Route 62 tours - Elephants, Ostriches and Wine

This Route 62 tours module will take you along one of the most famous highways in South Africa from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town. Route 62 passes straight through some of the most beautiful scenery in South Africa. You'll pass panoramic views, authentic South African villages and wine country on your way to the Western Cape. This route is an enjoyable alternative for the N2 highway, the Garden Route; it hasn't been invaded by mass-tourism yet like the coastal route has been. Gradually the landscape will become more rugged and mountainous as you continue towards the west. Try to stop off at one of the traditional villages along the way to stretch your legs for a bit, get a drink or stock up on supplies of snacks for during your drive. 

The Route 62 tour begins in Addo, near Port Elizabeth, where you can drive to the Addo Elephant National Park. The elephants walk around in the wild here and you won't be able to miss them. Then you'll continue on to the ostrich capital of the world, Oudtshoorn. This is where ostriches are kept for many different reasons. If you like, you can even ride an ostrich; be careful though, it's difficult to stay seated. This module ends in Stellenbosch, where you can see how South African wine is produced. Naturally you'll also be able to do some wine tasting.

Your first stop on your Route 62 tours will be the town of Addo, home of the Addo Elephant National Park, situated in the beautiful Sundays River Valley. You'll probably be coming from Port Elizabeth, so it will take you approximately 45 minutes to reach the Elephant National Park. The area is quite spread out and flat, allowing you to see the elephants from far away. Keep your camera ready, you never know what you'll see. You can spend the day taking self-drive safaris through the Park, sometimes enountering entire herds of elephants. You'll stay in a quiet guesthouse in the town of Addo, just outside of the park, surrounded by gardens, citrus groves and peaceful farmland. After your visit to the park you can relax in the garden or take a dive into the swimming pool to cool off. 

Total distance on Day 1 is approximately 50 km or 45 minutes.

Today in the Route 62 tours you'll have the entire day available to spot wild animals in Addo Elephant National Park. The roads in the park are sandy, but fine for driving your own rental car in search of elephants. The park is especially well known for elephants, however besides these large animals you can also spot rhinos, bush bucks, kudus and zebras. If you're lucky, you may even see a hyena or lion sneaking up on its prey through the grass. Keep your camera ready, this is an excellent place to take pictures. This park also features beautiful scenery and unique vegetation such as the Elephants Foot with its trademark purple flowers.

Several years ago there was only a small group of elephants left in the park. In order to protect the elephants from disapearing altogether, the decision was made to prohibit poaching and the area has been protected ever since. These tactics have proven to be successful; the eco-system has been restored and there are now upwards of 450 elephants in the park, they are hard to miss. There are plans to expand this 164000 acre park to about four times its size. If you want, you can join an organized game drive in the nearby Schotia Game Reserve in the evening. Ask for more information at your accommodation. 

After breakfast, leave Addo Elephant National Park behind and continue on to your next destination, Oudtshoorn. You'll drive onto the Route 62 and you'll pass through the mountains on your way to the arid region of Small Karoo. After about 4 hours you'll reach Oudtshoorn. Oudtshoorn is the world capital of ostrich farming. You'll get a pretty good idea about what it takes to breed ostriches (or Volstruis as they are known in South Africa) while staying on an ostrich farm. Ostriches are actually ridden like horses by very light volstruis-jockeys. If you would like to ride one, hang on tight..... it's hard to stay on their backs. Naturally you can also try the well known ostrich steaks during your stay or you can even try the out of the ordinary large ostrich egg omelette. 

Depending on what time your ostrich farm tour starts and whether you feel up to driving a bit further, you'll have time to visit the Cango limestone caves which are 30 km away. Many tourists visit these limestone caves; however despite being a tourist-magnet, they are spectacular enough to warrant a visit. There are tours every hour and you can choose a 1-hour or a 1.5-hour tour. You'll spend the night just outside of town, amidst ostrich farms, in our cosy guest house with pool. Breakfast is included.

Total distance on Day 3 is approximately 349 km or 4 hours.

Today on your Route 62 tours you'll travel from Oudtshoorn to Stellenbosch. Along the way you'll pass rugged mountains, vineyards and paddocks filled with ostriches. You'll drive through a few small villages and you may want to visit some of them; not only to stretch your legs, but also to have a look at these traditional villages or to have something to drink. For instance, you'll pass by Calitzdorp which is best known for its Port. One of our favourite stops is Swellendam, with its broad, oak-lines streets and historic houses that bring back an atmosphere of days gone by. Once you reach Stellenbosch you may want to park your car and explore the surrounding area. In the evening you can go for a relaxing walk through the vineyards and soak up the atmosphere. You'll stay at our charming guest house in a room with all necessary amenities. The guest house also has a swimming pool and breakfast is included during your stay. In the evening we can reserve a table for you in a private gazebo at the Moyo restaurant on the Spier Estate. This open-air restaurant has several buffets with the most delicious dishes where you can go back for seconds, thirds or more. Visiting this restaurant alone is quite an extraordinary experience.

Total distance on day 4 is approximately 385 km or 4,5 hours.

You'll be spending the day (and night) in the town of Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch is one of the best kept secrets in this area and the entire town exudes an atmosphere of days gone by, especially the 'Dorpstraat' (Town Street). You'll see many houses built in the historic Cape Dutch style, such as the house in which the famous 'Oom Samie se Winkel' shop is located. This is an old Dutch store where they've had the same assortment of products for ages. It's fun to browse through the store and see some of the products used in the past. Other attractions in this area are the 'Braak' and the market square, where you'll find the Burger House (Civilian House), the VOC-Powder House and St. Mary's church.
It goes without saying that a trip to this area must include wine tasting. One of our favourite vineyards is 'Blauwklippen'. This wine estate is located about 4 hours south of the beach on the road to Somerset West. They produce the popular Cabernet Sauvignon here. The vineyards are located close together in a stunning environment. In between wine tastings, this area offers plenty of spots to throw down a blanket and enjoy a picnic. 

The Route 62 tours end after breakfast on Day 6, and you'll continue your trip. It is likely that you'll now head for Cape Town, a very lively city where there's always something going on or something to do. For instance, you could choose to visit Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was held captive for so many years) or spend a few days of pure relaxation on the coast. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more options. Have a look at our Discover the Cape module for a few ideas.