Wildflowers, Wine and the Cape Floral Kingdom - Botanical Histories in South Africa

Itinerary at a glance

Pre-Tour Victoria Falls Extension: 19 - 21 August 2024

• Day 1: Johannesburg / Victoria Falls (Mon, 19 August) Mid-morning flight to Victoria Falls, arriving early afternoon.
• Day 2: Victoria Falls (Tues, 20 August) Guided tour of Victoria Falls. Afternoon at leisure. Evening cruise on an open sided boat for a beautiful Zambezi sunset.
• Day 3: Victoria Falls / Johannesburg (Wed, 21 August) Fly back to Johannesburg and check into tour hotel.

Main Tour: 22 August - 5 September 2024

• Day 1: Cape Town (Thurs, 22 August) Arrive in Cape Town and check in to hotel with the day at leisure. Enjoy dinner at the hotel in the evening.
• Day 2: Cape Town (Fri, 23 August) The Fynbos: Discovering the Classic Plants and Inventing Biomes Visit the Kirstenbosch Gardens and the Compton Herbarium - the second largest herbarium in southern Africa. Drive to the Cape Flats to visit a non-profit micro farming community garden, Abalimi Bezekhaya, engaged in the conservation, rehabilitation and protection of this natural environment. Head to the coast to travel along the scenic and rugged cape coastline, sandwiched between the Hottentots Hollands mountains and turquoise waters. Welcome dinner at Gold restaurant.
• Day 3: Cape Town (Sat, 24 August) Proteas Ahoy: Plants and Stopovers at the Cape Drive to the historic naval town of Simon's Town. Robert Brown, regarded as one of the finest figures in British botany, called in at the town in 1801 where he saw for the first time the protea (South Africa’s national flower), growing in their natural habitat. Continue to the Point itself and discover local, wild flavours including mushrooms, seaweeds, edible weeds and flowers. Return to Cape Town via the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive and at leisure.
• Day 4: Cape Town / Hermanus (Sun, 25 August) Always Something New Out of Africa Take the cable car up Table Mountain and enjoy a guided floral nature trek. Table Mountain was the site of early collecting by Francis Masson, who was dispatched by Joseph Banks to explore this region starting in late 1772. Visit the VOC or Company Gardens, which Joseph Banks visited on the Endeavour voyage in 1771. Continue on a walking tour through the Bo-Kaap, which dates back to the Dutch colonists, who brought slaves from Indonesia, Batavia, Malaysia, India and Africa. Learn of the spices and herbs used in everyday Cape Malay cooking.
• Day 5: Hermanus (Mon, 26 August) Postboxes and Thickets: The Milkwood Tree Travel to Grootbos and visit the Milkwood Forest, learning of the 1000-year-old trees and the Fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Take part in a walk of the Fynbos trail with Sean Privett and learn of his conservation work within the Cape Floral Kingdom. Return and option for whale watching along the coastal walkway.
• Day 6: Cape Flats / Franschhoek (Tues, 27 August) Pinot Noir + Hermitage
  Drive to Overberg, heading inland to the famous wine growing region of Franschhoek.Visit the Fairview Estate for a wine tasting and time enjoy the scenery, cafe and shop on the estate. Visit Cucina Di Giovanni at Laborie Wine Estate for dinner with wine.
• Day 7: Franschhoek (Wed, 28 August) Taking Stock, Food, Drink and Medicine Cape Style Full day at leisure. Option to take the 'wine tram' for a range of tastings.
• Day 8: Franschhoek / Clanwilliam (Thurs, 29 August) Rhinoceros bushes and bulbs: the historic problems of plant collecting Drive to the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens near Worcester. This 154 hectare garden lies at the foot of the Hex River Mountain range and displays a wide variety of arid and semi-arid plants. Continue to Langebaan and the Windtown Lagoon Hotel.
• Day 9: Langebaan (Fri, 30 August) Fertile valleys, towering hills: farming foreign and native plants in the shadow of the Clanwilliam Cedar Continue towards the Cederberg Mountains and take in spectacular surroundings and unique wildflower displays. This is the only place on earth where rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), a unique health-enhancing plant, is found. Visit a local rooibos farm at Skimmelberg and see how both rooibos and buchu are cultivated organically and take in the spectacular wildflowers when in season.
• Day 10: Langebaan (Sat, 31 August) The Allure of Wildflowers Drive to the 27,000-hectare West Coast National Park along the coast. The park is a spectacular sight in spring, covered in the yellows, whites, reds and purples of a wide variety of wildflowers. Return in the late afternoon.
• Day 11: Langebaan / Himeville (Sun, 1 Sept) Drive to Cape Town to fly to Durban. Arrive Durban and meet with your specialist botanical historian, Elsa Pooley, and drive to the Premier Resort Sani Pass.
• Day 12: Himeville (Mon, 2 Sept) Ancient Flora of the Dragon Mountains: Plants of the ‘Barrier of Spears’ Take a half day excursion with local expert Stuart McLean and explore the southern Drakensburg, wildflowers and ancient rock art by the Indigenous San people. Afternoon at leisure or option to visit the town of Himeville and the Himeville Museum and Cheese Farm
• Day 13: Himeville (Tues, 3 Sept) Wild and Tamed Nature: Botanical Gardens and the Future of South Africans Plants A full day tour up to the dramatic Sani Pass and onto the Sani Topp.
• Day 14: Himeville / Durban: (Thurs, 4 Sept) Drive to Durban and transfer to the hotel. Farewell dinner.
• Day 15: Durban (Fri, 5 Sept) Depart or take the safari extension.

Post-Tour Safari Extension: 5 -8 September 2024

• Day 15: Durban / Bayala (Fri, 5 Sept) Drive up the coast to Bayala Private Safari Lodge and Camp. Take part in an afternoon game drive.
• Day 16: Bayla (Sat, 6 Sept) Morning game drive and at leisure.
• Day 17: Bayla / Durban (Sun, 7 Sept) Morning game drive and at leisure. Drive to Durban and overnight.
• Day 18: Durban (Mon, 8 Sept) Depart after breakfast.