REGIONS: Red Cederberg Kontrei, The Boland And Warm Bokkeveld Kontrei
PLACES: Wellington, Ceres, Slanghoek Valley, Paarl
Day 1: Cape Town to Bakkrans Private Nature Reserve - DBB
You will be met at your Cape Town accommodation or airport in the Fairest Cape region and drive through Paarl and Wellington, two of the oldest towns in the Berg River valley in a region of the Western Cape Province called the Boland.
Paarl is the only place in the world with such a prominent monument erected for a language. The Afrikaans language monument was built to honour Afrikaans, the youngest language in Africa.
We start our visit to Paarl with a conducted tour of the Afrikaans language monument.
Driving down Main Road of Paarl is an architectural tour in itself because the main designs in South Africa are represented here. We drive through Wellington and Bain's Kloof Pass, completed in 1853 by Andrew Geddes Bain, the engineer who built most of the mountain passes in the Western Cape Province. This one is special because of the use of gun powder for blasting.
We drive through the Warm Bokkeveld kontrei visiting Ceres and Prince Alfred's Hamlet where a light lunch can be enjoyed at the local hotel. We proceed via Gydo Pass - another Bain construction - and visit a working farm in the fruit producing Cold Bokkeveld kontrei.
We arrive late afternoon at Keurbosfontein where we meet our local guide to take us with Landrovers to Bakkrans Private Nature Reserve. (6000 hectares and max 8 people allowed)
Settle in and slowly absorb the quality of this unique place.
Day 2: Bakkrans - DBBL
After breakfast your guide will discuss various options like a game drive to the Mooiberg section with close up views of the rare Cape Mountain Zebra and various Sun rock paintings. Participate in seeing and touching the indigenous plants of the renosterveld and succulent karoo species. There will be ample photographic options of the rugged sandstone Swartrug and Cederberg scenery.
There are various slack packing options through pristine areas, time for birding, herping and simply enjoying the silence and vistas over the Tankwa karoo.
Day 3: Paarl-Cape Town via Slanghoek Valley - B
After coffee and rusks we drive back to Keurbosfontein and visit the head office of The Cape Leopard Trust to be enlightened by research on the Cape Leopard and other projects of the Trust. A full breakfast will be enjoyed at a backpackers place in the Cederberg with additional information about the area by your local host.
We drive through the Cold Bokkeveld back to Ceres in the Warm Bokkeveld and on to Worcester in the Boland kontrei. Here in the Breede River valley we visit a family wine estate for tasting and enlightenment on this region's products. We turn off into the Slanghoek valley a wine producing area surrounded by the majestic Du Toit's and Limiet Mountains. Lunch, (optional extra) to be enjoyed on a local farm.
We drive via the scenic Du Toitskloof pass, built by Italian prisoners of war, to Paarl.
...and arrive late afternoon in Cape Town.
