walk apart
* City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off full day red route pass or 3 ½ hour Robben Island Tour
* Peninsula tour including entrance fees to Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Boulders Beach and Chapmans Peak toll and township visit
* A 45 seater bus available from 2 March through to 5 March with professional driver
* 1 night at Cape Agulhas Backpackers with dinner and breakfast included
* 2 nights dormitory bed accommodation at Albergo for Backpackers, 6-8 Church Street, Plettenberg Bay
* 2 Continental breakfasts and 2 dinners whilst in Plettenberg Bay
* Tsitsikamma Tree Top tour
* Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve 2 hour game drive
* Elephant sanctuary One-hour trunk-in-hand elephant educational program
* Flight on Kulula from George to Johannesburg (subject to availability)

Excluded in the above cost:
*All meals in Cape Town
*Lunches in Plettenberg Bay
* Sea kayaking at Hermanus at R300 per person
* Shark cage diving at R1350 per person, rate negotiable depending on amount of people
*Bungy jumping at R650 per person