Sunday, May 24, 2009

Garden Route, Addo and Klein Karoo Tour with Köditz from 23rd February to 2nd March 2009






A very pleasant couple from Germany, Mr and Mrs Köditz, came with me on this tour. The first two nights we stayed at the Gästehaus Pinkepank in Plettenberg Bay. http://www.gaestehaus-pinkepank.de
When we left Somerset West driving over the Sir Louriespass there were terrific strong winds and a terrible fire on the Hottentot Holland Mountains. We were glad to leave these terrible fires in February at the Cape behind us and leave for the healthier air on the Garden Route.
My guests enjoyed very much the boat trip to the Knysna Heads, the Elephant Park, where one can FEED,FEEL and HUG an Elephant and we all really had fun with the Elephant orphan babies. We also enjoyed a beachwalk at Plettenberg Bay.
The next day we went to learn more about the different monkeys at the Monkey Sanctuary and Stormsriver Mouth with its scenic walk to the hanging bridge over the river. We had fabulous weather to enjoy this scenic area of our coast.
We then spend a full day and night at Leeuwenbosch Private Game Lodge for Game viewing in a malaria free area. The Game drive on this private Game Park is always very special, since we see most of the well-known african animals, eg. Giraffe, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and many antilope species.
We then stayed one night in the fabulous,five-star, Woodall Lodge in the Addo village. There is always some special food in their restaurant. From here we spend the next day in the Addo National Park for more lovely Game-viewing.
From Addo our tour goes into the Klein Karoo and we stayed at the lovely Groenfontein Retreat at the foot of the Swartbergpass which is situated in a very rural farming district between Oudtshoorn and Kalitzdorp.
The next day we went up the most famous Swartbergpass, now rated as the second most scenic pass in the world. This tour over the pass is something one must not miss, if you spend some time in this area. My guests were also enspired about these scenic pictures as seen above.
We then still spend some time during the next two days in the Cango Caves and Ostrich farm and driving back to Cape Town through the lovely Klein Karoo, one night in Montagu and then wine tasting through Robertson. My guetst really enjoyed the whole trip as they told me and thanked me so much at the end of our tour.