Pretoria to Cape Town - A Tour of Contrasts

Arrival at the airport.

Rental car pick-up
Type: VW Polo Sedan or Similar
Pick-up location: Johannesburg, Airport

Via Gauteng, the "Place of Gold"
Distance: 50 km Travel time: 1:00 h

 You will leave Johannesburg and head towards Tshwane, the administrative and diplomatic heart of South Africa.

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast at Teds Place

1 Night, Bed & Breakfast
The B&B at Ted's Place is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac away from motor and pedestrian traffic. Nestled on the gentle slope of the Bronberg Mountain with its breathtaking views, it is close to all major highways. There are four tastefully decorated en-suite double bedrooms, each with television. A private lounge and game room are also available. Safe, secure, lock-up garages leading directly into the home represent an added convenience.


Details: Tshwane (Pretoria)
Although it is primarily an administrative centre, Tshwane has important industries, especially iron and steel. Founded in 1855, the city was named after Andries Pretorius, a Boer leader. When the Union of South Africa was founded in 1910, Pretoria became its administrative and Cape Town its legislative capital. The Transvaal Museum, the National Historical Cultural Museum, and the National Zoological Gardens are all worth a visit.

From the highveld to northern Natal
Distance: 500 km Travel time: 6:00 h

Accommodation: A park camp

2 Nights, Accommodation only
The camp has thatched round huts and chalets that blend with the surrounding bush. A swimming pool and restaurant are available in the camp, although some of the rooms are also equipped for self-catering. The park is renowned for the guided walks it offers, which can be booked at the reception desk.


Details: Itala Park
Many travellers who are familiar with this nature reserve on the border of Swaziland call it the most beautiful reserve in Southern Africa. It consists of mountains, deep valleys and untouched natural bush. The park boasts rhinos, elephants, buffalo, leopards, giraffes and many antelope and other animal species in an area of about 30,000 km². A 30 km road through the park offers great viewing by vehicle. A variety of accommodations are available, from luxury lodges to camping sites, and the service is far superior to that of other national reserves.

To Hluhluwe
 Distance: 140 km Travel time: 2:00 h

Accommodation: A family-run game lodge

2 Nights, DBB & game drive
Leopard Mountain Game Lodge a Big 5 multiple award winning 4 star game lodge situated within the 23 000ha Zululand Rhino Reserve. Thatched stone chalets provide stunning views of a vast stretch of unspoiled bushland, peace and tranquility.
Join our game drives or book a guided walking safari to get up, close and personal with the big 5 and some of Africa's endangered species such as the Black Rhino, Cheetah, Brown Hyena and Wild Dog and enjoy a sundowner amidst the lush Zululand bushveld or soak up the sun around the unique rock pool and enjoy romantic starry evenings around an open fire with tantalizing cuisine, sipping wine from the award winning wine collection.

Each chalet is light and spacious with its own private balcony and hammock, incredible view, en-suite bathroom, mini bar, tea and coffee facilities and mosquito nets over the beds.
Amongst others, you can also book Whale watching, Estuary boat cruises, Horse riding, Tiger fishing, Cultural tours and others at Leopard Mountain Game Lodge. These activities are then offered away from the Reserve.

Details: Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Game Reserve
At 1,000 km² combined, the Umfolozi and Hluhluwe nature reserves may be significantly smaller than better-known Kruger National Park, but when it comes to diversity of landscape, plant life and game, these reserves are very much on a par with Kruger. While Hluhluwe is more hilly and covered with natural bush, Umfolozi has open bushveld. The park boasts the big five game animals, and Umfolozi is especially well known throughout the world for its successful project to save the white rhino. The present population stands at over 1,000 in this park alone.

The temperature can rise to 40°C in the summer. Early mornings and late afternoons, when the animals seek shelter from the scorching sun, are the best times to view game. Whereas the bush vegetation is especially beautiful in the summer, the drier winter vegetation allows for better game viewing. Hikes can be arranged from various campsites within the park, and longer overnight hikes accompanied by an experienced guide are also available.

Natal Midlands
Distance: 310 km Travel time: 4:30 h

Accommodation: A former mission farm

2 Nights, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
The accommodation is a small, delightfully decorated farmhouse 3 km from Hermannsburg. Three rooms and a large living room have been set aside for guests. The enormous garden that surrounds the farmstead contributes to the relaxing atmosphere. The guest-house is renowned for its wonderful breakfasts.

Possible activities include a visit to Lilani Hot Springs, an interesting local museum that traces the history of the European missionaries who settled in the area, and an excursion to a local landmark called The Kop (The Head) with the beautiful Tugela River meandering far below. Hermannsburg is also a good place to experience the native Africans.

Details: Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg is one of the oldest mission stations in Africa. In 1854 Lutheran missionaries arrived in South Africa from a town named Hermannsburg in northern Germany. They purchased a farm in the midlands of Natal named Perseverance and started their work under great adversity. Two Lutheran churches were founded, a German-speaking church and a Zulu church. A German-speaking congregation and German school with English medium can still be found in Hermannsburg to this day. It is an odd experience for travellers to encounter a German village amidst German oak trees in the middle of Zululand. A local museum relates the history of the town.

Through the midlands and into the Drakensberg
Distance: 240 km Travel time: 3:30 h

Accommodation: A park camp at Cathedral Peak

2 Nights, Accommodation only
The thatched camp is situated at the foot of mighty Cathedral Peak in central Drakensberg. It was completed in 2002 and reflects the fact that Drakensberg was originally inhabited by the Bushmen. The chalets are decorated with murals - a homage to the prehistoric artists who left many cave drawings and rock engravings in nearby Didima Gorge. All meals are offered in the camp restaurant. A swimming pool is available.


Details: Drakensberg
The Drakensberg mountain range of Natal forms the most dramatic escarpment between the South African Highveld and the low-lying regions. Soft meadows, jagged cliffs and bizarre rock formations create majestic scenery. From any vantage point you can enjoy a grand view into the low-lying Kwazulu Natal region. The Drakensberg has a network of hiking trails, some of which have caves for overnight self-catering accommodation. Most of the caves were used by Bushmen for many centuries. The best months to hike are the drier months (March to September) when the views are best, but a stay in the berg during the summer months (October to February) is also very rewarding due to the warm weather, green hills and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms can be fierce but are usually brief, after which you can resume your walk.

Golden Gate
Distance: 200 km Travel time: 3:30 h

Accommodation: Oranje Guest Farm

1 Night, Bed & Breakfast
The tranquil working farm is set among the beautiful mountains of the eastern Free State near the border of Lesotho. Sophisticated, spacious bedrooms in the beautifully restored farmhouse have their own entrance, TV, electric blanket, safe, hairdryer, heater and tea tray. Guests can warm up in front of a log fire in the winter or enjoy a sundowner at the Stoep Café with views of the surrounding mountains. Activities include mountain walks and hiking on the farm.


Details: Golden Gate
Some of South Africa's best scenic highlights are contained in this mountainous nature reserve. It has magnificent sandstone rocks that produce a red glow in the light of the setting sun and caves with Bushman paintings. The Rhebuck Hiking Trail is a 9 km path leading to a viewpoint from where one can see mountainous Lesotho, the Natal Drakensberg and far into the endless open landscape of the western Free State. A scenic car route meanders through the Golden Gate Park, home to antelope, rock rabbits and rare bird life. A trek along the hiking trails or a horseback ride are the best ways to explore this wonderful park in our view.

Into the semi-desert of Karoo
Distance: 700 km Travel time: 9:00 h

Accommodation: An early 20th century villa

2 Nights, Bed & Breakfast
Built in 1905, the elegant Georgian-style house is one of the most beautiful buildings in Graaf Reinet. It is located in a quiet suburb on the edge of town. Guests stay in comfortable rooms in the converted stables and barn. Breakfast is served in the pleasant garden (weather permitting) and the owners pride themselves on their good service.


Details: Graaff-Reinet
The South African Highveld and coastal plains are divided by a mountain range that runs parallel to the coast from the west coast to Kruger Park. Graaff-Reinet lies in a gap in the mountains separating the Highveld and low-lying areas. Wild animals used the route as a passageway between the interior and the coast long before the area was settled by the Boers. The abundance of game has attracted people to the area for centuries. Graaff-Reinet is one of the oldest cities in South Africa. It was built in the typical Cape Dutch style and is surrounded by game reserves. The Valley of Desolation is an outstanding nature reserve that is well worth a visit.

The Garden Route
Distance: 410 km Travel Time: 5:00 h

Accommodation: Azure House

3 Nights, Bed & Breakfast
In the tranquil suburb of Paradise, Azure House reflects elements of Cape Cod and the Caribbean, with breathtaking views across the lagoon to the Knysna Heads. Spacious, stylish bedrooms and two family units have private furnished patios with barbeques and kitchenettes for self-catering. Breakfast on your patio and watch the boats sail by or the Choo-Tjoe steaming its way across the lagoon. Relax at the pool listening to the sound of the Knysna Loerie in the indigenous garden or explore the galleries and shops in town.


Details: Garden Route
The coastal region between Swellendam and Humansdorp is known as the Garden Route. It is characterised by picturesque coves, secluded beaches, steep cliffs and indigenous forests. Just inland, high mountain ranges cause precipitation of up to 2,500 mm a year. Behind the mountains the rainfall quickly diminishes to around 250 mm per year. Despite this precipitation the Garden Route is not considered a high rainfall area. Rain showers are brief but intense and occur mostly at night. The name of the region derives from the first immigrants, who thought they had found the Garden of Eden. The Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park is the area\'s main attraction with its unspoiled forest and coastal areas through which beautiful hiking trails meander.

To the Cape of Good Hope
Distance: 490 km Travel time: 5:30h

Accommodation: 1 on Queens

4 Nights, Bed & Breakfast
Situated on the slopes of Signal Hill, this newly built Tuscan Villa has all you need for an enjoyable and relaxing stay in Cape Town. Most of the rooms have large private balconies affording spectacular views of either Table Mountain or the City. Each room has spacious bathroom with separate bath and shower, satellite television, M-Net (cable television), telephone, internet facility, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and tea & coffee tray.
Delicious Continental and English breakfasts are served overlooking a sparkling pool and secluded garden. Secure parking is available.
Trendy Kloof Street with its cosmopolitan atmosphere is only a short stroll away. A mere five minutes drive takes you either to the City Centre, Cape Town International Conference Centre, V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain Cable Station or to the splendid beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton.


Details: Cape Town
The city of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula alone warrant a trip to South Africa. It is the oldest city in South Africa, commander Jan van Riebeek having landed at Cape Town in 1652. From there the Boers migrated further into the country. In 1814 the Dutch East India Company ceded the land to the British Crown. The British influence increased from then on, and today Cape Town is probably the most liberal city in South Africa. This is where the abolishment of apartheid began.

You will probably not find a more beautiful setting for any city in the world. Overlooking the city is Table Mountain, a flat-topped mountain often covered with a tablecloth of clouds. To the east the vineyards produce wines of world-class quality, and at the southern point, known as the Cape of Good Hope, a nature conservation area protects the fauna and flora. There one can take secluded walking trails which provide a view of both oceans.

Bathers are advised to swim in the warmer waters of the Mozambique current on the eastern side, which is approximately 2° warmer than the Atlantic Ocean with its current stemming from the Antarctic.

Rental car drop off
Drop off location: Cape Town, Airport

Climate Compensation
For more information on our project, please refer to our website:
www.umfulana.com/climateza

Rental car company: AVIS (South Africa)
Type: VW Polo Sedan or Similar (Group C)

Accessories: Manual transmission, 4 Door, Radio/CD, Airbags, Air-conditioning, ABS, Electric Windows, Power Steering, Central Locking
Capacity: 4 persons, 2 medium bags, 1 small bag

Premium cover excess: 0.00 ZAR