This tour is designed to give you a true taste of the Cape, South Africa.  The tour includes the best of the Cape in terms of sights, attractions and incredibly beautiful scenery.  Emphasis has been placed on finding the most delicious food and wine in each region that is visited.  So, please join us for a Cape culinary journey.

The tour groups are limited to a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 12 people.  Any larger than this results (in my experience) in a tour of bulk food and set menus??? a frightening concept for any food lover!

Some highlights of this tour:

q       The journey begins in Cape Town, which was known for many centuries as the ?Tavern of the Seas?.  Today, it has the reputation as a city where the traveller can rest, enjoy sumptuous meals and quaff many a fine bottle of wine.  Learn to cook traditional Cape Malay food, dine at one of the top restaurants in the country, taste wine in the Constantia Winelands and enjoy a beautiful seaside meander to Cape Point.

q       The excellent red wines of the Stellenbosch and Paarl wine regions ? which have been called the most scenic winelands in the world

q       Explore the top wine estate in the country ? Vergelegen ? its history, wines, cellar and its cuisine

q       The spectacular coastal beauty of the famous Garden Route and the Knysna Lagoon.  Not to be missed are the regional speciality of delicious cultivated oysters.

q       A ramble on Route 62 through the semi-desert region with stops to taste award winning port and Karoo cuisine (regional specialities are lamb and ostrich)

q        Experience the award winning chardonnays and cuisine of the Robertson wine region over a 6 course wine and dine menu

ITINERARY

You will be collected from your guesthouse for sundowners on Signal Hill or at the 12 Apostles Hotel at 6pm, followed by dinner at La Colombe; which has consistently found itself in rankings of the top 10 restaurants in the country for many years.  Frank Dangereux?s gem has the ?foodies? flocking to his doorstep from all over.  He is inspired in equal parts by his homeland and fresh ingredients.  His secret is the use of the simplest ingredients, which are ingeniously combined and beautifully plated.  The cuisine is French Provencal served in a relaxed poolside setting on a wine estate.  www.lacolombe.co.za

Dinner Highlight: La Colombe (www.lacolombe.co.za)

Overnight: Cape Town ? Trevoyan Guesthouse (www.trevoyan.co.za) or Hippo Boutique Hotel (www.hippotique.co.za) or similar

Today we enjoy a scenic coastal meander past the famous beaches of Clifton, Camps Bay and Llundudno.  Highlights of the day are travelling over the famous Chapman?s Peak Drive, visiting Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, as well as exploring the vineyards of Constantia (one of the oldest wine regions of South Africa).  We stop to visit Klein Constantia; rated in 2002 by US Wine & Spirits Magazine as one of the world?s 25 greatest vineyards.  Delight in a seafood lunch or enjoy the best of fusion food cooked up in a rustic peninsula deli.

Dinner Highlight: Enjoy a demonstration on cooking Cape Malay cuisine; which dates back to the 1600?s 

Overnight: Cape Town

Today the tour explores the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Helderberg wine regions.  The day includes a cellar tour, wine tasting and picnic at the famous Vergelegen wine estate ? which currently rated as the top wine estate in the country.  This estate dates back to the early 1700?s and provides insight into a fascinating period of the country?s history.  During the day we will taste award winning olive oil, sample cheeses and visit the second oldest town in the country, Stellenbosch. 

Dinner Highlight: Le Quartier Francais ? South Africa?s most highly rated restaurant in 2004, winning awards for best chef and best restaurant in the country.  Here we will enjoy a 4 course or 6 course tasting menu??.depending on how large your appetite is! www.lequartier.co.za

Overnight:  Franschhoek B&B

We depart for the Garden Route, entering into nature?s garden - with mountains, unspoilt forests, glistening lakes and lagoons. 

In the late afternoon we arrive in the town of Knysna, which is set on the banks of a large estuary.  This town is famous for its natural beauty, its seafood and its oysters.

Dinner Highlight: 34 Degrees South the Market for a delicious deli-style seafood experience or similar

Overnight: Abalone Lodges with a view over the lagoon (www.abalonelodges.co.za  or similar)

The day starts with a leisurely breakfast at a famous local bakery ? Isle de Pain - which is a must for breakfast.  Look Forward to more-ish breads, warm from the wood-fired oven, tempting breakfast combinations and irresistible pastries.  After breakfast we take a short stroll over to the Knysna Oyster Company for a tour.  Here you learn more about oyster cultivation in Knysna and get to taste the difference between cultivated and wild oysters over a glass of bubbly. After the tour we depart for the Tsitsikamma National Park, a 480ha rain forest with magnificent indigenous trees.  In the park we do a short hike through the indigenous forest to the mouth of the Storms River for a spectacular walk over a suspension bridge.  We enjoy a picnic lunch here (prepared by Isle de Pain) before departing on our return journey to Knysna. 

Dinner Highlight:  Up to you ? night at leisure!

Overnight: Knysna Abalone Lodges or similar.

After breakfast you head off from Knysna on the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Train. Enjoy the magnificent scenery as the train passes over lakes, estuaries and forests.  The train arrives at George station around lunchtime.  Lunch will be enjoyed in a train carriage in the railway station.  After lunch we travel over the scenic Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn - the feather capital of South Africa.  Here we visit an ostrich show farm, followed by a visit to the Cango Wildlife Ranch to see crocodiles, tigers, cheetahs, hippos and an albino python.  Dinner is delicious Karoo cuisine at one of the top ten restaurants in the country ? Jemima?s. 

Dinner Highlight: Jemima?s Restaurant ? here the Le Roux sisters give contemporary expression to traditional Karoo cuisine. www.eating-out.co.za/online/jemimas

Overnight:  Oudtshoorn: De Opstal Country Lodge (www.deopstal.co.za) or similar

Today we have an early start and begin our day with a tour of the spectacular Cango Caves.  The caves are one of the world?s natural wonders.  Here you can view breathtaking limestone formations in a wide variety of colours ? a true subterranean wonderland.  We then head onto route 62 and head for Carlitzdorp ? the port capital of South Africa ? where we stop to taste the award winning ports.  The ramble takes us through the beautiful stark Klein Karoo region with its small well-preserved towns to Montagu where we check into the Mimosa Lodge.

Dinner Highlight: Fraai Uitzicht ? a local wine estate with an award-winning restaurant ? here a 6 course wine and dine menu awaits you.  The emphasis is on home cooking and on great wine. 

Overnight: Montagu ? Mimosa Lodge 4* www.mimosa.co.za or similar

Our morning is spent exploring the Montagu and Robertson wine region, which is famous for its award winning white wines.  Around midday we begin our journey back to Cape Town.  We stop en route to enjoy a taste of Afrikaans country cuisine at a roadside store where you are surrounded by antiques. 

Arrival time in Cape Town: approximately 16h00

Accomodation: Please advise if you require accomodation for the 9th

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

q       The tour includes:

q       Accommodation,

q       All entrances unless stated as optional

q       Breakfast daily

q       Lunch and Dinner only on specified days only in order to allow you to select what you would like to from the menu. 

o        Lunch is included in the costs on: 4, 6 & 7 March

o        Dinner is included on 2, 3, 4 and 8 March

o        Note that alcohol and drinks are not included in the costs and are for your own account

q       A 40% Deposit required on confirmation.  The deposit is regrettably non-refundable. 

q       Luggage is restricted to 15kg's per person

q       The operator reserves the right to substitute accomodation options as well as restaurant options stated on the tour.

q       A minimum of four people is required for each tour. The operator reserves the right to cancel the tour should less than four people book the tour.  Should this occur any fees paid will be fully refunded to the customer.

q       Cape Fusion Tours reserves the right to change our routes, conditions and rates without prior notice.  Cape Fusion Tours, servants and their agents shall not be responsible for and shall be exempt from all liability in respect to any loss, damage, injury, accident, delay or inconvenience to any person, or his or her luggage or other personal property, whatever the same shall arise from or be occasioned by the negligence of Cape Fusion Tours, their servants or agents or any other persons directly or indirectly in the employment of service of Cape Fusion Tours