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Gateway
Africa Safaris
concentrate on the Cape Town and Garden Route
regions of this beautiful country, with day and short tour
options.
Garden
Route Tours
Cape
Town Day Trips
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Day
trips and Tours of Cape Town
To make the most of your
time in Cape Town you join various very affordable day-tours
for some outings and make your own way for other exploration trips.
Full day Tours depart
at approximately 8.30 - 9.00 from your Guest House / Hotel / Lodge and return
at approximately 17.00 - 17.30 to the same, or any pre-arranged venue.
Please
note that all tours can be adjusted to your requirements and interests.
This is merely a suggestion from endless possibilities
Cape
Point & the Cape Peninsula Tour - "The Fairest Cape"
- An exploration
along the peninsula coastline to enjoy some of the most inspiring
scenery South Africa has to offer, with the main feature being the
spectacular Cape Point and the historical Cape of Good Hope.
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The
Atlantic Seaboard: This
curvy stretch of coastline, also informally known as the
millionaire's mile, stretches along Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton
and Camps Bay where some of the best beaches of Cape Town can be
enjoyed. The road we follow hugs the coastline with the formidable
Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles mountain range close on our one
side and the vast South Atlantic on the other. We pass the trendy
café's in Camps Bay which are very popular venues to enjoy
sundowners while viewing the magnificent sunsets over the Atlantic
ocean.
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Picturesque
Hout Bay literally translated meaning "Wood Bay",
where the early Dutch Settlers collected timber to repair their
ships after sailing along the rough seas of the Cape Coast. Our tour
includes an optional stop at Mariner's Wharf, the original
Waterfront of Cape Town, for a boat cruise to Duiker Island, home of
the Cape Fur Seal, largest of all fur seals.
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Traveling
through the quaint holiday and residential villages of Kommetjie and
Scarborough, we enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve,
rich in historical significance and offering an abundance of natural
beauty. This is home to more than 2200 plant species and various
birds and mammals, including antelope, baboon, ostrich, land based-
and seabirds. The impressive views of the vast Oceans towards the
South and West, the Hottentots Holland Mountains across False Bay to
the East and the Cape Peninsula to the North, can be seen from the
lighthouse at Cape Point which is situated on the highest sea
cliffs in South Africa. Our next stop is the Cape of Good Hope,
the most south-westerly point on the African continent. Your exact
location when standing at this point? 18º East and 34º South.
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A
visit to the Boulders Beach introduces you to the charming Penguin
Colony, all of them dressed in their "tuxedo outfits".
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Simons
Town's long and illustrious
naval heritage is visible everywhere in this town; including the
statue of "Able-seaman" Just Nuisance, the only dog ever
to be officially enlisted as a member of the Royal Navy.
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In
the long shadows of the Eastern slopes of Table Mountain lies Kirstenbosch
, the flagship of South African Botanical Gardens, with more
than 9000 species of plants. This exquisite garden will leave a
lasting impression of "the fairest Cape of them all".
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Suggested
Lunch options are : Restaurant / light snack at Cape Point or
Simons Town
PS:
Make sure to bring along something warm to wear as it is quite
possible to encounter gale force winds at Cape Point.
Cape
Town City and Table Mountain Trip - "The Mother City" - Explore
Cape Town, one of the world's most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities,
cradled in the amphitheatre formed by Table Mountain, Lion's Head and
Devil's Peak.
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Rising
1087 meters above the "Mother City", the grandeur of Table
Mountain can be seen 200 kilometers away from sea, and for
centuries provided a welcome site to the exhausted sailors who
visited the "Taverns of the Seas" after spending an
average of 6 months at sea. The sight of Table Mountain with its
flat top must surely be the most well known landmark in the Southern
hemisphere. Weather permitting, we undertake a cable car ride to
reach the summit from where one has the perfect 360º view of the
"fairest Cape in the world"
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The
Castle of Good Hope, oldest European structure in South
Africa, was built to protect the early Dutch Settlers against
possible attacks by other European powers. Walking through its
formidable entrance one is transported back in time to the late
1600's on experiencing the cobblestone floors, sundials on the
original walls and the beautiful balcony that was the stage from
where the Governor made his important announcements. Aside from the
Changing of the Guards ceremony that is still performed, the Castle
today protects valuable collections of Chinese Porcelain, old Cape
furniture, Artwork and Cape Silverware.
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The
Malay Quarter, also referred to as the Bo-Kaap (when
translated meaning Upper-Cape) is an extremely colorful area
situated on higher ground than Cape Town itself and reminds one of
the Mother City's days gone by. It boasts a distinctive Muslim
flavor with beautiful small mosques, as many of the people who live
in the Bo-Kaap are direct descendants of the former slaves from far
away places like Malaysia, Java, Indonesia and the various
Portuguese Spice Islands.
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The
oldest garden in South Africa, the Dutch East India Company
Gardens started as a fruit and vegetable garden to provide for
the many sailors on their long journey from Europe to the Spice
Islands in the East. The purpose was to reduce the number of people
who suffered from scurvy. As the Cape developed and more farms was
established, the Garden gradually changed into the botanical
pleasure garden it is today, still frequented by many a Capetonian
on their lunch breaks.
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Cape
Town's link with the sea, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront,
is a result of reclaiming the historic waterfront of Cape Town, and
reuniting the Capetonians with their heritage - the sparkle of the
sea. The V&A Waterfront offers a wide variety of entertainment,
present-day shops and restaurants to enjoy in Victorian style
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Suggested
Lunch options are restaurants around the vibrant Green Market
Square in the center of Cape Town with its flea market and
interesting mix of "characters" or the V&A Waterfront
with its endless choice of restaurants.
The
3 Renowned Wine Routes - "Feast Your Senses" - For
the Wine Lover. Explore the Westerns Cape's 3 most famous wine routes. A
day tour to truly feast your senses enjoying some of the Cape's finest
wines in breathtaking surroundings.
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The
wine routes of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek
have become legendary for the excellent quality wines and brandies
they produce. Traveling along these three wine routes where the
fertile green valleys are surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges,
we visit a minimum of 3 leading wine estates along the Wine
Routes; all of them carefully selected for their scenic beauty,
historical significance and superior wines.
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Stellenbosch,
the second oldest town in South Africa and wine capital of the
region, is very popular for its oak-lined streets, beautiful
Cape-Dutch architecture and excellent restaurants.
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Paarl
is situated on the banks of the Berg River and is the head quarters
of the biggest wine cellar in the world, namely KWV (mentioned in
the Guinness Book of records as having the largest wine barrels in
the world). This town has played a major part in establishing the
Afrikaans language and boasts the longest main street in South
Africa, beautifully flanked by oaks on both sides.
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Franschhoek,
literally meaning "The French Corner", was the valley
where the Dutch Governor Simon van der Stel settled the French
Huguenots in 1688. Currently the town boasts a distinctive French
flavor with more than 27 fine restaurants to choose from. (PS: Today
this town even celebrates "Bastille Day"; even though
you'll probably be greeted with a blank expression should you speak
French to any of the residents!)
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Optional
Cheese Tasting at a leading wine estate.
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Optional
Cellar Tour on one of the Wine Estates
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Recommended
Lunch options are: A restaurant in Franschhoek or a
Gourmet Picnic Lunch Basket under giant stone pine trees on a wine
estate near the Franschhoek Valley.
PS:
For those who would like to go easy on the wine, grape juice is
available at most of the wine estates.
West
Coast Flower Trip - "Bokbaai Vygie Tour" - Springtime
is flower time and this flower tour is offered from August to
September when the West Coast is transformed into a wild flower
wonderland.
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Heading
North from Cape Town, our first stop is at Bloubergstrand
where one can enjoy the postcard view of Table Mountain with the
endless beaches of Table Bay in the foreground; the Bay frequented
by colorful windsurfers on windy days.
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From
here we head North to visit the arid and desolate West Coast.
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We
reach the West Coast National Park, and pay a leisurely visit
to Postberg, an ecologically sensitive area that is specially
opened to the public during the brief flower season. Most of the
time will be spent in this area so that the flowers can be enjoyed
to the fullest.
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On
route back to Cape Town, we stop at the Tienie Versfeld Flower
reserve for a brief view of this transformed wonderland.
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Time
permitting, we visit the seaside village of Yzerfontein, a
popular holiday venue.
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Lunch
is a gourmet picnic basket enjoyed in Postberg Nature reserve.
5
Mountain Passes - "The Pioneer's Challenge"
- Sir Lowry's Pass, Viljoen's Pass, Franschhoek Pass, Du Toit's Kloof
Pass & Bainskloof Pass - "An
unforgettable scenic splendor, traveling over the majestic mountains of
the South Western point of the African Continent. A day to cherish and
remember, with unsurpassed photo opportunities in a tour of dramatic
contrasting landscapes."
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Sir
Lowry's Pass, originally
known as the Gantouw Pass meaning "Pass of the Elands", so
named by the indigenous Khoi-khoi people, provides beautiful views
of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, Somerset West, False Bay,
Strand and the Cape flats and Table Mountain in the far distance.
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Descending
Viljoen's Pass brings you to the heart of "Apple"
country and provides wonderful views over the many fruit orchards.
These orchards produce the choice Cape Fruit that are enjoyed all
over the world.
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Franschhoek
Pass, originally known as
the Elephant's Path in memory of the elephants migrating along this
route, welcomes you to the Valley of the Hugenots and the heart of
the wine lands with its beautiful vineyards and old Cape Dutch
homesteads.
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Traveling
over Du Toit's Kloof Pass we arrive in the Breede River
Valley with its seemingly endless vineyards and fruit orchards. This
is one of the most dramatic passes in South Africa with cliffs
rising up to 2000 meters.
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Bainskloof
Pass, built by legendary
Pass builder Andrew Geddes Bain, is a rugged and dramatic scenic
pass with views over the Wellington Region's wine lands and towards
the North, the vast open wheat fields of the Swartland Region, the
"bread basket" of the Cape.
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A
Gourmet Picnic Lunch basket will be enjoyed on one of the
many viewpoints.
Cape
Safari Experience - "African Heritage" - Traveling
via the scenic Du Toitskloof Pass and beautiful wine lands, we visit a
private game reserve that hosts amongst others, Giraffe, Leopard, Zebra,
Springbok, Gemsbok (Oryx) and up to 172 different bird species.
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Traveling
over Du Toit's Kloof Pass, we arrive in the Breede River
Valley with its seemingly endless vineyards and fruit orchards. This
is one of the most dramatic passes in South Africa with cliffs
rising up to 2000 meters.
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The
lush and beautiful Hex River Valley, originally discovered by
Bushmen hunters coming from the barren Karoo when trying to reach
the rich hunting grounds of the Boland, today produces 65% of South
Africa's export grapes even though being only 22 kilometers long and
4 kilometers wide.
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Arriving
on the private game reserve, we enjoy a welcome cocktail and
some leisure time next to the swimming pool in summer or next to a
roaring log fire in winter.
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Lunch
at the game lodge restaurant or outdoor African Boma
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A
2 - 3 hour game drive with an experienced ranger. We also
visit renowned San Bushmen paintings.
Hermanus
& the Whales - "A Tour for all Seasons" - Whether
it is whale time or not, this is truly a tour for all seasons with
spectacular coastal drives, dramatic mountain scenery & during July
to November, Southern Right Whales frolicking in Walker Bay as close as
20 meters from the shore.
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Sir
Lowry's Pass, originally
known as the Gantouw Pass meaning "Pass of the Elands" by
the indigenous Khoi-khoi people, provides beautiful views of the
Hottentots Holland Mountains, Somerset West, False Bay, Strand, the
Cape flats and Table Mountain in the far distance.
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Traveling
through the "apple" country of the Elgin & Grabouw
area, we stop at one of the favorite farm-stalls that offers
a variety of fresh produce of the area.
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From
July to November, Hermanus offers the best land based whale
watching in the world (PS : On whale authority, this is
apparently also the best sea based people watching spot in the
world.) The Southern Right whales, which are as big as 10 large
elephants, are seen up to 20 meters from the rocky outlooks. These
gentle giants visit our shores to mate and calve in our relatively
warmer and calmer waters and are the main attraction during the
annual whale festival. Hermanus is one of the top holiday venues in
South Africa during summertime and offers sunny weather, golden
beaches, rock & surf and deep sea angling. The huge tidal lagoon
is also a favorite venue for various water sports.
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Traveling
through the coastal holiday village of Betty's Bay, we arrive at the
Harold Porter Botanical Garden where we enjoy a short walk
through the indigenous flora.
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Our
route to Cape Town takes us along the scenic Clarence Drive
which hugs the rugged coastline; our companions being the majestic
mountains on the one side and the waves crashing on the sharp rocks
on the other.
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Suggested
Lunch stop is the village of Hermanus in one of the many
restaurants to choose from.
Robben
Island and the V & A Waterfront - "Madiba's Magic"
- A visit to South Africa is not complete without a journey to the
birthplace of the New South Africa. Experience the triumph of the human
spirit over adversity.
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A
morning at own leisure at Cape Town's link with the sea, the Victoria
& Alfred Waterfront. This waterfront is a result of
reclaiming the historic waterfront of Cape Town, and reunites
Capetonians with their heritage - the sparkle of the sea. The
V&A Waterfront offers a wide variety of entertainment,
present-day shops and restaurants to enjoy in Victorian style.
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After
lunch, we catch the Ferry to Robben Island, previously used
by the Dutch to house convicts and later as a leprosy colony. The
real historical significance however lies in the use of Robben
Island as a political prison by a previous "apartheid"
government where the leaders of the struggle against
"apartheid" were incarcerated.
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A
guided tour on Robben Island
will provide special insight to the conditions under which the
political prisoners were held as well as interesting insight into
the struggle against "apartheid". During the tour, the
highlight will be a visit to the prison cell of the icon Nelson
Mandela, later to become the first democratically elected president
of South Africa.
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Suggested
Lunch in one of the many restaurants of the V&A
Waterfront.
Kirstenbosch
National Botanical Gardens - "The Gardener's Delight"
- Enjoy the unique and beautiful Cape Floral Kingdom, concentrated in
the world-famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
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Resting
in the long shadows of the Eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch
is one of the world's famous botanical gardens. The garden that
takes up approximately 560 ha, has more than 9000 different species
of plants and trees. One of Cape Town's most beautiful recreational
areas, the upper part of the garden consists of evergreen indigenous
forests and the lower slopes are cultivated with big lawns, ponds,
streams and curving pathways. It offers peaceful and serene
surroundings where one can replenish the soul and provides a
spectacular backdrop for some of the popular summer sunset concerts
including light music, jazz and carols by candle light.
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Our
visit to Kirstenbosch includes an informative guided tour
through the gardens, highlighting unexpected and interesting aspects
along the way.
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Facilities
at Kirstenbosch which can be enjoyed at own leisure includes the
Coffee Shop, Restaurant, Souvenir shop, Book shop and the
Conservatory housing all the plants of the desert and semi-desert
areas.
Historical
Stellenbosch - "The Governor's Choice"
- Visit the second oldest town in South Africa on one of our popular
Cape wine lands tours. Stellenbosch is wonderfully picturesque with its
beautiful Cape Dutch architecture, oak lined streets and world-famous
University.
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In
1679 Governor Simon van der Stel was given the assignment of
exploring the area beyond what is today known as the Cape Peninsula
in order to establish more farms. This was needed urgently so that
the Cape could be more self-sufficient and feed the growing local
population as well as provide supplies to the many ships that
anchored at Table Bay. He set out to the East and when he saw a
beautiful fertile valley surrounded with mountains and a small river
flowing through it, he made the choice that this valley would be the
ideal place to establish farms and a settlement. He named it Stellenbosch
after himself.
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Named
after a well-known village in the south of France, we visit Lanzerac
Hotel and Wine Estate, established in 1692 and situated at the
entrance of the beautiful Jonkershoek Valley. Here we enjoy a wine
tasting and an optional cellar tour.
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We
pay a visit to Oom Samie se Winkel, literally translated
meaning "Uncle Sam's shop". This shop takes you back to a
bygone era and sells anything from tobacco rolls to mousetraps and
every imaginable thing in between. At the back is a delightful
coffee garden where one can enjoy a cup of tea / coffee with a
traditional sweet.
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A
quick visit to the Miniature and Toy Museum where the
highlight is the extremely detailed lifelike miniature model of the
Blue train. It travels from a miniature Stellenbosch, through the
wine lands and the mountains to the Karoo where it passes
Matjiesfontein before it returns home again.
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Consisting
of 4 homes dating back to 4 different periods in the history of
Stellenbosch, the oldest from 1709, the Village Museum
illustrates life from the Pioneer days to the Victorian era.
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Driving
through the town of Oaks, as Stellenbosch is also known, one
is greeted by the rich inheritance of the beautiful Cape Dutch homes
and the magnificent campus of the University of Stellenbosch.
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Suggested
Lunch stop is a restaurant in Stellenbosch
Township
Tours - "Spirit of Ubuntu"
- Cape Town - one city; many cultures. We believe that your introduction
to the townships should be done by respected members of the community
who can share the many insights with you from an "insider's"
perspective.
We
therefore partner with a community based tour operator who specializes
in these community uplifting tours.
Shared
Tour:
R260 per person
Included
in Price: Entrances
Excluded
from Price: Lunch
Please
note that this tour is not offered as a Private Tour.
DEPARTURE
AND COMPLETION OF TOUR
Depart
approx 8.00 - 8.30 ; Return approx 17.00
OR
Depart approx 13.00 - 13.30; Return approx 17.30
(From and To your Accommodation venue or as pre-arranged
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African
Safari Tours
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Planning
your African Safari
Gateway
African Safaris specialize in affordable small group, Southern African
safari tours.
Besides
the comfort and quality of our guided African safari tours, our
affordable landed prices are all inclusive, with no hidden costs.
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