Explore the Western Cape and Kruger on a 3-week South Africa itinerary

DAY 7 / KAYAKING WITH WHALES AND DRIVING THE GARDEN ROUTE

This morning join the Walker Bay Adventure for their whale spotting kayak tour. They are the only company permitted to provide kayaking tours in the area. If the whales don’t perform for you (and they did not for us), dolphins, seals, a variety of birdlife are compensation enough. The view over the coast help as well.

After the tour, head along the Garden Route to Plettenberg Bay. Contrary to what you may have heard, this part of the Garden Route is a busy motorway tucked back from the coast. It’s best to get it done as quickly as possible.

If you fancy a break on the 5-hour drive stop for a coffee, sandwiches and cake at the funky Blue Shed Coffee Roastery in Mossel Bay. It serves great coffee in a rustic industrial old shed surrounded by burnt out tractors and cars.

In Plettenburg, stay at Milkwood Manor on Lookout beach. The hotel and beach were almost destroyed when the river that runs to the sea changed course a few years ago. It is a fascinating story, explained by pictures lined along the hotel’s walls.

DAY 8 / THE HIKING THE STUNNING ROBBERG PENINSULAR

This morning head for the Robberg Peninsular Walk, a spectacular cliff top walk that rates highly on our list of top day hikes around the world. From the nature reserve follow the signs which take you clockwise on a beautiful path that hugs the cliff tops.

The hike takes about 4 hours and towards the end, you will arrive at an untouched beach with large rolling sand dunes and pristine water. It’s the perfect way to cool off.

After the walk, drive back to Plettenberg and have lunch at the Lookout Deck. The food is average but the views of dolphins playing in the waves makes up for it. Spend the rest of the afternoon lazing on the beach.

DAY 9 / VISITING MONKEYS & TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK

This morning, head to Monkeyland a free-roaming, multi-species primate sanctuary that rescues previously caged primates who would not make it in the wild. It’s an impressive operation and great fun photographing monkeys metres from you. After Monkeyland potter round the Birds of Eden, an aviary home to over 220 species of predominantly African birds.

Next, head up to Tsitsikamma National Park and join a kayak tour up the mouth of Storms River. It is an excellent way to head up the narrow gorge and get an impression of the power and swell of the sea.

After the kayaking, hike the Waterfall Trail – the start of the 43 km Otter Trail. The walk takes you along rugged coastline to a spectacular waterfall where, if brave enough, you can take a very refreshing swim. It’s around 3 hours return, the path is clearly marked, and relatively easy, although there is some light scrambling over rocks for part of the way.

DAY 10 / OVER THE SWARTBERG PASS INTO LITTLE KAROO

This morning continue your 3-week South Africa itinerary by heading inland to Prince Albert in the semi-arid Little Karoo.

To fuel up for the journey grab breakfast or a coffee at East Head Café, an afro-retro chic hang-out with beautiful interiors and even better views over the ocean.

Next head north, exchanging the cool, forested mountains for dry open plains, tumbleweed and flouring succulents. At Oudtshoorn stop off for lunch at Jemima’s, then have a quick coffee at Bean’s About Coffee.

Drive on to Prince Albert, via the magnificent Swartberg Pass, a windy gravel road that zigzags its way through red rock canyons. Keep an eye out for the children ready to greet you on the side of the road, your first sign that, despite appearances, the Karoo is not devoid of life.

Prince Albert is a vibrant desert community full of art, innovative restaurants and quirky shops. We stayed at the Dennehof Karoo Guesthouse and had dinner at the Gallery Café, both of which we highly recommend.

DAY 11 / GREAT FOOD AND WINE IN THE WINELANDS

Begin today by driving 3 hours, 45 minute to Delaire Graff Estate for lunch. It has very impressive grounds, equally impressive views over the neighbouring wineries and food that is a tasty blend of local produce with an Asian influence.

After lunch, slowly meander the roads to Franschhoek stopping off at whichever wineries take your fancy. We enjoyed tasting in Tokara’s fabulous modern tasting hall and Boschendal’s relaxing garden.

Stay in Franschhoek a cute town in the centre of the Winelands to the east of Cape Town and the perfect place to settle down for a couple of days sampling the best food and wine South Africa has to offer.

DAY 12 / FRANSCHHOEK WINE TRAM

Franschhoek has a Wine Tram that meanders around many of the wine farms in the area. Pick one of 8 routes and hop on and hop off at wine farms of your choice throughout the day. If you start at before 10 am you can get to about 6 wine farms.

It’s an excellent way to let someone else take the strain as you eat and drink your way around the area. By the mid-afternoon, the wine tram is a hubbub of chatter and before long, you will have made a number of friends for life, even if you can’t remember their names.

DAY 13 / FRANSCHHOEK TO GRASKOP

Today we head east on our 3-week South Africa itinerary. Drive to Cape Town International Airport and fly to Johannesburg. Pick up your hire car at the airport and drive to Graskop (4 hours).

With waiting times at the airport, queueing up for your hire car, then driving for 4 hours, there’s not much else you will achieve today. Unfortunately, the drive to Graskop is not that interesting, so best to just get it out of the way.

DAY 14 / EXPLORING THE MAGNIFICENT BLYDE RIVER CANYON

Wake up fresh and spritely to explore the Blyde River Canyon, a 25km long, 750m deep canyon which makes it into the record books and the third largest canyon on earth. If you’re out in the morning, you’ll probably be treated to beautiful views as the mist and clouds cling to the canyon creating very atmospheric photographs. Make your way from Graskop along the R532 stopping at God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Three Rondavels, all of which provide beautiful viewpoints of the canyon.

Just a few minutes north of Three Rondavels, locate Forever Resort and pay the small fee to do some of the local walks around the canyon. You can walk up to the plateau (yellow leopard trail); down to the valley bottom to pools and waterfalls; or wind your way in and out of the jungle that clings to the canyon walls (blue grouse trail).

DAY 15 – 16 / SELF DRIVING IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

If you’ve never been on safari before, it’s hard to explain the sense of excitement you feel when you drive into the park and spot your first animal. There are so many African safari animals to see that we recommend two days self-driving in Kruger (one of the great safari parks in the world) and two days being guided around Sabi Sands, a private game reserve bordering Kruger to the west.

Leaving Graskop, enter Kruger through Orpen Gate, paying your fees and picking up a map. Kruger is huge with a large network of self-drive roads. But owing to its size you cannot hope to cover it all in a couple of days, so you need to pick where you want to go to give you the best chance of seeing the type of animals you want to see.

We recommend staying one night at Satara Rest Camp and the other at Olifants Rest Camp, 2 hours away. The first offers excellent cat viewing and the latter is better for hippos and crocodiles with fine views over the valley below.

Read our tips for a great self-driving Kruger experience.

DAY 19 / LONG DRIVE BACK TO JOHANNESBURG

Today leave Nkorho and make your way to Johannesburg via Dullstroom. At an altitude of 2100m above sea level, it has the honour of being the highest village in South Africa, and is a conveniently located stop for lunch. It’s a very cute town with lots of good food options. We ate at the humbly named Art of Food and it was, deliciously arty.

Despite its size, Johannesburg is a relatively easy city to drive through. We stayed in Melville, the cool, bohemian side of town. With a large student population, it’s home to a number of funky bars and cafe and a selection of decent restaurants nearby.

DAY 20 / UNDERSTANDING APARTHEID IN JOHANNESBURG

This morning, take a cycling tour through Soweto with Soweto Backpackers and understand more about the history of the township and the famous uprising. The knowledgeable guides explain how the struggle against apartheid played out in this important area and introduces you to welcoming locals.

After the tour, take a walk around the Hector Pieterson museum, which commemorates the role the countries children took in the struggle against apartheid. In particular, the tragic protests of 1976 which saw many people shot by police while protesting against the substandard education in black schools.

In the afternoon, visit the Apartheid Museum near the centre of Johannesburg, an excellent museum telling the story of the rise and fall of apartheid across 22 exhibition areas. Using a variety of audio-visual mediums, it’s both chilling and inspiring to hear first-hand accounts of the struggle towards democracy. Allow plenty of time to see everything.