South Africa: Best of the Cape

REVAMPED ITINERARY!

The Cape of South Africa is awesome for its uniqueness and diversity. On this tour, we’ll take in its very best natural features. We’ll visit during the austral spring when many plants will be in bloom, and bird breeding activity will be beginning. Arid landscapes respond to spring rains by transforming into desert gardens that provide a tantalizing embellishment to various large mammals typical of this region.

We’ll begin on southern edge of the Kalahari along the Oranje (Orange) River, which provides year-round water through a region that is otherwise largely arid. At Augrabies, we skirt the gorge formed by the Orange as it cuts through ancient bedrock as we explore a landscape studded by boulders. We’ll then move west and south through stony country into the mythical Namaqualand where we may find a land cloaked in an unparalleled floral show. The uncanny habitats are accented by captivating succulents such as the tiny Lithops and the imposing Quiver Tree.

We’ll continue southward towards West Coast National Park, where vast areas should be awash in blossoms. We’ll watch for some of the many peculiar birds including the Black Harrier and Blue Crane and encounter signature large mammals including the threatened Cape Mountain Zebra with its distinctive stripe pattern. Finally, we descend firmly into the heart of the fynbos, the distinctive shrubland habitat containing the world’s highest concentration of endemic plants, many simply bizarre and astonishing such as the dazzling Proteas. The habitats and scenery are striking and form a fine backdrop for the area’s wonderful bird life. Among the distinctive ones, we’ll watch for the Cape Rockjumper and visit an African Penguin colony. Whales may breach offshore!

If you enjoy sweeping and eclectic landscapes and the chance to see peculiar and endemic wildlife, consider joining us on this fabulous tour. Tasting the Cape’s famous wines is optional!

We will offer a pre-trip extension to the fabled Kalahari region. Here in Kgalagadi (Kalahari) National Park, you can enjoy a more ‘typical’ African safari experience as we encounter the wildlife we associate most with this continent. Among others, Cheetahs, Giraffe and Kalahari’s famous black-maned African Lions roam the semi-desert environment. Our choice lodge serves as a wonderful base from which we set forth for excursions! Enjoy the spectacular night sky, too!