Offroad South Africa Tour
// October 18th, 2009 // Adventure Tours
A 4×4 Tour Through 17 South African Destinations
South Africa has many different terrains and landscapes and the country is a haven for 4×4 enthusiasts. Whether traversing the green terrain of the garden route or the dry Karroo desert, the country has beginners, intermediate and advanced courses available. A tour of some of the note-worthy 4×4 trails can make up an incredible action filled road trip throughout South Africa, lasting 19 days. The ideal place to start such a tour would be in Johannesburg.
Johannesburg is one of the largest cities in South Africa. Situated in the Highveld area of Gauteng, the city is modern and well facilitated. Accommodation ranges from exclusive 5 star hotels to backpackers, game lodges and B&B’s. The 4×4 courses available are Bass Lake Adventures, Hennops Off-Road Trail and Protea Eco Adventures. The tour takes two days in Johannesburg so there is plenty of time to experience the restaurants, mall, theatres, Gold Reef City Theme Park and the historical places of the city. The next destination in the tour is Parys, a small town with a vibrant personality situated on the edge of the Vredefort Dome, a massive meteor crater. The accommodation is the typical town type: B&B’s, guesthouses, campsites, lodges and self catering. The town boasts a 4×4 trail; the Berakah Eco Trail which can be completed in one day or if you want to spend 2 days exploring the trail there are basic overnight facilities on sight.
After spending a night in Parys, the tour moves onto Dundee for one night. This is a small town in the Kwa Zulu Natal Midlands that is steeped in history from the many wars fought between the Zulu, English and Dutch soldiers. The accommodation in Dundee is available in B&B’s, guesthouses, lodges and a historic hotel. The 4×4 trails available are the Bonani Wild and Wonderful Safari trail which is situated in a game park and other independent trails around the area. The Battlefields are well worth a visit and many informative tours are available to visit all the sights. From Dundee, the next destination in the tour is Underberg, a town in the Drakensberg where 4×4 trails are in abundance.
After a night in Underberg in one of their many guesthouses, B&B’s or self catering options, the tour heads to Coffee Bay, a delightful and quiet town on the East Coast of South Africa. Coffee Bay is named because of the cargo ship containing coffee Beans which sank just of the coast there. The town is a relaxed paradise with many open air coffee bars and lounges, two main hotels and a beautiful coastline. There is the famous “hole in the wall” rock (a piece of rock in the ocean with the centre carved out through repeated bashing by the ocean) and 4×4 trails are in abundance in this area, as are hiking and horse riding trails.
The next part of the tour heads to East London: the windy city which is situated on the Buffalo River and the Indian Ocean and is the only river port city in South Africa. East London has fantastic 4×4 facilities offered by the Wild Coast Getaway: however these tours take up to three days and if only stopping for one night in East London, the option to take is Primitive Acres Trails where a number of off road adventures are available. The company offers quad biking, mountain biking and 4×4ing and there are many other forms of entertainment available such as wind surfing, swimming and shopping malls. East London has all amenities available in terms of accommodation as it is a city, as does Port Elizabeth which is the next stop on the tour after a night in East London. Port Elizabeth is further South along the coast and is positioned in the fabulous Garden Route. The 4×4 options available are the Baviaans/Kouga experience, Continental Off-Road Academy, Green Adventures and the Maitland Mines Fund Day. The city also offers game parks, golf and a unique cultural experience.
From Port Elizabeth, the next stop over of the tour involves Tsitsikamma; an area with lush vegetation and panoramic scenery. Tsitsikamma is named “the place of many waters” (translation from Koisan) and has 4×4 trails, the Tsitsikamma Mountains, Monkey World and an elephant park nearby. There are also water sports such as river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming available. Accommodation includes the usual options such as B&B’s and guesthouses and there is also accommodation available in the Tsitsikamma National park. The 4×4 trail available is an incredible journey into the National Park and takes approximately 8 hours to finish. The trail is challenging so always bring emergency supplies.
After spending a night in Tsitsikamma the tour has reached Day 10. By now the tour has traversed across four provinces: Gauteng, Kwa Zulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and the destination that is next on the itinerary is Mossel Bay in the Garden Route of the Western Cape. This is a sea side lovely town with a lot of action and adventure going on! The 4×4 trails available are on Bonniedale Farm, the Duine Route and the Kouma Fynbos Route. However the town also offers sand duning, bungee jumping, river rafting, surfing and many more activies. There is a nature park, scuba diving, helicopter rides and much more.
After a night in Mossel Bay, the tour departs for Caledon. Caledon is known as the capital of the Overberg area and has good 4×4ing facilities available. The courses include the Caledon Casino Off-Road Course, the Caledon Hotel, The Glen Oakes Trail and the Voorhoede Trail. The accommodation offered is farm accommodation, guesthouses, B&B’s, hotels and self catering. Caledon has a museum and golfing facilities available. After the one night stopover in Caledon, the tour heads for De Doorns, a town situated in the Hex River Valley amongst fertile soil. The town has rock climbing facilities, horse riding, vineyards to explore, game reserves and game viewing drives as well as the obvious 4×4 trails. Those offered are the Hex River Trail and the Impangele 4×4 Trail situated just outside the town. The Impangele Trail is a fantastic collection for vehicles and quad bikes alike. There are accommodation facilities offered at a reduced rate, as well as accommodation available in the town such as B&B’s, guesthouses, self catering, guest farms and hotels.
The tour spends the eleventh day and night in De Doorns and then heads for Sutherland. This is a small Karoo town in the Northern Cape which is the coldest place in South Africa! Famous for its telescopes and interests in the cosmos, the town also offers star gazing, hiking, horse riding, hunting and 4×4ing of course. Skurweberg Holiday farm offers all of these experiences and the 4×4ing facilities are for all skill levels. The accommodation available in Sutherland is B&B’s, guesthouses, guest lodges, hotels and self catering. Whilst in Sutherland it is well worth a guided star gaze as the view of the night sky is unprecedented. The following day the tour sets off for Beaufort West, another small town in the Karoo in the Western Cape. Beaufort West is renowned for its large collection of fossils and the frequent occurrence of finding them in the country side around the town. The town is rich with history and is a typical Karoo town with its quirky ways and means. The 4×4ing facilities in Beaufort West include trails in the Karoo National Park, the Badshoek Game Farm, Hillandale Farm and Mountain and Ko-Ka Tsara Bush Camp, so there will never be a shortage of trails to test out. The accommodation available is guesthouses, guest lodges, hotels, B&B’s and self catering. There is also accommodation available in the Karoo National park.
Following the 14th day and night in Beauforst West, the tour heads to its next destination: Vryburg. This town is situated in the North West province and is an area covered in Savannah grasslands and populated with game. The 4×4 facilities available are at Firecloud Adventures where a 7 day tour is available through the Kalahari from Vryburg. As this leg of the tour only stops for one night, the itinerary will need to be changed if participating in this 4×4 trek. The other activities available in Vryburg are horse riding, shooting, golf and a game farm where self driven tours and mountain biking is available throughout the reserve. Accommodation ranges from B&B’s, guest lodges and guest farms to accommodation in the game farm. After spending a night in Vryburg, the trip moves on to its second last destination of the tour: Potchefstroom. This city has no 4×4 facilities available, but the town has many other activities to enjoy. Potchefstroom is the first town founded in the Transvaal republic and is steeped in history which can be explored in the museums and national monuments available. There is also hiking, golf, a bird sanctuary, a game park and a nature reserve. The accommodation offered in the city is self catering, guesthouses or B&B’s.
After Potchefstroom, the last destination in the tour is Johannesburg once again where three days and two nights await in the place of gold. Any opportunities which were passed by on the first few can now be experienced at leisure. After 18 nights of touring and 4×4ing, the 19th day in Johannesburg is the final day and end of the tour. The tour has travelled through Gauteng, Kwa Zulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, North West Province and Gauteng once more!