|
GARDEN ROUTE HIKING – 7 DAY/6 NIGHT FROM CAPE TOWN |
If you have more time, we thoroughly recommend this longer tour of the Garden Route area, which allows you to explore the central and eastern section of the region, which offers a superb coastline and wonderful indigenous forest.
A mix of longer full day walks interspersed with some shorter walks allows you time to enjoy some of the other delights of the area.Code CT
Superb contrast of walking terrains
The Garden Route’s largely temperate climate make it ideal for walkers from Spring through to early Winter
Good quality accommodation in upmarket lodges and country hotels
Minimum Pax Four (Supplement of $235.00 pp sharing if only 2 people booking)
Meals Full Board with picnic lunches
Departure/Return Fridays – collect from hotels at 8.30am Return late afternoon to Cape Town
Accommodation Upmarket guest lodges and country hotels
Transport Luxury VW microbus
Clothing Varies by season
Best time to go Ideally mid October to May
Terrain Varied from coastal trails to mountains to gentle forest walks
Walking Rating 2A to 3B
Health Requirements None – Sunblock essential for most of year
Day 1 - Outeniqua Foothills
WALK: 2B (2 to 3 hours walking)
This morning we leave Cape Town and travel over the Boland Mountains and through the rolling wheat fields of the Overberg. Continuing to our friendly country hotel, Eight Bells Mountain Inn at the base of the Outeniqua mountains, we arrive in time for lunch (included). This afternoon we enjoy a walk from the hotel up into the lower slopes of the Outeniqua mountains. Enjoy dinner with the group this evening. Two nights Eight Bells Mountain Inn.
Day 2 - Outeniqua Mountain Walk & Little Karoo
WALK: 3B (5 or 6 hours walking)
Today we enjoy one of the most beautiful mountain walks in the Garden Route, also known as the Leucadendron Walk’ for the profusion of leucadendrons from seven species found along the way.
This is a fairly strenuous, but very rewarding, circular walk through the Doring River Valley. It’s a particular good walk for botany lovers with a good variety of fynbos and associated birds such as the Orange-breasted sunbird and the Cape sugarbird.
Time permitting, we drive down into the Little Karoo and enjoy a visit to one of the local Ostrich farms for a tour of the farming process.
Day 3 - Kranshoek Coastal Walk
WALK: 3B (4 to 5 hours walking)
Today we travel along the scenic coastal road of the Garden Route to hike along the Kranshoek Coastal Trail through the Harkerville State Forest.
The walk takes us from the coastal plateau down to the mouth of the Kranshoek River and along the rugged coastline to Crook’s River mouth before climbing back up to the coastal plateau and returning to the start at the Kranshoek Waterfall. There are two delightful swimming spots along the way and many information boards provide an insight into the local environment.
Afterwards we continue to Plettenberg Bay where there is time to relax and freshen up at our charming guest lodge, metres away from the magnificent Robberg Beach.
In the late afternoon you may like to join an optional boat trip out into the bay to search for whales and dolphins which frequent this stretch of coastline (for your own account). Stay 3 nights at Periwinkle Lodge.
Day 4 - Half day walk to Storms River Waterfall
WATERFALL WALK: 2A (3 hours walking)
OPTIONAL ROBBERG WALK: 1A to 2C
Today we travel east to the magnificent Tsitsikamma forest region and the Storms River Mouth.
Here we enjoy a short and highly rewarding walk to the Waterfall. We return to Plettenberg Bay for lunch (for your own account).
In the afternoon, there is an optional walk to Robberg Nature Reserve. Here you can choose how far you wish to walk: the full 8km circuit around the peninsula, the shorter half circuit or the short walk to the beach at The Gap. If you don’t feel like walking, you can enjoy shopping or swimming from Robberg beach.
Day 5 - Salt River Walk
WALK: 3B (6 hours walking)
This is a beautiful but quite strenuous walk however it is one of our favourite trails.
We travel to Natures Valley for a circular walk through the Tsitsikamma forest, the open fynbos and down to the delightful and unspoilt Salt River Estuary.
The indigenous forest and coastal fynbos belt is rich in birdlife, including the Knysna loerie and Paradise flycatcher. From Salt River the walk follows the rocky coastline before ending on the golden beach of Natures Valley where you may like to swim.
Day 6 - Wilderness walk and Swellendam
WALK: 2A (3 hours walking)
Today we begin our day with a short tour of Knysna and the Heads prior to some time at leisure for browsing in the many arts and crafts shops and stalls.
We return along the beautiful Garden Route to Wilderness where we enjoy a delightful short walk along the Brownhooded Kingfisher Trail.
This pleasant walk is through forest and riverine bush up to the Valley of the Duiwe River and a waterfall and back again. At the end of the trail we continue to Swellendam where we stay overnight at the hospitable Adin and Sharon’s Hideaway.
Day 7 - Fernkloof & return to Cape Town
WALK: 2A (1-2 hours walking)
After breakfast and a visit to the interesting Drostdy Museum, we continue to Hermanus, a picturesque fishing and holiday town on the southern coast, known for its lovely fynbos vegetation and also for whale-watching opportunities in the late Winter and Spring (from August to November). Here we enjoy a walk in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve followed by a lovely scenic drive along the coast back to Cape Town arriving in the late afternoon.
|
