Cape Adventure

The First Step to a Holiday of a Lifetime

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SA - CA1 Explore the magnificent Swartberg Mountains with their untouched bush vegetation and relax in the sun on some of South Africa’s most beautiful beaches at Wilderness or Nature’s Valley. Enjoy fresh oysters or crayfish in Knysna’s excellent restaurants. Experience the vast horizons and stunning landscapes of the Little and Great Karoo travelling on gravel roads.

Various options allow you to upgrade the tour depending on your interests: The Hell and Baviaanskloof, if you look for more challenging gravel roads, the Great White Sharks, if your interest is marine life, a day in a coastal nature reserve watching antelopes and whales, an extra day in Knysna for all the activities and attractions the Garden Route has to offer, or just one or two days on one of South Africa’s most beautiful beaches.

Jurgen, our guide - what a great bloke....and the route was everything I wanted - the touristy bits and then the challenging dirt roads. especially the Ceres Karoo which was mind blowing. I had a GREAT time and thoroughly enjoyed it.

David Oakley, UK, 2008

Tour highlights

Franschoek Pass
Whales at Hermanus
Tsitsikamma forest
Garden Route
Addo game reserve
Cederberg landscapes
Cape Town

Itinerary

DAY 1 The Whale Coast. After picking up your motorcycle in Cape town, our tour takes you along the False Bay and Walker Bay coasts to the old fishing town of Hermanus, famous now for whale watching during the calving season from July until December. Stay overnight in Stanford or Pearly Beach. You can book an extra night here and add an absolutely breathtaking experience: The Realm of the Great White Shark (see below).

DAY 2 Africa’s southernmost point. Spend the morning watching the whales (in season) or take a swim in the ocean before breakfast. Head inland through sheep farming country passing an old mission village, virtually unchanged in the last 100 years. Moving south, you arrive at the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. The lighthouse is open to visitors and just a kilometre down a gravel track you can find the spot where (geographically) the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. At Struisbaai you can have lunch in a seafood restaurant directly on the almost empty white sandy beach or just chill out in the waves of the Indian Ocean. From here you take a cross-country journey to the next overnight stop in a lodge amidst indigenous fynbos vegetation overlooking the coastal plain of the Overberg and a nature reserve. Dinner and breakfast are included. For nature lovers we can arrange an extra night in the lodge to give you time to explore the De Hoop nature reserve thoroughly by motorcycle and by foot and Ride with the bokkies (see below). Zebra, springbok, bontebok and eland are common sightings as well as a variety of birds. In springtime, from August until October, the reserve turns into a display of wildflowers, and Southern Right Whales can be seen from the beach between July and December.

DAY 3 Into the Little Karoo. Leaving the lodge you turn into the nature reserve for a short visit. The reserve is inhabited by a variety of antelopes, and is one of only a few reserves in Africa that allow motorcycles. You head on towards the only hand-drawn ferry in South Africa, and after crossing the river, you carry on towards the Langeberg Mountains. You travel up Tradouws Pass and begin your journey into the Klein Karoo. This region experiences very little rain during the year and gets extremely hot. You pass through vast areas of semi-arid desert, where only sheep and goats seem to prosper. After a 20-kilometre ride along a scenic dirt road, you arrive at a farm near Calitzdorp. You stay in a lovely old farmhouse, which was built around the turn of the 20^th century, and was recently turned into a guesthouse. Enjoy a sundowner on the veranda and dinner, bed and breakfast in this beautiful "Out of Africa" setting on the slopes of the Swartberg Mountains. And if you just want to explore one of South Africa’s most beautiful and remote valleys, or if you are simply fascinated by the name, you should book an extra night here and go to Hell and back again (see below).

DAY 4 Ostrich Country and the Swartberg Pass. After breakfast, you ride along some lonely dirt roads, passing neighbouring ostrich farms, to reach the beautiful Swartberg Pass, 22 km of breathtaking views and winding mountain dirt roads. Back onto tarmac you ride through the Meiringspoort, a pass that joins the Great Karoo to the Little Karoo in dramatic style. You will cross the Groot River 26 times on your 13-km journey through this pass! Heading south, some gravel tracks and a single track mountain pass will bring you towards the coast and into George. From here you continue riding on more tracks built by Thomas Bain in the 1860s, and unchanged since then, through the indigenous coastal forests to Tsitsikamma National Park.

DAY 5 The Garden Route. Today it’s time to explore the Garden Route: From Tsitsikamma you ride along the coastand head into the mountains of the Eastern Cape before reaching the timber and oyster ‘metropolis of Knysna this evening. Plettenberg Bay, Nature’s Valley, the Tsitsikamma and Knysna Forests, and Storm’s River Mouth are all places that beckon you to discover the beauty of this area. We strongly recommend that, as there is so much to see, you take your time and spend two nights in Knysna. For details refer to the options below. You stay at a luxury guesthouse, overlooking the Knysna Lagoon, for the night. This evening you can choose one of Knysna’s excellent restaurants for dinner (not included).

Day 6 Safari (not included in the 10-day tour). Leaving the Tsitsikamma Forest behind you pass Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa’s surfer capital with its famous left-hand break and arrive by early afternoon at Addo Safari Park. You have the choice of either watching the majestic elephants visiting the neighbouring waterhole, or going on a game drive in an open Landrover. Later in the evening you go on another game drive, to spot kudu, gemsbok (oryx), hartebeest, springbok, zebra, and maybe even lion, the kings of the African savannah. With nightfall you arrive at a bush camp, where a delicious dinner is cooked traditionally on the open fire under starlit African skies. Overnight in a chalet inside the reserve.

DAY 7 Valleys and mountains of the Eastern Cape (not included in the 10-day tour). A final morning game drive is on offer before you get back on your motorcycle. Today’s ride through the valleys and across the passes of the Eastern Cape brings you back to the Garden Route, where you spend the night in our guesthouse in the Tsitsikamma Forest.

The way back to the Garden Route also gives you the option of travelling some 200 km on rugged tracks through the famous Baviaanskloof and spending an additional night in a historic guest house in Willowmore. For more details refer to The Baviaanskloof (see below).

DAY 8 A journey into the Great Karoo. Heading west along the Garden Route, you pass through the lake district of Sedgefield and Wilderness. At Mossel Bay you ride north and take the Robinson Pass to Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp. Not far from here you ride on a gravel road through a canyon - a geological marvel - into the Great Karoo. A few kilometres out of the canyon is your guest farm, where good home-cooked food can be enjoyed in this rural, idyllic setting. This day can made into two by the Beach bum option (see below).

DAY 9 Tracks of the Great Karoo. You spend virtually the whole day in the Great Karoo on good quality gravel roads, winding your way through mountain ranges and dry river beds, hich only hold water after the rare winter rainfalls. An ever-changing landscape makes this a fascinating part of the journey and one that is rarely seen by the average traveller. When you do reach "civilisation" again, it is in the Little Karoo town of Montagu, founded in 1851 by John Montagu, the colonial secretary of the Cape colony. The town is famous for its hot springs and early Cape architecture. Stay overnight at an excellent lodge in Montagu with dinner and breakfast.

DAY 10 The Ceres Karoo. Ride up scenic and long, winding passes towards the railway town of Touwsrivier - renowned for its retired steam locomotives. Heading west you start climbing more mountain passes that bring you into the Ceres Valley, famous for its fruit orchards. Established in 1854, Ceres is known as the "Switzerland" of South Africa because in winter the surrounding mountains are sometimes covered with snow. Just before reaching Ceres, you turn onto another gravel track taking you into the heart of the Cederberg. Spend the night in a lodge with dinner and breakfast.

SA - CA11 DAY 11 The Cederberg. This day will offer you two options of travelling through the Cederberg. The road conditions can be quite rough, and one of the options is recommended for the lightweight 650s and riders with experience on gravel roads only. In the early afternoon you will arrive at a wine farm, where you visit the cellars and taste some of South Africa’s excellent wines. You will spend the night on this farm after another scrumptious dinner.

DAY 12 Bain’s Kloof and the northern Winelands. Your ride back to Cape Town is not far so we suggest that you take your time and enjoy a morning by the swimming pool. The famous Bain’s Kloof Pass and the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain seen from Blaubergstrand will end this unforgettable motorcycle tour. If you book a Bed & Bike arrangement for the following day, we recommend you to stay at Blaubergstrand for the sunset and return to Cape Town after nightfall.

Options

All optional days are priced the same, except for the Realm of the Great White Shark. You can add as many of these options as you wish to our standard 10- and 12-day itineraries.

Cape Town (1 day)

A great way to start or finish your holiday. Spend one night in one of the World’s great cities and you’ll soon understand what the fuss is all about. Discover this vibrant, friendly city. Check out the bargains in the markets, take the cable car up Table Mountain, do whatever takes your fancy, you won’t be bored for a minute.

For your accommodation, choose between an award-winning guesthouse in Tamboerskloof, above the city on the slopes of Table Mountain, and a small quiet guesthouse in the cosmopolitan resort of Camps Bay, with its good restaurants and small sandy beach.

Like most cities, riding a motorcycle is not as much fun as out on the open road, so we recommend you use local taxis for today.

Price includes: 1 night accommodation with breakfast.

The realm of the Great White Shark (1 day)

SA - Whales The day is spent on a full day boat trip into the realm of the Great White Sharks. The area around Gansbaii provides the best conditions in the world for watching these fascinating animals and is know colloquially as ‘Shark Alley’. This is an absolutely breathtaking experience. The boats carry steel cages to allow everybody brave enough to meet the sharks in the water. But even viewing them from the boat is excellent as they sometimes come close enough to allow you to touch their dorsal fins. Of course we or the boat operator can’t guarantee that the sharks turn up, for they are wild animals and live in the ocean, not in an aquarium tank. The chances to see the sharks vary over the year, but range around 50% in summer and reach almost 100% in winter. One additional night is spent in your first night’s accommodation with dinner and breakfast. For non-divers we now offer a one day discover scuba course before the tour. This course teaches you basic skills of breathing underwater from a scuba regulator and qualifies you to enter the cage with scuba gear. And there’s also a good chance that you will see whales in season.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; Full day Great White Shark watching boat trip , with cage diving including diving gear if you are PADI approved, soft drinks and snacks on board; 1 night accommodation in a 5* guesthouse with dinner and breakfast.

Ride with the Bokkies (1 day)

This option gives you the unique chance to ride into De Hoop game reserve with your motorcycle. The reserve is inhabited by various species of antelope and mountain zebra, as well as small mammals, reptiles and birds. In the boundaries of the reserve you will also find white sandy coastal dunes and beaches crowded only with coastal birds and visited by whales from July to December. Due to the fact that the reserve does not have any big cats, rhino, buffalo or elephant, it is safe to ride around on the gravel roads and to go for a walk where the roads end. The displays of wild flowers between August and October are particularly beautiful. This place, unknown to most South Africans, is just perfect to relax for a day and enjoy the beauty of nature, sitting on a lawn and watching the antelopes graze. One additional night is spent in the lodge in the Overberg.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; 1 night accommodation with dinner and breakfast.

The Swartberge / To Hell and back (1 day)

This day takes you on rugged gravel roads into the isolated Gamkaskloof valley, better known as "The Hell". The scenery is some of the best the region has to offer with a single track winding its way along the slopes of the Swartberge, crossing little rivers and passing beautiful, untouched bush vegetation, before descending into "The Hell". This is a "must do" for the lightweight 650s, BUT the road is not suitable for larger bikes or passengers. ALSO, the ride includes long distances of technical riding on poor dirt roads with several steep gradients and river crossings. On the way back from "The Hell" you might add another highlight to your tour and visit the magnificent Cango Caves with their stalactites and stalagmites. One additional night is spent on the farm in the Swartberg Mountains.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; Tour description and road book to The Hell and the Cango Caves; 1 night accommodation with dinner and breakfast.

Knysna (1 day)

A day of options. Ride the historic Outeniqua steam train, try the world’s highest commercial bungee jump at the Bloukrans River, and tour the steep dirt roads of the Knysna Forests with an ATV. If you are a scuba diver or snorkeller you might wish to visit the (harmless) ragged tooth sharks off Storms River Mouth or the wreck of the Paquita off Knysna. Or just enjoy local oysters and seafood in one of Knysna’s famous restaurants, accompanied by a glass of South African white wine.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; 1 night accommodation with breakfast.

Tiger Moth flight (1 hour)

By now you know just how scenic South Africa is. Here’s a fantastic opportunity to take to the Skies in a historic Tiger Moth biplane and see this beautiful coastline from on high. Maximum 4 passengers per flight. Solo flights are £60, shared flights, up to 4 passengers, are £40/p.

Baviaanskloof (2 days)

This is a challenging 2-day ride through the Baviaanskloof Mountains: some 200 km of rugged single tracks and gravel roads wind their way through the mountains, crossing streams and climbing over passes. Make sure that you always give way to the antelopes and buffalo, which might cross the track, as their sense for road traffic rules is very poor. And buffalo tend to react aggressively when annoyed. The Baviaanskloof is definitely one of South Africa’s most scenic gravel roads and should not be missed. It is great fun on one of our 650s, BUT is not recommended for larger bikes and passengers. ALSO, the ride includes long distances of technical riding on poor dirt roads with several steep gradients and river crossings. After mastering the Baviaanskloof you will arrive at our beautiful historic guesthouse. Please note, that after heavy rainfalls, the river crossings in the Baviaanskloof might be impassable. This doesn’t happen very often, but we will provide a roadbook and an alternative route. The next morning you leave the Great Karoo again. Climbing over Prince Alfred’s Pass and winding its way through the Knysna Forests a scenic gravel road takes you back to the Garden Route.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 400 extra km; tour description and road book through the Baviaanskloof and the Knysna Forests; 2 nights accommodation with dinner and breakfast.

SA - Bavaain Attaquaskloof 1 day)

Another challenging ride. Attaquaskloof seems to take you back in time to the era of the early European settlers, a time before engineers started to tame the wild mountains. It is great fun on one of our 650s, BUT is not recommended for larger bikes and passengers. ALSO, the ride includes long distances of technical riding on poor dirt roads with several steep gradients and river crossings. Park your motorcycle next to the horses at the end of your ride at a rustic farmstay.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; tour description and road book through the Attaquaskloof; 1 night accommodation with dinner and breakfast.

Cape Peninsula (1 day)

The perfect way to end your trip. See the cute African penguins at Boulders and visit the famous Cape of Good Hope. And not forgetting the truly stunning Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the World’s great coastal rides.

Price includes: Rental motorcycle with 200 extra km; tour description and road book for the Cape Peninsula; 1 night accommodation with dinner and breakfast.

Ready to book? Please click here

10-day price includes: Motorcycle fitted with 35 or 42 l luggage system; CDW & third party liability insurance and 2500 free km; All accommodation in high standard to luxury guesthouses, lodges and guest farms including dinner (except day 4, 7 and 9) and breakfast; Wine cellar tour and wine tasting; Tour description, road book and maps; luggage storage; biker’s rucsac.

12-day price includes: Motorcycle fitted with 35 or 42 l luggage system; CDW & third party liability insurance and 3000 free km; All accommodation in high standard to luxury guesthouses, lodges and guest farms including dinner (except days 4, 5, 8 and 11) and breakfast; Game Safari package in Port Elizabeth; wine cellar tour and wine tasting; tour description, road book and maps; luggage storage; biker’s rucsac.

Prices exclude: Petrol, bar account, lunch, curios, gratuities and items of a personal nature. Flights (typically £550-700 economy return), travel insurance and tour extensions can be arranged through H-C Travel.

Any questions? Please click here

Cape self-guided adventure

Suzuki DR650

BMW R1100GS

Passenger

Sgl rm suppl.

10-day tour

£1,345

£1,675

£645

£175

12-day tour

£1,595

£1,995

£775

£225

Shark day trip

£245

£275

£195

£75

Bavianskloof

£245

£325

£145

£45

Other extra days

£115

£150

£55

£25

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