ITINERARY 12DAY BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA TOURLOUVELD LEGENDFirst Night
Johannesburg Guesthouse
On your flight arrival you will be picked up from the International Airport in Johannesburg (OR Tambo) as per your flight schedule. Bikes will be picked up from the rental company. In the late afternoon a traditional South African braai or BBQ meal will be enjoyed at which will have some time to meet your host/s and the rest of the tour group. A short briefing will be given regarding the tour and your information packs handed out (maps, itinerary etc).
Day 1 (Johannesburg to Sabie) Depart Johannesburg after breakfast.
Your first day will be a leisurely ride from the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg (10 Million+ people) across the vast undulating landscape as we head east towards motorcycle riding heaven. Lunch in Dullstroom, this village is considered the gateway to the beautiful Lowveld Region and boasts arts, crafts and curio shops all within walking distance of our eatery. After a relaxed lunch we ride on to Lydenburg via the Santa Pass, a lovely gentle pass to cut your teeth on. Beautiful undulating landscape will start to reveal the mighty Northern Drakensburg Range as we draw closer to the escarpment. After Lydenburg we tackle the more challenging Long Tom Pass down the escarpment and into Sabie Village, our overnight stop.
Day 2 (Sabie to Graskop) Sabie village is central to the forestry industry in South Africa. After breakfast the famous Sabie '22' beckons (100+ corners within about 22 Km), we will ride this valley probably in both directions. Then on to White River Village and Hazyview Village, after which we will enjoy lunch and a tour at the award winning and authentic Shangana Cultural Village (Tsonga speaking indigenous people). The village is the actual home for an extended family resident on the site for 50 years. The meal will be traditional but easy on the western tongue. Then a short but exhilarating afternoon through the forests and up Kowyn's Pass into Graskop Village, our overnight stop.
Day 3 (Graskop to Bush Lodge) Leaving our hotel we will take a short ride to the edge of the escarpment where we will enjoy God's Window. A beautiful viewing point over the Lowveld towards the Kruger National Park and Mozambique. Then on to Pilgrims Rest, the preserved mining village which harkens back to the Gold rush era experienced in the late 19th century. After a bite to eat we will ride up Robber's Pass and across to Abel Erasmus Pass (spectacular scenery). We will drop several hundred feet back down the escarpment and into the warm Lowveld Bushveld. Your accommodation will be in an authentic Bush Camp situated on the edge of the famous Kruger National Park. An afternoon game drive will be an option for the group and the group will enjoy sundowners as the African sun brings the night on. A hot meal awaits your arrival from the drive at the Lodge.
Day 4 (Kruger National Park - Rest day) Situated on the edge of the massive Kruger National Park, home to the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo) and several hundred other species of game including Giraffe, Cheetah, Hippo, Crocodile, Buck etc. Today will start early at about 5:15 am. A quick breakfast and then an open game viewing vehicle will take you into the Kruger Park. Experienced guides will host you for a day seeking out the Big 5 and many other beautiful creatures all indigenous to this world famous game reserve. You will be returned to the Bush Lodge in the afternoon. If possible the local children will entertain with traditional dancing before supper in the Boma (meeting place). After supper most bush evenings are spent watching the fire embers die slowly as friends new and old recount the day's experiences.
Day 5 (Bush Lodge to Schoemanskloof) Departing the Bush Camp you will experience the awesome Abel Erasmus Pass again riding the opposite direction and up the escarpment. We will then turn off to the World's most beautiful Canyon - Blyde River Canyon (Third largest and most lush) It's always a privilege to spend time viewing this Canyon which never fails to take the unsuspecting visitors breath away. We will then endeavour to make a stop or two at a few of the areas waterfalls as we ride on and into Graskop Village (not the same route as before). Lunch will be at one of the many popular eateries in the village, which are almost all famous for pancake meals (sweet or Savoury). We then make our way along the beautiful roads leading us down towards Sabie and on to Schoemanskloof Valley where we will spend our last two nights.
Day 6 (Schoemanskloof) Today starts with a hearty breakfast with the incredible sounds emanating from the birdlife in this lovely fertile valley. A short ride takes us to the Sudwala Caves and Dinosaur Park for a visit. These caves, steeped in tribal history are beautiful and run deep inside the mountains. Then a lovely ride down to Barberton Village, perhaps a quick stop at the Barberton Mining Museum before a ride up to Swaziland. Then a relaxed afternoon riding the Legendary Lowveld roads before making our way back to our final overnight in Schoemanskloof. This will be our final, candlelit, meal together, perhaps with a bottle of wine or two.
Day 7 (Guesthouse) Awakened yet again by the bird life's chattering, after another tasty breakfast the group will ride back up to Johannesburg with perhaps a few more passes thrown in for a final good buy to the Legendary Lowveld riding paradise. You will sleep over in Johannesburg and drop of the bikes the next morning before climbing on a plane to fly to Cape Town between 10:00/11:00am
Cape Town
CAPE TOWN,R62 AND COASTAL ROUTEYou will be picked up at Cape Town International Airport depending on your flight schedule between 12:00/13:00pm. A nice site seeing filled day will be organized for you in Cape Town. You will sleep over at a guesthouse in Cape Town
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Day 8 (Cape Town – Karoo Saloon)Let’s get going! After breakfast we will depart at 08:00. First we will collect the bikes and then set out through Paarl and the pictorial Wellington over the Bainsksloof pass; the views from the pass down into the Wellington valley are spectacular.
Here we will lunch with Willie at the very famous bush pub. Willie will treat us to something special. After lunch we will drive to Ceres over the most spectacular passes on to Montagu and then on the R62 to Karoo saloon where we will spend the night. As Robertson is my place of residence so we will pull all the stops to make it memorable. We will stay at my good friend Willie at his guesthouse.
Day 9 (Karoo Saloon –Oudtshoorn) Today is a very special day. We will be traveling through the most beautiful areas in South Africa and experience wine in the area surrounded by unparalleled beauty and majestic mountains, where friendly people always share their stories of friendship and laughter. We will travel through Barrydale, we will be having breakfast in Barrydale with Derek at the Country Pumpkin, and this is a treat!
After lunch we will travel to Oudtshoorn via Ladysmith and Calitsdorp.
Day 10 (Oudtshoorn - Mosselbay) Day ten we will experience all that there is to offer in Oudtshoorn. We will set off on a very early drive to one off the oldest ostrich farms in the area. Here you can see ongoing activities such as flock movement, feeding, breeding and plucking as they occur. After the ostriches we will visit the famous Congo Caves, the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo.
Here we will see the finest dripstone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formations. One of the highlights is the opportunity to handle the tigers and dive with the crocodiles! We will end off the evening with a real South African braai and sundowners at the pool in Mosselbay after a nice scenic 230km drive.
Day 11 (Mosselbay) Today is a rest day; we will explore the sites in Mosselbay and take in all the sites. Situated halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, beautiful Mossel Bay is a coastal village and harbour of the World Famous Garden Route. A sunbathed peninsula and the refreshing waters of the Indian Ocean surround this popular holiday town. In mosselbay we will do some Shark Diving and go out on whale charters to spot some Wales.
It is a busy summer destination as well as an ideal winter retreat. It is blessed with a mild climate all-year round but its most important feature is its status as the historical capital of the Garden Route.
Day 12 (Mosselbay – L’aghullas) The trip may be reaching its end but the last two days are probably the most beautiful. We will travel from Mossel Bay to the most southern point of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where we will spend the night. It is the southernmost point in Africa. This landmark has become a holiday destination for those who want to get away from the city. Several tidal pools can be found along the coastline and the lighthouse, established in 1849 offers the tourist a place to have a cup of tee. One can also climb
to the top of the lighthouse for a spectacular view.
Struisbaai, a few kilometers away, is also a holiday destination with many holiday homes, a caravan park and a spectacular beach.
The shallow bay with its clear water makes for good swimming in summer. The little harbor always sports a few small and colorful fishing boats. (Hopefully we will eat some fresh fish).
Day13 (L’aghullas – Cape Town via Coastal Road) The last day! After breakfast we will go via Hermanus. Hermanus is built along the beautiful shores of Walker Bay. The official whale watching capital of the world and a popular holiday destination, majestic mountains, indigenous fynbos and spectacular natural beauty surround Hermanus. We will spend some time here and maybe grab a bite to eat before we ride the most spectacular road to Cape Town via the coastal road. Continue on to Walker Bay, a nursery of the great Southern right whale. Hermanus is favored by Capetonians as their weekend getaway, as well as by vacationers and retired persons.
Visit the old harbour which served the fishing industry for over a century, and is now a museum and national monument. The new harbour, at Westcliff, houses the new fishing boats, and charter trips for deep-sea fishing may be arranged.
Take a trip to Gansbaai (Goose Bay) where fresh fish are sold in the harbour.
Hermanus offers the best whale viewing from land in the world. A cliff path stretching from one side of the town to the other, hugs the coastline for about 12 km giving whale watchers unlimited opportunities to study the gentle giants in the coves below.
Back towards Kleinmond where the mouth of the Palmiet River is ideal for swimming. Further down the road, one finds Betty’s Bay and the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden. This beautiful, secluded garden is set between mountain and sea, in the heart of the Cape fynbos region and encompasses 5 hectares of cultivated fynbos garden and 195 hectares of pristine natural fynbos. The Garden is open 365 days a year from 08h00 – 17h00 and a nominal entrance fee is charged. The garden has a restaurant and indigenous plant nursery.
You will take coastal route into Cape Town for the most memorable drive of your life to arrive in Cape Town at 15:00/16:00. We will take back the bikes and depending on the flight schedule you will be taken to the International airport in Cape Town to fly back to Johannesburg. For flights that fly out the following day additional accommodation in Cape Town can be organized.
Depending on the Flight schedule back additional nights can be organized in Johannesburg
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