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Cycle the Cape!
12 days Hotels/Farm Estates Cycling the Cape Winelands & Garden Route
CYCLE GRADE B
Few places on earth can match the beauty and amazing diversity of South Africas Western Cape Province. We cycle the rugged coastline of Cape Point and into the rolling hills of the Winelands, through the vast landscapes of the Karoo and along the Garden Routes green, forested shorelines. This is a flexible itinerary: theres plenty of time to enjoy other activities, such as whalewatching, hiking, swimming or even bungee jumping, as the distances we cover by bike each day are relatively short. Keener cyclists will find plenty of further challenges over and above the included rides.
Cape Town & the Winelands We enjoy two days in Cape Town, our base for rides on the face of Table Mountain and into the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. We visit Boulders Beach, famous for its colony of African Penguins, and view the wind-whipped lighthouse on Cape Point before cycling along the spectacular Atlantic shoreline. We also enjoy a leisurely ride amongst the immaculate vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture of the Cape Winelands, stopping no doubt to sample the wines en route. Oudtshoorn & the Karoo We head east and cycle through Red Stone Hills at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, a vivid contrast to the lush coastal area. Staying at Oudtshoorn, we visit Cango Caves, the worlds finest dripstone caverns, and cycle the dramatic Swartberg Pass. Garden Route & Cape Agulhas Descending to the Garden Route at Plettenberg Bay, we cycle the exhilarating offroad trails of Harkerville National Forest. Later we visit Tsitsikamma National Park and
the spectacular Storms River Mouth, before cycling the Bloukrans and Natures Valley Passes. Our last two days are spent exploring the atmospheric hinterland of Cape Agulhas, Africas southernmost point, before driving back to Cape Town.
Itinerary Day 1 Fly London/Cape Town. 2 Arrive Cape Town, cycle on face of Table Mountain. 3 In Cape Town, Seal Island boat trip, Chapmans Peak drive, Boulders Beach, Cape Point and cycle Atlantic seaboard. 4 Drive to Stellenbosch, cycle through Cape Winelands, including visit to Boschendal; overnight on farm estate. 5 Cycle through Red Stone Hills; drive to Oudtshoorn. 6 In Oudtshoorn; drive to Swartberg Pass and cycle to Cango Caves. 7 Bus to Knysna, cycle Harkerville forest trail; transfer to Plettenberg Bay. 8 In Plett; drive to Tsitsikamma NP, hike to Storms River Mouth, transfer to Coldstream and cycle the Bloukrans and Natures Valley Passes. 9 Drive via Knysna Elephant Park to Heidelberg; ride through farmlands to Malgas Pont; drive to Swellendam. 10 Drive Bredasdorp; cycle to Cape Agulhas, Africas southernmost point; drive Swellendam. 11 Drive via Hermanus (shore-based whalewatching Jul to Dec) to Cape Town; fly London. 12 Arrive London. Accommodation & Meals: 6nts hotel, 3nts farm estate; 9 breakfasts included. See p45. Bicycles: 21-gear mountain bikes; support vehicle and bike trailer. Daily distances day 01 day 02 day 03 day 04 day 05 day 06 day 07 day 08 day 09 day 10 day 11 day 12
18km 35km 26km 18km 23km 15km 40km 23km 45km
Beautiful views
km Red Stone Hills Calitzdorp Swartberg 0 Pass Cango Caves Knysna Harkerville Forest Knysna 120 Hike in Tsitsikamma NP; cycle Bloukrans & Natures Valley
Cycle the Cape! Ref CTC
Table Mountain Cape Winelands
SOUTH AFRICA
To u
ws
CAPE TOWN
Seal Island boat trip Cycle Cape of Good Hope
STELLENBOSCH JONKERSHOEK
OUDTSHOORN SWELLENDAM
Heidelberg Malgas Bredasdorp Ostrich farm
PLETTENBERG BAY
Cape Point
Coastal cycling/Sandy Beatty
Hermanus Whale watch
(Jun-Nov)
Grade & Terrain: Grade B 240km/9 days, making an average of 26km per day. The route has been planned to maximize flexibility: keen cyclists can tackle longer routes on many days if they want, or on the other hand you can on most days choose to cycle less or not at all, as the support vehicle (with bike trailer) normally follows the routes. The terrain is variable but most cycling is on small roads and good tracks. Tour Staff & Support: Explore Tour Leader cycles with you each day while the support vehicle and driver are available to provide back up or assistance if needed. All luggage is transported in the support vehicle. Group Size: Approx. 12 to 16.
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Cape Agulhas Southernmost point in Africa
INDIAN OCEAN
Groot
DATES & PRICES in £s per adult 12 days from London (Thu-Mon) 2008 deps 16 Oct-27 Oct 13 Nov-24 Nov 18 Dec-29 Dec 2009 deps 12 Feb-23 Feb 09 Apr-20 Apr Flight Incl 1399 1399 1699 Flight Incl 1399 1549 Land Only 699 699 739 Land Only 739 739
Land Only tour: 10 days - start Cape Town day 2 (Fri), end Cape Town day 11 (Sun) Plus Local Payment: ZAR1500 (approx £105) payable Cape Town These are guide prices, see p46 for full details
Stunning scenery of the Cape/Chris Bradley
Essential information about our tours see pages 45-51
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