Cape
Town and Peninsula
At the southern tip of Africa
is a peninsula of indescribable
splendor, described by early explorers
as "the fairest Cape in the
whole circumference of the earth".
'Discovered' in 1488 by Portuguese
navigator Bartholomew Diaz, the
region has a rich history with
Dutch, French and British influence
evident in the architecture of
the beautifully preserved historic
structures and mansions. With
its fishing harbors, sheer cliffs
and wave-swept coves, the Peninsula
separates two great oceans –
the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Rugged forest clad mountain ranges
form scenic backdrops to the many
white sandy beaches, providing
a popular vacation destination
for honeymooners and families.
South Africa’s
Western Cape region is one of
contrasts. Cape Town and the Garden
Route vary their attractions from
leisure and adventure to history
and modern technology. It is where
seemingly endless stretches of
coastline attract magnificent
marine life, from whales and sharks
to a variety of marine birds.
This stretch of coastline is magnificent
in its simplicity and beauty,
where one can stroll for hours
along the sand as the waves lick
at your feet. All along the coast
one will find quaint little villages
with their Saturday markets and
very talented local artists.
Cape
Winelands
The Cape is internationally recognized
as one of the finest wine producing
regions of the world. Wine growers
have been practicing their trade
in and around Cape Town since
1659. Today there are over three
hundred wineries in the region.
Most of the estates are open to
the public for wine tasting. Apart
from the skill developed over
centuries, winemakers have to
attribute some of their success
to sunny mountain slopes, cool
sea breezes and fertile soil of
the Cape. A day trip to any of
the wine farms is possible since
they are within a narrow radius
of Cape Town. Some are a mere
20 minutes drive from the City
Center.
Download
our Cape and Winelands brochure...
(PDF File size: 0.5 MB)
South Africa’s Garden
Route
Rugged mountains, pristine rain
forests, blue lagoons and sandy
shores crowd together to provide
an exceptional region of unrivalled
scenic beauty, relaxation and
adventure. The Garden Route is
the perfect place to start or
end a safari vacation.
As an adventure
destination the Western Cape has
excelled. Shark cage diving (seasonal),
paragliding, surfing (lessons
are optional); walking with elephants
and the list goes on. It is not
surprising that the people of
the area are so good natured since
their environment is filled with
thrill, excitement and with a
good measure of tranquility, in
the form of sunset boat cruises,
hikes in the forest and meals
at any one of the fine establishments
in every town.
Download
our Garden Route brochure...
(PDF File size: 1.0 MB)
Route 62
The Western Cape of South Africa
is known around the world for
its beauty and wine region but
this extends further inland and
to the east via the relatively
unknown Route 62, the longest
wine route in the Cape and possibly
the world. It connects Cape Town
and Oudsthoorn, the Garden Route
and Port Elizabeth. This is a
diverse route of mountain ranges,
mountain passes, forests, desert,
vineyards and trickling streams.
Quaint little towns dot all along
the route and each offer its own
interpretation of the area and
its history.
Route 66 has
much in common with South Africa’s
Route 62 since its establishment
in 1926 served to connect regions
between Chicago and Los Angeles
and linking small towns with major
centers. The little towns gained
much from the traffic along this
route and suffered economically
with the completion of a national
highway which replaced it. Route
62 experienced the same loss with
the completion of the N2 highway
in 1958 which slipped the towns
of Route 62 right off the map.
They are newly discovered wonders,
well preserved due to their absence
from the world and steeped in
history and charm.
Swartberg
Pass
The untarred, 17 mile long, Swartberg
Pass connects the coastal region
of the Garden Route with the little
Klein Karoo town of Prince Albert
and is widely considered one of
the most picturesque mountain
passes in the world. The pass
winds up and over its summit via
meandering, alternate, right and
left turns, to a height of 6,232
feet above sea level, with hand
packed stone walls hugging the
road to the mountain. Views along
the pass are spectacular but do
check with local tourism offices
before embarking on this route
since the pass may be closed due
to rain or maintenance during
the year.
Cango
Caves, Oudtshoorn
The Cango caves consist of 3 systems
of limestone caverns; all filled
with a fairy land of stalactites,
stalagmites and helictites and
is one of the oldest attractions
in the Klein Karoo. To protect
this delicate natural cave only
the first system (Cango One) is
open to the public. Two guided
tours are available. A one hour
standard tour takes you on a journey
through the first six chambers
and the 90 minute adventure tour
follows a 1200 meter route through
the mountain. The adventure tour
is definitely only for the physically
fit.
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