SA Itinerary - more help needed!
 

Hi All,

Please see our intinerary below. Selwyn and Rocco your discussions have been quite helpful, especially on dining and guesthouses. Thank you. Of particular interest for help need are 2 things:

We are very interested in learning more about SA wines and plan on spending 5 days in the wine areas. Suggestions on places not to miss visiting? (Accomodations already taken care of). We spend alot of time in Napa-Sonoma ever year (we live in Germany though), so we are very interested in the finer, smaller wineries as well.

Second question is, do we need our car while in Cape Town. If we drop it off on the 24th it is about 1800 rand cheaper. Should we keep it, or use taxis to get everwhere for those 6 days?

Any other comments are welcome!

Oct 10 y fly to JNB,
Oct.11 y arrive 8:30 am drive to Witwater (checkin at 2pm)
Oct 12 safari
Oct 13 safari
Oct 14 safari/leave 10 am (find something interesting to see on the way back - any help?) and fly to Port Elizabeth (flight 15:45 y land 17:45) Drive to Elephant House
Oct 15 wake early and go to Addo Elephant Safari, do self drive, Then do tooth and Claw safari if want to.
Oct 16 Drive to Knysna, Stay at Overmeer
Oct 17 Knysna/Plettenburg.
Oct 18 Knysna/Plettenburg
Oct 19 Drive to Kleinmond y Luxury Collection do winelands/hermanus
Oct 21 same
Oct 22 same
Oct 23 same
Oct 24 drive to cape town. Drop off car or not? Without a car, are certain areas better to stay in over others? Was considering Avanti Guesthouse or Cape Milner.
Oct 24 - 30 Cape Town
Oct 30 leave 8 pm

Thanks everyone!

Melissa,

Witwater looks like it is in beautiful surroundings but IMO the vegetation is too lush for game spotting.

Also, in all my research, this is the first time that I have even heard of Witwater. It may just be a hidden gem or it may be that it is not that highly regarded by those who have visited.

I don't know how much Witwater costs per night but I would also consider other places such as places in Sabi Sand like Djuma Vuyatela and Djuma Bush Lodge and places such as Jaci's Safari Lodge in Madikwe. If you are going in low season (May - September) you should be able to get some good deals. The places I mentioned should cost in the area of 2100 ZAR per night for Vuyatela and Jaci's to as low as 1500 ZAR per night for Djuma Bush Lodge.

I am not knowledgable enough about Knysa, Hermanus or the Winelands to comment there. It does appear that you have plenty of time to have a very nice South African holiday.

Best of luck on your holiday and save some zebra for the rest of us! ;)

Thanks for your reply. I think there has not been much written on Witwater because it just opened in 2002. We are going in the high season (Oct). We could go earlier, but I want the nice weather in Cape Town and the Garden Route. I have found 2 articles on it though and it sounds great and they have been *really* helpful and pleasant to work with. Posted a message to "kimwhits" on this board since she stayed there, but her post was short and she only mentioned "stunning, excellent service". We'll see what she has to say.(I hope she sees it!)

I did look into Jacis, but the cost was 3200pp if I remember correctly and she was holding dates for a big group so she couldn't guarantee the days we wanted. The only other place I am really considering now is Madikwe, 2450pp. We almost booked Ants Hill (you get the whole lodge to yourself for 260Euro pp). I will keep you all posted. Witwater is less, and since this is our first time on safari (and my husband has the attention span of a 2 year old) I thought maybe we would see if we like the whole safari thing before blowing huge $$ on a place like Mala Mala or Singita. I also like the fact that it is less likely to be full of people, like Kruger will be in high season.

I am jealous of the good deals people get off season, but we don't mind paying the higher (mostly double, gulp) rates in order to have splendid weather, especially since it sounds like this will be an active-outdoorsy trip. (As opposed to our 3 weeks in Nusa Dua, Bali last year, which was a sit on the beach and get massaged into delerium trip).

Rocco I hope you will post your thoughts on your trip on your return. It has been fun reading your threads and watching your trip take place. I have never planned a trip this far in advance, but got scared when I started contacting places in Kruger for Oct that were already booked!

Melissa

PS - 33 hour flight home for you? YIKES!!! And I am dreading 11 with no time changes!!

Hello Melissa,

Thanks for your response mail to the message on Fodors.

At the outset I must mention that I am going to publish this letter on the Fodors page under your request header as I believe there is quite a lot of info in this mail that other Fodorites can benefit from too.

____________

>Dear Selwyn, I read about the secret hideaway on your website last night - looks fab. Have a couple questions for you if you donyt mind. No, we are not golfers, but I thought Kleinmond would be an easier jumping off point to explore the winelands more than Cape Town. As I mentioned, we really enjoy wineries and have so much to learn about SA wines, we really want to dedicate a good 5 day or so to it, outside of Cape Town sites. That was why I had chosen to spend more time there. I really donyt like staying at big hotels, but the one in Kleinmond looked so much more interesting than the one they are building in Cape Town, and because I am a Platinum member they almost always upgrade us to a suite. Therefore, now the question arises - how long do we need for the winelands, and should we therefore spend the time at Cathbert, or 3 days winelands and 2 days at the cottage, and do the Cape Town days at the new Sheraton? Also, should we keep our car while in Cape Town, or is it better just to cab it while there- we would save 1800 rand turning it back into Tempest 6 days earlier. The only thing I am worried about at the cottage is it looks quite remote and does one normally stay there just to relax, or are there things to do nearby? Also, am afraid hubby will be safariyed out after 4 days in the north safaring, plus Addo and the tooth and claw, and I was hoping to do Monkeyland while in Knysna, as monkeys donyt seem very prevalent up north and I love them. (Do you recommend Monkeyland, by the way?)So, I am a wee bit leery to add Botlierskop as well. Any thoughts? I hope this has been clear. I am so happy I have posted the itinerary before booking Kleinmond and Cape Town! Thank you so much for your assistance. Should you ever want to travel to Europe, I am more than happy to be of help! Melissa
___________

Oh my am I pleased that you have written to me. Kleinmond is MILES MILES MILES away from the winelands and represents the worst spot to want to explore the winelands from. As a matter of fact there are some winefarm close to The Arabella but they number 4 and thats it. With that said if you want to stay at Arabella as an winelands exploration base you are way off in terms of position imho.

You should be staying in the Stellenbosch/Franschhoek region and with that said I have found that Cathbert is a wonderful place to stay not only because of its charm but also for its wonderful pivotal position from which one can explore not only the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek region but also the Paarl wine region. Thus I would recommend the venue highly in this regard.

In terms of time needed on the winelands its a case of "how long is a piece of string" as it depends on your interest in the area (Remember there are over 150 farms in the 3 regions) however my feeling is that if you simply swop the Arabella booking for a Cathbert booking then the 3 days allocated should satisfy your needs.

In my opinion Monkeyland is worth the visit as the experience is a truly different one. May I also add that there is another amazing experience along your route of travel that you should not miss and that is the treetop safari adventure at the Stormsriver. http://www.treetoptour.com My suggestion is that you do this adventure on your way from Addo to Knysna. It is a 3 hour event that you will never ever forget. Trust me on this one. (-:)

In terms of car hire whatever you do while toruing the winelands DO NOT give up your car hire. Taxis are not available to tour the winelands and you will be in serious trouble without a car. The same applies to the time when you are in Cape Town. Taxis and bus transport are very efficient and can be used to a satisfactory level however if you can afford it dont give up the car as Cape Town is a huge area and without a car you are not going to see half of the city. Thus I strongly suggest (one again as long as you can afford it) that you dont give up your car hire. What I can also suggest is that when you arrive in Cape Town you give up your car hire for a cheaper car hire company and in this regard take a look at http://www.valuecarhire.co.za/ as this company seems to be offering the best deals at the moment. Please be aware that this company ONLY operates in the Cape Town region and does not have drop off and swop spots in other parts of SA so only use them for the Cape Town part of your stay. They are very efficient and their cars are of an excellent quality standard. Also make sure that you are travelling in a car that has air conditioning as this might be needed when you are in Cape Town..

As far as the cottage at CV is concerned it is remote yet it isn't remote in that all is 3-4 km away. I hope that this is understandable to you. I must add that it is this very factor as well as the fact that the terrain surrounding it is beautiful and pristine that attracts people to want to visit it. With what you have told me about your winelands interest if you have any feelings of trepidation as far as the cottage is concerned I would suggest that you spend the extra day on the Winelands as I am sure that you will not be sorry about this.

Thanks for the offer to help with regard to Europe but I must tell you that I have "Europed out" with all my travelling in the past and I somehow or other doubt whether I will be travelling on the continent again as my wife and I now seek other unique and exotic destinations to travel to. With that said thanks once again for your kind offer.

If you need any further help please dont hesitate to write to me and I will do whatever I can to help you so as to ensure that your stay in my wonderful country is a great one.

OK Melissa I hope this all helps.

Go well and in great peace.

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]

Selwyn, a round of applause for you! There is no way I could have planned this trip without you! Well, ok, I could have, but I would have a) spent more money than necessary, b) missed out on alot of gems and c)been driving for hours for no good reason.

My heartfelt thanks!!!

PS - the treetop canopy tour looks amazing!! Will definitely add to our itinerary!

Melissa,
On the original wine question...

We are also keen on wine (living near enough to Napa and Sonoma to go for the day anytime!) and loved our time in the SA Winelands several years ago. When we were there we just missed one of their premium wine auctions. Apparently they auction alot of special bottles, including vineyard designates and special blends, and as a foriegner of course everything is very affordable. Having missed it I'd recommend trying to see if there is anything in advance.
We loved the winelist (lots of older vinatages) and the wine "chat" at Quatier Francais...my impression was that it we had emailed in advance we could easily have organized alot of provate tours. It was easy to send wine home using a local company (World Wine Trade).
The wineries were variable...some of the places others recommended weren't to our taste and Pinotage is certainly an aquired taste. We like Kanonkop wines, also enjoyed the tasting at Le BonHeur. But weren't so impressed with some others I can't remember..sorry! Some places have several premium wimes and it's worth phoning in advance because if they're not available (sold out)you may be less interested in going.
Our favourite wine was Bokenhoutskloof (not sure about the spelling and right now I'm to lazy to go into the cellar and check!)
I would recommend the ubiquitous Platter guide which you can pick up easily in Cape Town. Hamilton Russell Pinots are very good and Veenwouden...the list goes on and on Frank Prial had something on SA wimes not that long ago in the NY Times you could also try the Wine Spectator.
There is an excellent wine merchant at the Waterfront in CapeTown called Vaughan Johnson and another in Franschoek though I don't remember the name.
I haven't checked out these web pages but the Platter guide recommends; www.wcapetourism.co.za
www.wine.co.za
http://travel.iafrica.com
www.cybercellar.co.za
Hope this helps.

All these recommendations are great. I would add both Warwick Estate and Meerlust to potential wine farms to visit. Personal favourite however, is the champagne farm tour at Pierre Jourdan/Haute Cabriere on Saturdays with Archim von Arnhem in Franschoek. Their restaurant (Haute Cabriere) is also brilliant.

If you want to splash out on another great meal, try lunch Tokara in between Stellenbosh and Franschoek

Excellent suggestions and tips from Welltravelledbrit. Dont forget about the tip by Kearnon about Achim von Arnhem at Haute Chabriere for the Saturday morning tour at 11h00. DONT MISS THIS EVENT if you are close or in Franschhoek on a Saturday morning.

Relative to all the tips about various wines it is great to see that so many SA wines are appreciated and loved by visitors to our land however I must add a caution and that is that wine is a personal function and one mans meat is another mans poison. Furthermore bear in mind that wine is a living organism and that means that this years vintage could be totally different to last years vintage etc. Thus individual recommendations without vintages are worthless.

Last point is that Boekenhoutkloof wines are amongst the most expensive wines in SA and with that said it is my opinion that the art of enjoying and collecting wine lies in the concept of finding great wines that suit YOUR palate. Furthermore these wines should not have been marketed with a heavy hand to the public thus meaning that you can purchase the wines at a good cheap price. This concept makes the experience of wine so much more enjoyable <hic> (-:)

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]

Firstly, thank you for the recent replies regarding the wineries - I am starting to compile a long list with the help of wine spectator. We really enjoy CA heavy reds such as Plumpjack and Robert Craig's Cab Sav's, and Shirazes such as The Dead Arm from Austrailia, and medium whites. From what I hear, SA wines are on the lighter side, so we have our work cut out for us! Unfortunately we have never had any memorable SA wines as I think they are a rarity in Germany, so we are really looking forward to changing our opinions (through extensive research!!! : ) I am bummed about the Vaughn Johnson shop being located at the end of our trip, but oh well. (was one of the first things I looked at!!)

By the way, are you better off buying wine at the wineries or at Vaughn Johnson. (or someplace else?) For example, when we were last in CA, we also did the Central Coast and a restaurant owner told us one night that we should buy at an (AMAZING) wine outlet when we were done our touring, since the wines were about 20% cheaper, and these were higher end ($50 -$80/bottle) with a fab selection from across the state. Any ideas? We plan on bringing back around 2 cases if we find some that we like.

I think we will probably spend 1-2 days in Hermanus (looking at the Misty properties?) The Sheraton looks like it is really far fom there, then 3 -4 days at Cathbert.

I have bad news for those people who are Starwood members, though. Not only is the new hotel booked out for when we are in Cape Town, but they are not accepting points as payment. I think this is really bizarre, since there is only one other hotel in the whole group like that. It is a shame, since I would have A), saved some $ I could therefore spend on wine, and B) get rid of some of my mountains of points.

So, I am back to aquare 1 in cape town, wondering if I should book avanti guesthouse or cape milner. Was thinking the milner might be nice for a more "urban feel" - any ideas. There is a great deal on the 12 apostels on luxury link, but it is not available for october.

Keep those ideas coming, and I promise a huge post when we return.

Melissa,

If you shop at Vaughn Johnson you pay higher prices BUT you get a much bigger selection of wines. When you shop on the winefarm you can generally taste the wines available which you cannot do at Vaughn Johnson. Small point is that if the wines are of an exclusive nature such as a special reserve etc, you probably wont be able to taste these wines on the farm either as they will generally be in short supply. So the choice of where to shop eventually becomes yours Melissa. )-;)

Cape Milner vs Avani - Well price wise the two venues are way apart with Avanti winning hands down. In the Cape Milner you will gain a lot of anonymity whereas at Avanti you will gain real friends in the form of the guesthouse owners (Mari and Johan ? Wonderful people) and you will also more than likely meet other guests over the breakfast table. The latter generally wont happen at a venue like the Cape Milner. Avanti is on the sea side with great walks on the sea promenade which is 50 yards away while the Cape Milner does not offer these facilities. The Cape Milner has aircon which Avanti does not have however aircon at your place of stay is generally not needed in Cape Town and what is more is that if you book Room 4 at Avanti you will have a huge balcony which even has a slight sea view where you can enjoy a sundowner or 2 in the evenings at sunset.

Location wise Avanti and the Cape Milner have disadvantages and advantages that balance out making them equivalent in there stature in this regard.

In my opinion Avanti is the way to go but I want to stress that this is my opinion and might not be what others such as yourself want out of accomodation.

Happy planning Melissa as you seem to be enjoying it and so you should as this facility via the net is half the fun of touring in different lands.

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]

Ok, now another question...but I do have some wine info to contribute as well.

Plettenburg Bay looks really cool, but is 33 km from Knysna. I would hate to have to drive from PE in one day, do the trrtop safari, hang in PLett, have dinner, and then get back on the road to Knynsa. Or is it not that bad? Should I do one overnight there, then Knysna 2-3 days, (want to have dinner at Tsala and La Loerie - I may be tiny but I love to eat!) Hermanus 1 day and then the rest of the trip as planned?

As for wines, here are some recys I have gotten. Any comments?

Rust en Vrede Estate Wine (esp 96 and 98)
Kanonkop Paul Sauer (esp 98)
Thelema Cab Sauv (esp 97)
Stellenzicht Syrah (esp 98)
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir (esp 97 and 00)
Fairview Primo Pinotage (esp 00)

Estate visits: Kanonkop, Thelema, Rust en Vrede, JP Bredell (for the "ports"), Buitenverwachting, Stellenzicht and Hamilton Russell, Thelema, Simonsig and Hartenberg.

Thanks all!

Melissaom,

I would drive to Knysna and get settled in before dinner. You are going to feel grimy after the treetop safari as it is rather humid in the forest when you go through this adventure. With that said a shower (or jacuzzi bath at Overmeer)(-:) could come in quite handy before dinner. If I were you I would travel to Knysna and go to La Loerie that evening. The next day I would go to Tsala but seeing tha Tsala is on the road from Knysna to Plett (exactly halfway) I would travel to Plett in the late afternoon, watch sunset from the lookout point at the top of the town and thereafter travel back to Tsala for dinner.

Be aware that you are not just going to walk into La Loerie or Tsala for dinner without reservations. You have to do this WELL IN ADVANCE or you wont get in to these venues. La Loerie can only take 22 people and they are full every night while Tsala only have one free table that they set aside for outsiders who are not staying at their establishment.

Most of your winefarms are a pretty good choice in my opinion. Rust en Vrede is head and shoulders above all that you have spoken of while a hidden secret for port is Muratie. This is a wonderfully rustic winefarm to visit and they have excellent wines too. Dont leave it off your list as it is close to Kanonkop. Btw phone Kanonkop first as they dont always have wines to taste in that they get sold out rather quickly. Be aware that Hamilton Russel wines are frightfully expensive and as far as I am concerned not worth it as there are better wines in the Cape at cheaper prices. Make no error the HR wines are good but I hate paying high prices for well marketed wine! Furthermore imho the best Pinotage in the Cape comes from Beyerskloof, Middelvlei and Uiterwyk. All of these farms have got it right when it comes to Pinotage for the past 5 vintages. Fairview - Nah... it does not come near to the aforesaid three estates. I must stress that this is my opnion and that does not mean that others would agree after all we are talking about wine are we not. (-:)

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]

There's been so much development around this thread since it started that my posting (which drops in on the conversation at various points) is going to seem a bit disjointed, but here goes anyway!
Witwater - the verdict is a hidden gem, and those of us fortunate enough to have been there guard it closely. I spent a few days there in August last year and it is simply spectacular. You can stay in rooms which are part of the main hotel building (I think there are only 7 or 8 or them) or in luxury tented type accommodations (again only a few of them). These are not far apart and the entire lodge has an intimate feel about it. We were there for a meeting in the middle of the week and our group of 7 were the only guests. Somehow I don't think that was the only reason why the service was superb. The setting also is stunning - one afternoon we staged a mutiny and forced the boss to continue the meeting on the sun deck overlooking the lake! The game drives were also very good - they don't have the big five but for people who are a bit jaded in terms of bush experience (I know it may be inconceivable to some - but true!) it was great to feel like we were actively involved in looking for wildlife, and our resident expert birder was delighted to spot her first night-jar. The cost is considerably less than the best-known lodges, mostly I think because they don't have the big five draw-card.
I bow to Selwyn's expert opinion when it comes to anything in the Cape - as a local my version of a great wine trail is to get in the car and follow the brown and white wine route signs that look interesting. It means that we don't have the vineyard tours, but we do uncover gems in the form of Aan de Dorns and Nuy, Nuy's port is the BEST and their "Chant de Nuit" is competing strongly with Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc as my favourite white wine. These are in the Robertson/Worcester region which is little known and not heavily marketed, but in my opinion produces some superior tipples. The estates in this area are geared more towards locals - although all that I have visited could arrange international shipping. There's no doubt about it - buy the wines you like at the estate, you will definitely get a better price than at a store. If you find any Thelema Cabernet (no matter what year) buy it! It's like chickens teeth. Ditto on Selwyn's opinion about Beyerskloof Pinotage - I am not a Pinotage fan but I do enjoy Beyerskloof. IMHO the only decent SA chardonnay is from Constantia Uitsig.
If memory serves, Witwater had a good wine list so you can start your SA wine quest while on safari ... (hic!)

Traci thank you so much for your vote on Witwater! (And on the wine suggestions!) I think you are right about the hidden gem status, as I couldn't find a THING about it ANYWHERE.

I posed my Witwater query to Katherine Terry at go2africa.com, and bless her heart, she must have worked days on finding info out about it for us. Unfortunately we had contacted the lodge directly before, so it would look a bit odd I think if we then booked through her, but for anyone out there who needs help planning a safari, Katherine is AMAZING. (We are talking lodge comparisions, asking her friends who work there, calling the lodges, etc...) This was not a simple cut and paste job.

Long story short, the decision boiled down to A luxury tent at Witwater with 3 of the big 5: 1260pp OR A standard lodge room with all big 5 at Madikwe for 1900pp. We chose Witwater as the food and service are supposed to be superior, and I will see elepants at Addo and Lions on Schotia's tooth and claw safari later on the trip.

I posted for years on the Europe board (troll city!) and never received this much help - you are all fabulous and I promise to post on my return!

Hi All,

Have a two comments and a question for the team...

Ok, the Rand is now 9.16 to the Euro. When I started planning this trip a month ago it was 8.20. Wow! So, I am sitting on 5 deposits for rooms till the end of the month. That is the good news! (Well, for those of us in Europe).

I thought fate was stepping in when my local wineshop had a big promotion on Beyerskloof Pinotage this week, so I stopped in just to try it. Ok, this is an acquired taste, guys. Perhaps I was expecting more oak flavor though... At any rate, I am on the hunt for wines before I visit so I can figure out whether to ship them home or not.

Now the question. I am thinking about spending one night on our intinerary between knysna and the winelands in hermanus. Any votes for guesthouses? The Misty Properties seem good, but if they are like the wedding cake confections on the Cote D'Azur, no thanks. Any hints?

Thanks all, and happy Friday!

Melissaom,

I would look at two places:

1. There is a possibility that the whales could still be in Hermanus by mid October and with that in mind I would stay at Auberge Burgundy in Hermanus. Ask for rooms 9 or 10 as these are high up in the guesthouse and have sea views meaning you could watch the whales frolicking in the waters directly in line with the front of your room. Remember that you will need binoculars http://www.auberge.co.za/

If whales do not interest you or you dont want to take the chance of going to Hermanus in case the whales are not there by my mid October, then I would stay over in Swellendam. Even though I have not stayed there I have been given glowing reports from other tourguides about Adin and Sharons Hideaway. http://www.adinbb.co.za/

Two points to mention:

1.Even if you dont see whales, Hermanus is a wonderfully quaint town to visit anyway.

2. If you are going to book the Auberge you had better do so VERY QUICKLY as all Hermanus accommodation generally is snapped up very quickly for the whale season.

Hope the above all helps.

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]

Melissa

Did you finalise your itinerary?

Would be interested in learning more about witwater - do you have any URLs?

Many thanks

Melissa, I, too, am very interested in hearing about your final itinerary. We will be in South Africa just 4 weeks ahead of you and doing a very similar trip. Our final itinerary, thanks to all of you, and especially Selwyn, has worked out to:
Sept. 16 - arrive J'burg and fly to Mala Mala for 3 nights, staying at Harry's Camp
Sept. 19 - back to J'burg and on to Pretoria to board Rovos Rail to Cape Town (with Rovos' help, we finally settled on getting married in the little chapel in Matjiesfontein on Sun. morning before we get to Cape Town). We're staying at a guest house, the Parker Cottage, and the owner, Izak, has been just lovely, even offering to collect us at the rail station on our arrival in Cape Town, and help us pick up our car in the morning
Sept. 22 - stay in Hermanus at Auberge Burgundy. They, too, have been wonderful and have already made reservations for us for a whale watching boat and for dinner that night
Sept. 23-25 - stay in Knysna at Overmeer
Sept. 26 - stay in Oudtshoorn at Shades of Africa (we already have a dinner reservation at Jemima's, thanks to Selwyn's recommendation)
Sept. 27-30 - stay in Franschhoek at Le Quartier Francais (we didn't know about Cathbert when we made these arrangements, but we did get a very nice price through Luxury Link)
Oct. 1 - if the flower season still looks good, go to West Coast National Park and stay at the Farmhouse in Langebaan; if not, on to Cape Town
Oct. 2-6 - back to Cape Town and Parker Cottage
We ended up renting a car (economy size, since it's just the 2 of us) through Auto Europe for $242 for the 15 days with a cell phone (just $35 for shipping it to us before we leave and then the cost of any calls we make -- I thought it might not be a bad thing to have with us as we drive, just in case!)
Question for Selwyn and anyone else who's been to Knysna. We have 2 full days there, and are thinking of one day at the Featherbed Nature Reserve and exploring Knysna, and the other day doing the Treetop Canopy tour (it looks wonderful) and then go to the Storms River area in Tsitsikamma National Park. Is this doable, and is there anything else we should really try to do there? We were also thinking of going to the De Hoop Nature Reserve on our drive from Hermanus to Knysna -- good idea or not?
Thanks again to everyone for all of the suggestions on the board. I can't believe we leave in just over 4 weeks!
KT

Oh how marvellous! We have so many travellers about to leave for Africa - I do hope you'll all come and talk our heads off about your trips when you get home!

:D

Wouldn't ya know, I do all of this planning and dreaming about the migration in Kenya and have picked the ideal time, etc for it, and what do I dream of? Of course, Botswana and the Okavango Delta. Oh how my heart aches. Is it just the grass is always greener or what?

;)

Hi KT,

You asked:

"We have 2 full days there, and are thinking of one day at the Featherbed Nature Reserve and exploring Knysna, and the other day doing the Treetop Canopy tour (it looks wonderful) and then go to the Storms River area in Tsitsikamma National Park. Is this doable"

The answer to this is that it DEFINITLEY DOABLE. On your one day in Knysna you could go to Featherbeds in the morning and return just after lunchtime. What I would then do for the rest of the day is I would do a walk around the Knysna Village and then move on to the Knysna Heads. If this does not suit I would suggest that you travel to Sedgefield and amongst others visit The Scarab Factory where you can see how they make writing paper out of elephant dung. After this I would travel to the Wilderness area. In this region I would visit the "Map of Africa" and take in all the wonderful scenery at the Wilderness from Dolphin Point.

In the evening make a point of dining at La Loerie. Tell Sandy or Abdel (owners) that Selwyn sent you -:)

On your second day you could travel down to do the treetop safari as well a visit the Stormsriver mouth with the greatest of ease. Btw it is wise to pre-book the Treetop safari. If I were you I would also include a visit to the Bloukrans Bridge so as to see "the crazies" -:) do the highest bungy jump in the world (216 meters). On returning to Knysna I would pay the town of Plettenberg Bay a visit.

Another very important point KT is that Ludwig from Overmeer will help you with all you want to know. He and his wife Riette are amazing hosts and with Ludwig being born and raised in Knysna you could not want to have any better advice given to you. He will more than likely back up most of what I have already told you and will probably throw in a coupe of extra tips too.

You also asked:
"We were also thinking of going to the De Hoop Nature Reserve on our drive from Hermanus to Knysna -- good idea or not?"

If you intend staying over at De Hoop then this is a possibility however if you are just wanting to stop in and look around for a while I would not advise that you make this detour as you wont get to Knysna in time. Also do remember that there are also some gravel roads to travel on when you go to the De Hoops Nature Reserve.

OK KT I hope this helps you in your planning.


Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]
Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

Selwyn,
As always, thank you! With your suggestions, the Featherbed Reserve and exploring Knysna day and the Tsitsikamma day sounds like just what we were hoping to do. Also, thanks for the advice on de Hoop -- I think we'll be passing on that one. It's so hard to try to plan to see as much of this marvellous country as we can, but not feel as if we're trying to cram too much in and not be able to relax and enjoy it. Ludwig and Riette have been terrific via email. I had asked them about reservations for La Loerie and Ludwig seems to think that, as it won't be high season yet, we shouldn't have a problem making a reservation for one evening once we get to Knysna. Would you agree with that? He also suggested that we wait until we get there and see how the weather is before deciding on which day to do the treetop tour. I also heard that you may be at Overmeer the same time that we are -- true?
KT

Hi All,

I will post the whole itinerary this afternoon. I do have a question, though. Do we need Air conditioning Oct 10-30 in our car? It raises the price from $317 to $467, so if it is cool enough, I would prefer not to have it. But, I don't want to save money and be miserable if it is hot.

Thanks!

Melissa

Here's the itinerary everyone, with some notes here and there...KT I hope you post about your trip since we are doing some similar things!!

Kavey, witwater.com is the website you want.

Oct 10 ? fly to JNB,
Oct.11 ? arrive 8:30 am drive to Witwater
Oct 12 safari Witwater
Oct 13 safari Witwater
Oct 14 safari/leave 10 am (find something interesting to see on the way back) and fly to Port Elizabeth (flight 15:45 land 17:45 kulula) (Avis Car rental pick up car). Drive to the Elephant House
Oct 15 Elephant house, wake early and go to Addo Elephant Safari, do self drive. Then do tooth and Claw safari if want to.
Oct 16 Drive 3 hrs to Plettenburg Bay, stop in Jeffries Bay for lunch The Walskipper or Breakers. Look on the beach for shells between Main and Surfers Point After lunch, do the www.treetoptour.com, 3 hours, at Storms River, need to prebook). . While travelling to Knysna DONT take the N2 all the way. Just after Stormsriver Bridge turn off to Coldstream and travel through the Bloukrans Pass as well as Natures Valley. Stay at The little sanctuary.
Oct 17 Plettenburg/ do Monkeyland. Drive to Knysna, stay at Overmeer. Is it too far to go for dinner at dinner at SERENDIPITY RESTAURANT?
Oct 18 Knysna/overmeer/Tsala dinner
Oct 19 Knysna/overmeer/LaLoerie
Oct 20 Hermanus/Room booked at Misty on Sea
Oct 21 Drive to winelands, stay at Cathbert, Do Robertson, Graham Beck wineries at least.
Oct 22 Winelands/Cathbert Eat at La Petite Ferme or Haute Cabriere (or do picnics there)
Oct 23 Winelands/Cathbert maybe do Spier Cheetah farm in between wineries?
Oct 24 -Drive to 40 min cape town, do the Somerset west wineries on the way into cape town (Vergelegen) check in avanti guest house.
Oct 24-30 capetown
Oct 30 leave

Melissa,
Your itinerary looks great and I will try to post something the day after we get back, so you can see it before you leave!
KT

Sadly, I'm delivering training in baker street mon through thu this week so won't be able to spend much time looking into my itinerary until friday!

thanks for the website!!

:D

Melissa,

Your itinerary certainly looks pretty good. Couple of points from my side.

1. Be aware that if you do the Treetop Safari AFTER lunch you are going to miss out on the what the turnoff after Coldstream offers as you make your way to Natures Valley. Try to arrive at Treetops for the 11h00 or 12h00 adventure. This will give you enough time AND DAYLIGHT to truly enjoy the Bloukrans valley as well a natures valley.

2. Qyuestion. Where is "The Little Sanctuary" in Natures Valley? I dont know how many times I have been to this fabulous part of the world however I have not heard of the Little Sanctuary as yet. Website??

3. Serendipity is a wonderful eating out experince however it is pretty far from Knysna by SA standards. You might not think so as it is about a 45 minute drive from Overmeer. The choice is yours to make.

4. I hope that you have booked the dinner evening at Tsala. If you have not do so VERY SOON.

5. You speak of Robertson winery in the same breath as Cathbert. No way! You cant do that one. Robertson is miles and miles away from Cathbert. Furthermore I dont think that Graham Beck is open for winetastings as yet. The farm looks very commercial from its outside appearance. My suggestion is that you visit Cathberts neighbours in the form of Plasier De Merle, Rupert and Rothschild. Ask Rob Morley at Cathbert for advice in this regard. Whatever you do you MUST stop in for some cheese and coffee at Cotage Fromage which is down the road from Cathbert (You cant miss it at the bottom of the entrance road to Cathbert)

6. Be aware that you cannot picnic at either Haute Cabriere or Le Petit Ferme.

7. Melissa finally I would suggest that you dont forego aircon because of a price difference. In Knysna you can go through 4 seasons in one day so my feeling is pay the price and be prepared.

All in all I think that your itinerary is really shaping up into becoming quite and exciting one.

-------------

Hi KT,

Firstly I would agree with Ludwig that you should make your reservations for Treetops or Le Loerie closer to the time. Dont leave it too late though. Furthermore you can do the Treetops adventure through rain or shine.

Yup we will be meeting up at Overmeer as I will be at the establishment with my visitors while you are there. Wow I will meet another Fodorite. -:)

Hope this all helps.

Hi Selwyn,

As usual, you are ever so helpful, and I am ever so grateful. Please let me know if you will be at any of the places on our itinerary while we are there as we would love to treat you to a meal or at least a few drinks.


And now, for the replies....

Thanks for the tip on when to take to treetop safari. I had planned to do it after lunch as I thought Jeffries Bay was worth stopping off for, but will do lunch afterwards, I guess.

"The Little Sanctuary" is in Plettenburg Bay, as close to the water as you can get. I decided that after all the driving and treetopping that day it wasn't worthwhile to spend a ton of cash on a place that is just going to be a place to sleep for us. It looks small, quaint (3 rooms) and the location looks fab, and we can walk from there to everywhere in Plett. www.littlesanctuary.co.za is the website.

Will have a think about Serendipity - I had a feeling it was far away from Knysna...

Tsala is booked. Does La Loerie have a website or email as I am still trying to book them.

We were going to go through Robertson (the area) in a long way around to Cathbert, if possible. Is it worth the trip? According to my Lonely Planet Graham Beck is open for tastings Mon-Fri 9-5, and has a `daringly modern tasting room where you can sample their vast range of white and red, many of them in the top rank.`(And thus, I wanted to make the trip).

Thanks for the notes about picnics. Maybe we will have dinner at Haute Cabriere or Le Petit Ferme. We are not huge French food fans, so we will see...

And finally, we will definitely get the aircon!!! Can you give me an idea of temperatures (generally) for October, and should we bring things like umbrellas?

Thanks!