5 days from ZAR 13 050 per person
24-28 AUGUST 2022
Walking amongst the annual Spring wildflowers is an uplifting and enchanting experience as the senses are filled with a myriad of vibrant colors, warm sunshine and the buzzing and beauty of life in the throes of Spring.
We stay in charming countryside guest houses with friendly hosts (some who are also wonderful chefs), discover rockart paintings thousands of years old, meet local farmers and botanists and immerse ourselves amongst a multitude of flowers each day.
Getting outdoors and walking every day
The thousands upon thousands of flowers in every shape, size and color
Discovering ancient rockart paintings in the Cederberg
Walking on a private flower farm in Niewoudtville, the bulb capital of the world
Delicious wholesome meals cooked specially for us by some wonderful in- house chefs
Staying in Paternoster, one of the prettiest fishing villages on the West Coast
Seeing flowers AND wildlife in the West Coast National Park
Celebrating Springtime in Nature!
OUR WILDFLOWER ADVENTURE BEGINS…..
DAY 1: CITRUSDAL | NIEWOUDTVILLE
We set off from Cape Town early morning over the Piekenaarskloof mountains and into the citrus filled valleys of the Olifants river. From Citrusdal our route continues north climbing the spectacular Vanryns Mountain Pass where we enjoy our picnic lunch with beautiful views to arrive in Niewoudtville, the flowering bulb capital of the world and home to hundreds of different flower species. We have time to enjoy a walk around the flower filled village and also visit the Niewoudtville waterfall and Quiver Tree Forest. We are welcomed into an historic farmhouse with friendly local hosts where we stay for the night.
DAY 2: NIEWOUDTVILLE | FLOWER FARMS
We spend today exploring the natural wonders and wild flowers of Niewoudtville enjoying a walk on the beautiful farm Papkuilsfontein, owned by the Van Wyk family who are passionate about conserving their land and the flowers. On our circular hike we discover some of the 500+ floral species that occur in this region (try to observe how many species you can count on a square meter of land!). We travel to the village of Calvinia for the night and enjoy a traditional Karoo candle lit dinner.
DAY 3: CLANWILLIAM | ROCK ART PAINTINGS
This morning we take the scenic Botterkloof Pass (weather permitting) on our flower route into the Cederberg Mountain Conservancy. On arrival at Travellers Rest we set off on the Sevilla Rock Art Trail viewing ancient rock art paintings left behind by the San people who inhabited the area for thousands of years. Keep an eye also out for springbok and eland, rock rabbits and baboons amongst a rich array of flowers. The Pakhuis Pass brings us into Clanwilliam for the night.
DAY 4: PATERNOSTER | WEST COAST FLOWER ROUTE
In the morning we drive along the West Coast flower route to the quaint fishing village of Paternoster, where we walk in the nearby Cape Columbine Reserve. In the afternoon there is leisure time to enjoy your own walk on the beautiful white-duned beach in front of our guest house and explore the village before sampling a delicious farewell dinner prepared by our host/resident chef.
DAY 5: WEST COAST NATIONAL PARK | CAPE TOWN
After breakfast we depart to the West Coast National Park, a haven for wildlife and important wetland sanctuary for birds centered around a sparkling blue lagoon. Here we walk amongst a tapestry of flowers, spotting wildlife and whales (if we are lucky!) on our path and after our picnic lunch travel back to Cape Town with memories of our 5 days spent walking amongst the beautiful Spring flowers.
How your Wildflower Adventure is Helping the Earth
We support the White Lion Protection Trust located in Timbavati part of the Greater Kruger Park biosphere and sacred home to the only protected 12 White Lions on Earth. On this tour you will be helping to keep the White Lions safe by supporting the “Day of Freedom Campaign”
-see more on
https://whitelions.org/day-of-freedom
How do I sign up?
A 25% non -refundable deposit secures your place on this tour.
Where does the trip start and end?
We depart from and return to Cape Town. As timing is quite tight with our daily schedule we highly recommend you stay over the night before and after the tour in Cape Town. We can help you with booking accommodation with pleasure.
What is included?
- Your tour is fully inclusive of accommodation in deluxe hand -picked guest houses
- All meals from the start to the end of the trip
- All entrance fees to nature reserves and private farms
- Ground transportation
- A professional tour host
- Collection and drop off from your accommodation in the city center (airport transfers can be arranged at an additional cost)
- A small goodie/gift bag with some snacks and treats
- A live Q&A session before the tour so you can ask any questions direct to your tour leader and meet your fellow travelers.
What is excluded?
- Any drinks with or without meals
- Gratuity for your driver/guide (at your own discretion)
- Travel insurance: medical is compulsory and cancellation highly recommended
Payments and cancellation policy
Payment: A 25% non -refundable deposit secures your place with balance due 60 days before departure. We accept payment by electronic bank transfer (EFT) or Mastercard/Visa. If you are paying by credit card there is a 3% extra charge added on the total cost. You are welcome to contact us to arrange a payment plan if you prefer to pay in more than 2 instalments.
Cancellation: Your 25% sign up deposit payment is non- refundable should you cancel your place due to personal reasons. From 1-45 days prior to the departure date of your trip your balance of payment cannot be refunded as at this stage we will have paid all our suppliers.
We therefore highly recommend you take out travel insurance cover in case you need to cancel your trip.
Covid related Cancellations: Should you be unable to travel due to Covid related illness we will offer you a voucher to the full value of your trip less 10% processing fee which you can use for a future date to travel on any of our scheduled or tailor made tours.
Should your trip be cancelled on our side 45 days+ due to Covid travel restriction we will offer you a full refund less 10% processing fee on your deposit payment. Should this cancellation take place within 45 days prior to your departure and your balance of payment has been made we will offer you alternative dates of travel as a postponement or alternatively endevour to refund you as much as possible dependant on what we can negotiate with our local partners and suppliers.
Again, we highly recommend taking out travel insurance cover.
What is the group size?
We find the perfect group size is between 8-10 participants which ensures an intimate personal experience
Can you tell me what to pack?
We will send you a suggested packing list prior to your departure. Some essential items include a refillable water bottle, good pair of closed walking shoes, a warm jacket, sunhat and sun glasses, a personal medical kit and plenty spare storage cards and batteries for your camera.
Are there luggage restrictions?
We suggest one medium sized soft luggage bag (max. weight 20kg) and 1 piece of hand luggage inside the vehicle per person (ie) such as a small rucksack with your camera or handbag.
What is the weather like?
You can expect warm day temperatures averaging 20 C with cold nights of around 7 C. The weather during your tour is not under our control; we will do our best to visit alternative attractions in the region should there be a rainy spell and walking or viewing the flowers not possible.
How fit do I need to be?
You need to be moderately fit and able to walk at a leisurely pace for 3-4 hours. This tour is not about covering large distances and strenuous hiking as there will be plenty time to stop and photograph or observe the flowers and nature around you.
Seasonal variation in flowers:
The flowers are totally dependent on the weather and rainfall conditions from year to year. We schedule all our tours to depart at the peak flowering period (mid Aug- mid Sept); however we cannot guarantee that the weather conditions will be optimal in advance. We reserve the right to change the itinerary to include the best flowering regions for each tour departure and should the weather conditions effect the flower display your guide will ensure that you discover the best natural highlights of each region.