Klein Karoo visit with amazing star gazing in Sutherland, travelling via some fantastic mountain passes. Visiting small towns and enjoying the Karoo. Enjoy the Swartberg pass - visit the Cango Caves. Visit Matjiesfontein for lunch and the Karoo National Park to find the Lions that now roam the Park.
Day 1: Prince Albert (22 February)
Guest will be picked up from their homes, and transferred to OR Tambo airport. Time for the pickup, transfer and flight will be confirmed closer to the date. Depart from the George airport on a scenic drive towards Prince Albert. We travel over the scenic Outeniqua Mountains, through Oudtshoorn and De Rust before arriving in the beautiful Prince Albert valley. Here we then check into our Guesthouse for the first 2 nights of stay. Relax and enjoy the beautiful gardens.
Day 2: Prince Albert (23 February)
The day is set aside to travel along the most scenic and finest mountain passes in the Karoo, which is the Swartberg pass. This 27 km untarred road winds up to a summit at 1583 metres above sea level, with breathtaking views on every turn. The pass descends into the valley close to the famous Cango caves. After visiting the caves, we will again return to Prince Albert over the same pass, but this time in the opposite direction. In the afternoon, guest will have time to visit the museum, and explore the town on foot. *** swartberg pass weather dependant
Day 3: Sutherland (24 February)
Today we are travelling to one of the most well - known towns of the Karoo, namely Sutherland. We travel through parts of the Greater Karoo towards Matjiesfontein. We stop at this historical town to visit the wonderful museum and Victorian village. After enjoying lunch at the village, we continue in a northerly direction towards Sutherland. See how the landscapes continuously changes, and travel through the spectacular Verlatenkloof Mountain Pass. Guest will be surprised by the variety of changing landscapes and farms found along this route. On arrival in Sutherland, we check into our Guesthouse for next two nights. The guesthouse is centrally located near the town centre, and we start exploring the town on foot.
Day 4: Sutherland (25 February)
Sutherland is known for a few things, one being one of the coldest places in the country, but more significantly it is due to it being one of the darkest places. So, one of the world’s most important astronomical observatories is situated here, including the South African Large Telescope (SALT). During the morning, we will participate in an informative tour of this modern facility. After the tour, we explore some of the other attractions of the area. In the evening, we participate in a stargazing experience, hosted by Jurg Wagenaar. This is a very informative session, including an initial presentation and DVD to understand the basics of astronomy, followed by stargazing through telescopes
Day 5: Beaufort west (26 February)
Today we leave this lovely town, and travel back towards main road and Laingsburg, where we visit the Flood Museum. We then travel in an easterly direction to the charming town of Beaufort West. We explore this hidden gem of the Karoo. After enjoying some time in town, we travel to the outskirts of the town, and check into our accommodation for two nights. From the veranda guests will have a lovely view of the big spaces of the Karoo, as well as the high mountains surrounding the farm. Relax and enjoy the beautiful gardens, and the traditional farm dinners in the evenings.
Day 6: Western Cape (27 February)
The region has a beautiful national park, and today we will be visiting the Karoo National Park. After lunch at the park, we make our way back to the farm, for some time to relax, before we do sunset game drive on the farm
Day 7: Guest House, Bloemfontein (28 February)
Sadly, we start leaving the Karoo behind us on the route back home. We continue through the Great Karoo, and travel via Richmond and Hanover towards Colesberg, where we will enjoy lunch. We continue on the last leg of the day towards Bloemfontein. We check into our Guesthouse, situated in the quiet suburbs of town, for our last stay on tour.
Day 8: End of Itinerary (1 March)
We travel via Bloemfontein and Kroonstad towards Johannesburg. Guests will be dropped off at their home in the mid afternoon.
