Gondwana Private Game Reserve

South African Grand Tour

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Three weeks, one unforgettable road trip across South Africa’s greatest highlights.

21 days

from £4,295 pp

South Africa Family Holiday

Family Safari + 1 more + 2 more

The ultimate family adventure through South Africa's highlights.

15 days

from £3,495 pp

The Best of South Africa

Romantic Classic + 3 more + 3 more

Cape Town, wine & wildlife: South Africa's highlights over 11 days.

11 days

from £3,225 pp

Classic South Africa

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A classic South African holiday, with a few lesser-visited surprises.

17 days

from £3,655 pp

A South African Fortnight

Classic Safari + 1 more + 2 more

A two-week classic adventure through the best of South Africa.

14 days

from £3,595 pp

South Africa Express

Wildlife & Nature Express + 1 more + 2 more

A whistle-stop adventure packed with penguins, wine and wildlife.

10 days

from £3,050 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

The Robberg Peninsula

A crocked finger of rock curling into the ocean south of Plettenberg Bay, the Robberg Peninsula is a nature reserve and national monument. No development is allowed here, and the only access is on one of three circular hiking routes. The rocky ridge drops steeply to sandy beaches, often covered at high tide. Scouring winds have kept the vegetation low and scrub-like, as well as causing sand dunes and sand bars to drift into creation. A roundtrip to the tip of the peninsula will take about four hours, and can only be done at low tide. It’s a remote and beautiful spot, ideal for those who enjoy their hiking and getting close to nature.

Beach walks

The Garden Route has a host of beautiful and iconic beaches, from the endless stretch of Wilderness to the broad sweep of Keurbooms. Around Wilderness, much of the beach is part of the Goukamma Nature Reserve and there are a number of car parks with access down onto the beach. As well as being beautiful places to walk, they’re also great for nature lovers, with whales visible offshore during the season, and rare birds such as the African Black Oystercatcher calling the area home. The seas here tend to be rough with waves smashing into the shore. On Keurbooms beach, the waves curve around the headland of the Robberg Peninsula and approach the shore in rolling surf dotted with wetsuited people and playful dolphins making the most of nature’s playground. Consequently Keurbooms Beach is much the better option for swimming, but is more popular as a result.

Back-roads exploration

Criss-crossing through the forests and hills inland from the Garden Route coast, and pre-dating the modern N2 linking George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, are a series of beautiful roads, some tarmac and some graded. Armed with a reasonable map and the input of your guesthouse or hotel staff, it’s a wonderful place to spend a few hours exploring. The roads alternate between forested terrain with picturesque ancient stone bridges, and more open roads with broad sweeping views over the wooded hillsides and down towards the ocean.

Storms River Mouth & the Tsitsikamma Forest

The Tsitsikamma National Park begins a short way east of Plettenberg Bay and covers a long stretch of coastline as well as the forested hillsides and steep canyons that cut through them. There are a range of activities available: the park is crossed with good hiking routes, whilst some of the rivers offer tubing and other adrenaline sports. The highlight of the park is probably the Storms River Mouth. Here a footpath leads first to the Strandloper Cave where evidence of very early indigenous hunters can be found. Just past this is the Storms River, a steep river canyon that cuts through the cliffs and out into the ocean. A rope suspension bridge crosses the river where it meets the ocean and you can stand here, watching the dark, tannin-rich river water implacably flowing into the salty ocean swells, creating a maelstrom beneath your feet.

The Birds of Eden

Birds of Eden is one of a number of fantastic wildlife interaction attractions on The Crags near Plettenberg Bay. Amazingly, it is a gorge of tropical forest covered in an enormous two hectare dome, and acts as a vast aviary (the largest in the world) for birds that have either been captive bred or removed from the wild, and cannot be returned fully to the wild. A series of walkways and bridges runs through and under the canopy and the birds are complete free to fly anywhere within the dome, and there are well over a hundred species to admire, from the local, and beautifully coloured louries, to noisy parrots and the even kookaburras. With a ruined temple and a waterfall you can walk behind, Birds of Eden is an exciting adventure for kids, as well as being fascinating for adults. If you want to really learn more about the birds, it is possible to arrange a guided tour with one of the bird keepers. The Crags is also home to an Elephant Sanctuary, Monkeyland and the Tenikwa Big Cat Experience, so you can make a whole day out of a trip here, interacting with a wide range of interesting and exhilarating animals and birds.