Ladies Only South African Motorcycle Adventure
In conjuction with
Duration: 17 days / 16 nights
Distance: Approx 2400 km
Dates: April 20 to May 6, 2009
April 20: Depart Toronto
April 21: Layover Europe
April 22/23/24:Harfield Guest Villa Cape Town (DBB basis)
April 25: Cathbert Country Inn (DBB basis)
April 26/27: Altes Landhuis Oudtshoorn (DBB basis)
April 28/29/30: Addo Elephant Park (Full Board basis)
May 01/02: Tstikama Lodge, Storms River (DBB basis)
May 03/04: Villa Castoloni Knysna (DBB basis)
May 05: Flight from George connect in Cape Town for flight home
May 06: Arrive Canada
Sample Accommodations:
www.harfield.co.za
www.cathbert.co.za
Trip in Brief
This is an all tar road – i.e. paved – tour.
April 22, Liz and Michelle will meet you at Cape Town airport and transfer you to the lodge where you can freshen up and relax after your flight. Around lunch time you will gather around the pool and have an informal riders brief and have a chance to familiarize yourself with your motorcycles. You will then go in the chase vehicle to town where you will have a chance to get familiar with the layout of Cape Town and the surrounds. Lunch will be at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, alive with great shops, street performers and lovely quaint restaurants. This is a fantastic place to walk off your jet lag and enjoy the open air. You will return to the lodge in the early evening and go out to dinner at one of the great restaurants in the area. Riding km’s today 0
April 23, After a delicious breakfast you will have a quick safety meeting and start off on a 160km peninsular tour. Michelle will take you on the back roads down to your first stop, Simon’s Town one of South Africa’s oldest towns where you will stop and take in this quaint town and it’s surroundings. You will have an opportunity to see South Africa’s oldest bar, check out a craft market on the waters edge, get a cappuccino or just stretch your legs. Your second stop will be Boulders Beach, the home of the Jack ass penguins a world heritage site and breeding grounds to this little creatures. Lunch will follow at the Seaforth restaurant on the beach. You will continue along the coast to Cape Point National Park, and the furthest South Westerly point on the African continent. You can either walk up to the top of this point or take the funicular, the views from here are stunning. You will continue your ride up the opposite side of the coast through some incredible passes with amazing views. Chapmans Peak is one of our favourite rides. You will stop at the Mariners Wharf restaurant in Hout Bay for an early dinner and watch the sun set over the bay. You will then return to the lodge, Kloof’s Nek pass is really a lovely way to end your day’s ride. Riding Km’s today 165
April 24, Another one of Graham’s famous breakfasts and the saddle up and ride to Table Mountain and take the cable car ride to the top of this great mountain that you have been looking at since you got to Cape Town. There, Michelle will take you on some walking trails on the top of the mountain and you will see some incredible views of Cape Town and it’s environs. Later this morning you will go to Kirsenbosch gardens, steeped in history, followed by a light lunch and afternoon of back road rides before returning to the lodge to shower and change before going out to dinner. Riding km’s today 100
April 25, After a leisurely breakfast you will pack your bikes and depart Cape Town and ride into the wine district where you will enjoy some more great scenery, delightful back roads, old Dutch and old French towns. You will meander through the countryside stopping along the way for a picnic lunch in Stellenbosch before going onto this quaint lodge set in the heart of the winelands. Here you will check in and relax before dinner which by the way is a culinary delight. There will be a different wine served with every course and on hand a local wine grower from the region joining you for dinner and chatting about the wines and the area. Riding km’s today 230
April 26, Breakfast and packing is the order of the day and then off to Oudtshoorn through Van Zyl’s pass, again a stunning ride over the craggy mountains and rolling hills, finally arriving at this spectacular lodge set in a beautiful garden just outside the town of Oudtshoorn. Dinner will be served in front of a roaring fire on the patio with the gregarious lodge owner Helen hovering about and making sure your every need is taken care of. After dinner you will enjoy a port tasting in the bar area while relaxing on big comfortable leather couches in front of a fire. Riding km’s today 470
April 27, Today you will take a tour of the Cango Caves, one of the largest stalagmite and stalactite caves in the world followed by a tour of the Ostrich farm where you will be able to learn about these unique non flying birds, enjoy some time feeding them or if you are bold enough a chance to ride them. You will then go into the town of Oudtshoorn for a light lunch on the patio of a family owned restaurant and then spend the afternoon at the cheetah and big cat sanctuary.
Riding km’s today 40
April 28, After breakfast you bid farewell to this splendid lodge and the great hosts and make your way to Addo Elephant Park, a national park teeming with animals, including lions, elephants, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and a large assortment of antelope. The ride to Addo is once again mixed with back roads, mountain passes and all dotted with great little towns and sleepy villages. You will arrive around 1600hrs where you will be met at the park entrance where the lodge owners will store your bikes and take you in to the lodge in open 4X4 vehicles. Upon arrival you will be able to have a drink at the bar while the guides let you know what will be happening over the next couple of days. You will enjoy two morning game drives and two afternoon game drives whilst in the park. Riding km’s today 390
April 29/30, Activities in the national park. Riding km’s 0
May 01, Today you leave after breakfast and game drive to the gates where you will collect your bikes and start your trip to the Tsitsikama forest, you will ride on all the back roads until the last thirty Km’s where you will be on the highway and cross Storms River Bridge home to the worlds highest Bungee jump at 220 metres. Along the route today you may catch a glimpse of the Southern Right Whales off the coast in the Indian Ocean. A picnic lunch at the world famous Jeffery’s Bay is well worth the stop where some of the best surfers go to ride these gigantic waves. The lodge is an up market rustic affair set at the banks of the storms river mouth with lovely night sounds of the river and a large outdoor area for a bonfire and a few drinks after a traditional South African braaivleis, (BBQ). Riding km’s today 400
May 02, This is a great spot to do some leg stretching and exercise if you wish as there are a great number of activities in this area, including, hiking in the forest with it’s amazing fauna and flora, black water rafting, swimming in the river, taking in a guided walking tour of some waterfalls, zip line adventures (canopying) , repelling, quad biking and for those who are brave enough bungee jumping off this 220m bridge. You will all meet back at the lodge if you different activities around 1800 hours to swap tales over dinner. For those who wish to ride, Michelle will be able to take you on a guided ride around the area. Riding km’s today 0-100 depending on activities
May 03, After breakfast you will still have a couple of hours opportunity to take in one more activity if you choose and then you will leave around 1100 hours and ride down some more great biking roads to Knysna, stopping at Monkey Land for lunch and a chance to wander through the worlds largest free roaming primate sanctuary. You will then get onto the N2 highway and ride the last eighty km’s to this great little town situated on a million year old lagoon and flanked with the Indian Ocean. Nan and Geraldine will welcome you to this fabulous lodge with it’s breathtaking views of the Lagoon. You should be at the lodge around 1700hrs in plenty of time to relax and watch the sunset on the deck. Dinner will be served at the lodge. Riding km’s today 290
May 04, A leisurely start today and then a half day back road ride in and around the Outeniekwa Mountain range with a picnic lunch in the mountains. You will arrive back in Knysna in time for a latte, coffee or tea at a delightful street café in Knysna and the have the option of dropping your bikes at the lodge and taking the sunset boat cruise on the lagoon and enjoying a few glasses of wine and a light snack before returning to the lodge for dinner. Riding km’s today 230
May 05, A relaxing breakfast and a chance to pack and enjoy the remainder of the morning and up until mid afternoon doing some shopping and riding if you wish before you depart for George for your flight to Cape Town and connecting with your onward flight home.
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Prices: |
Cdn. |
$10.380.00 plus GST* (choice of bike) |
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USD |
Exchange calculated on purchase date plus GST* |
Price Includes: Round trip flights to Cape Town from Toronto (other gateways available upon request), one way flight from George to Cape Town, 10 nights on a dinner bed and breakfast basis, three nights on a full board basis, choice of motorcycle, R1200gs, R1200gs adventure, F800gs or F650gs, fully comprehensive insurance with 0 deductible and unlimited mileage. All four and five star accommodation with bathroom ensuite based on double occupancy, all park entrance fees, conservation fees and guides fees. Entrance fees to Cango Caves, Monkey Land, Cable car fees, Cape Point National Park fees, Kirstenbosch National Gardens entrance fees.
Excluded: Airport taxes, (C$250.00) at time of writing, fuel around C$200.00, lunches, tolls, around C$25.00, all optional excursions, trip cancellation and travel insurance, gratuities and beverages other than in Addo Elephant Park.