176Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryThe beauty of Cape Town and itsmagical position at Africa'ssouthernmost tip are well known. Setbeneath the spectacular Table Mountain,close to the Cape of Good Hope and themeeting point of the Atlantic and IndianOceans, few cities are blessed with suchscenic splendour. This single-centreholiday, based in Cape Town, focuses onthe region's colourful flora, scenic nationalparks, wild coastlines and wealth of birds,mammals and cetaceans, amongst thelatter the abundant Southern Right Whalesthat bask in inshore waters. The tour alsoincludes an optional day spent watching(or cage diving with) Great White Sharks.On arrival, we will receive our first taste ofSouth African birding during a stop at themarshlands of Rondevlei Nature Reserveon the Cape Flats. We will also get aflavour of the fabulous Cape coastline aswe travel along Chapman's Peak Drive toHout Bay, from where we may see our firstSouthern Right Whales. However, to bestappreciate our wonderful situation we willtake a cable-car ride (or 2-hour walk if youwould prefer) to the top of Table Mountain- assuming it is clear of its occasional'table cloth' of cloud. After enjoying thestunning views over the city and the CapePeninsula, we will explore the surroundingslopes in search of birds and plants andthen walk down to the KirstenboschBotanical Gardens where we will spend therest of the day. Delicately nestled on theeastern slopes of Table Mountain, this 830-hectare 'reserve', of which just 60 hectares are cultivated, not only offers a fabulouscollection of Cape flora, but is also one theCape's best birding spots. Bearings established, those that wish maychoose to spend two days of this holiday atsea! On the first of these we will head outfrom Simonstown Harbour to spend the dayabout 65 kilometres offshore, where the coldBenguela current's nutrient-rich upwellingalong the continental shelf provides some ofthe world's best seabird-watching.Albatrosses such as Black-browed, Yellow-nosed, Shy and even the magnificentWandering Albatross (the species with thelargest wing-span of any bird) may be seengliding effortlessly over the ocean whilst awide variety of their smaller cousins -petrels, prions and shearwaters - will testeven the most knowledgeable sea-birder'sskills to the limit. Our second boat-trip focuses on inshorewaters, as we visit Kleinbaai and theinfamous Dyer Island and Shark Alley.Here we hope to watch Great WhiteSharks, either from the boat or by donningloaned wetsuits and masks (scubaequipment and experience is notnecessary) and dropping into anunderwater cage to observe thesemagnificent creatures. The latter is anexperience not to be missed, almostguaranteeing a changed perspective on,and respect for, this much-malignedpredator of the deep. At sea we are alsolikely to see Southern Right Whales,seabirds, and thousands of Cape FurSeals, on which the sharks prey. Back on land, we will spend an afternoonhoping for land-based whale-watchingexperiences at Hermanus and Betty's Bay,and we will then spend a full and rewardingday exploring the Cape of Good HopeReserve. This reserve was formed to protectthe fragile and beautiful fynbosflora, whichshould be in full bloom during our tour, andis part of the greater Cape PeninsulaNational Park. An interesting selection ofmammals may be seen here, amongst themBontebok, Eland, Cape Mountain Zebra andChacma Baboon (not to mention theabundant Southern Right Whales that are tobe seen close in-shore in virtually everybay!), as well as an excellent variety ofbirds, including Ostrich, a wide range ofseabirds over False Bay, and the AfricanPenguins at Boulders Beach.We travel next to Helderberg NatureReserve, passing through the beautifultown of Stellenbosch en route. All five ofthe fynbosendemic birds are to be foundwithin this compact reserve, and we alsohope to see another avian speciality here,the Cape Rockjumper. On another day wevisit the town of Langebaan, and the WestCoast National Park, a spectacular 27,000-hectare reserve that encompasses thelagoon, shoreline and Postberg peninsulato the south of the town, home to a greatrange of wetland and strandveld(coastalscrub) birds, amongst them Black Harrierand Southern Black Korhaan.Finally, before our overnight flight back toLondon, the day is free for optionalsightseeing or a visit to Robben Island,most famous - or infamous - for havingbeen the isolated prison of former SouthAfrican President Nelson Mandela andmany other black political dissidents, anumber of whom work today as theisland's guides, providing a unique insight into its recent history! RobbenIsland is also a World Heritage Site andhome to much wildlife, including Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins and a greatmany seabirds. South Africa - Best of the CapeA 10-day holiday, based in Cape Town, focusing on the region's colourful flora, scenic national parks, wild coastlines, andwealth of birds, mammals and cetaceans, plus an optional day spent watching (or cage diving with) Great White Sharks.Monday 17th September - Wednesday 26th September Cost: £2,995Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Cape Town. Day 2Rondevlei NatureReserve and Hout Bay. Day 3Table Mountain andKirstenbosch Gardens.Day 4Pelagic. Day 5Cape of Good HopeReserve.Day 6Sharks; then Hermanusand Betty's Bay.Day 7Helderberg NatureReserve.Day 8Langebaan and WestCoast National Park.Day 9Robben Island orsightseeing. DepartCape Town.Day 10Arrive London. AccommodationA comfortable tourist hotel, ideallypositioned. Private facilities.FoodAll included in the price. GradingGentle wildlife walks only (with theexception of optional TableMountain climb/descent). Grade A. FocusBirds, Cape flora, mammals(especially cetaceans) and GreatWhite Sharks.LeaderMariana Delport.Single room supplement£230.Web quick search: ZAF05LAMBERT'S BAYCAPE TOWNWEST COASTNATIONALPARKSTELLENBOSCHWALKERBAYFALSEBAYCAPEPOINTCAPE AGULHASKLEINBAAIHERMANUSATLANTICOCEANINDIANOCEANSOUTH AFRICAAfrican PenguinsGreat White SharkTable Mountain

The spectacular coastline, mountainsand forests of South Africa's GardenRoute stretch from Cape Town, onthe continent's southernmost tip, to PortElizabeth, 450 kilometres to the east. Evenin a country blessed with such anabundance of wonderful scenery andvaried wildlife, this region of South Africais especially beautiful, attracting visitorsfrom all over the world to enjoy itsnumerous hiking trails, quaint towns,gorgeous beaches, fine wines and, ofcourse, abundant flora. Within this narrowstrip of countryside, hemmed in betweenrugged mountains and the blue waters ofthe Indian Ocean, grows a wonderfuldiversity of plantlife, from the coastal floraof the fynbosto the montane flora anddesert plants of the Little Karoo. Indeed,the mountain passes around Calitzdorphold more species of succulents thananywhere else in the world and this tour(which can also be enjoyed as anextension to our ever-popular CapeFlowers and Namaqualand holiday) istimed to coincide with the very peak oftheir floral display. Our holiday begins with a flight to PortElizabeth, via Johannesburg. From herewe will transfer to Addo Elephant Park fora 2-night stay. The park provides our bestopportunity to enjoy some of SouthAfrica's abundant game and, during ourtime here, we should see plenty ofElephants, Greater Kudu, Buffalo, RedHartebeest and Eland and, if fortunate,maybe Black Rhino. On one of these days,we will focus on the botany of the steeplywooded 'kloofs' of Zuurberg National Parkin search of Dietes iridioides, the wild iris,Calodendrum capense(Cape Chestnut)and Sideroxylon interme(White Milk-wood)whose black berries are a favourite food ofone of the region's most spectacularbirds, the Knysna Turaco. We next move to the dramatic coastlinearound the town of Storm's River for a 2-night stay. The coastal plain here dropsabruptly down to a rocky shoreline andhas been cut in two by the steep sidedgorge of the Storm's River as it surges itsway down to the sea. The adjacentcoastline is rich in plant-life and during our time here we hope to find suchspecies as Sparmannia africana,Grewiaoccidentalis,Conicosia pugioniformisand Scaevola plumieri.Moving on from Storm's River, we headinland to the mountains and desert of theLittle Karoo. Here we base ourselves in theattractive town of Calitzdorp for threenights, as we enjoy the reds, yellows andwhites of the succulents that abound here,together with a wide variety of aloes,geraniums and other floral families.Exploring the scenic sites of the Rooibergand Seweweeks Poort Passes, we willsearch for such species as Gasteriabrachyphylla,Crassula capensis,Proteaaristata,Gladiolus leptosiphon,Portulacaafra,Pelargonium abrotanifoliumand manymany more. Amongst the more unusualplants to look for in this habitat is the foul-smelling Quaqua spp, a succulent whichgrows amongst the arid karroid scrub. We continue our westward journey toSwellendam for a 2-night stay. We are nowout of the rain shadow cast by themountains and the greater rainfall hereallows a much more luxuriant fynbosvegetation to prosper. A variety of proteas,ericas, conebushes, pelargoniums andpeas should all be seen in flower, whilstroadside verges are often awash withWatsonia aletroidesand the beautiful pinkWatsonia laccata. We will also visit theCape Agulhas National Park on thesouthernmost tip of Africa, a hotspot ofbotanical diversity with many endemics onview from the excellent network of trails. Inthe fynboswe will search for the attractiveLeucospermum truncates(LimestonePincushion) which can grow to over twometres in height, along withLeucospermum prostratum,Proteasublifoliaand Geranium incanum. Here wecan also explore a vegetation type knownas Renosterveld, a grassy and bulb-richshrubland that is home to Satyriumcordifolia, one of 38 species of orchid tobe found on the Agulhas Plain. We will complete our holiday with twonights in Cape Town. Tucked between theslopes of Table Mountain and the meetingpoint of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans,few cities can command such aspectacular setting. To fully appreciate thiswonderful position we will commence ourstay here with a cable-car ride to the topof Table Mountain - assuming it is clearof its occasional 'table cloth' of cloud.After enjoying the stunning views over thecity and the Cape Peninsula, we willexplore the surrounding slopes in searchof plants and then walk down to theKirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where wehope to spend the rest of the day. All thatthen remains is a visit to the AfricanPenguin colony at Boulders Beach, a littlesightseeing in the city or perhaps a visit tothe Cape Point Nature Reserve before wemust reluctantly make our way to CapeTown Airport for our return flight home. South Africa's Garden RouteA 14-day botanical holiday amongst the spectacular scenery of South Africa's Garden Route in search of the plants, mammals and other wildlife to be found between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Wednesday 19th September - Tuesday 2nd October Cost: £4,295(This tour can be combined with our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand'holiday outlined on Page 175)Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationINDIAN OCEAN ATLANTIC OCEAN JOHANNESBURG ADDO ELEPHANT PARK PORT ELIZABETH STORM'S RIVER CALITZDORP SWELLENDAM CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA Outline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2/3Addo Elephant Park.Day 4/5Storm's River.Day 6/8Calitzdorp.Day 9/10Swellendam.Day 11/12Cape Town.Day 13Depart Cape Town.Day 14Arrive London.AccommodationComfortable guesthouses, hotelsand national park chalets. Allrooms have private facilities. FoodBreakfast and evening meals areincluded. Lunches are excluded.Allow approximately £100.GradingA/B. Day walks only.FocusPlants, mammals and other wildlife. LeaderMaureen Ponting.Single room supplement£250.Web quick search: ZAF09177Table MountainLeucospermum cordifoliumCitrus Swallowtail