The Karoo Safari is designed as a 2 day roundtrip with 1 night in the famous Lord Milner Hotel
Day 1 Cape Town - Matjiesfontein
In the morning we depart from Cape Town in a north-easterly direction and we pass
Paarl. a major centre of the winelands.
Going over the Du Toits mountain pass we enter the Breede River valley arriving at the town of Worcester. Visiting the botanical garden will introduce you to
the Karoo's world of plants, especially the
succulents.
The highway makes its way sometimes along rugged mountains sometimes close to the sweeping vineyards of the nearby Hexriver valley. The impressive mountains here form, the second tallest
mountain range
of the Western Cape Province. The peaks of the Hexriver Mountains appear snow-clad on many a winter's day.
Ascending another slope we suddenly meet the highveld of the Karoo where temperatures rise considerably during summertime.
Nearby the national road a waving Union Jack flag heralds
Matjiesfontein
train station. One young and clever Scotsman built this quaint, yet picturesque stop during Queen Victoria’s reign on the then brand-new main line connecting Cape Town
with Johannesburg. In fact it is all about one dusty cul-de-sac serving as a national monument with whimsical stories and goulish history. However, in this godforsaken corner, the first ever electrical light in the Cape Colony was generated to supply this little private estate. The glamour of
a glorious bygone era is well preserved as today’s heritage.
Matjiesfontein's station serves as a stop over for the legendary Blue Train as well as the luxurious Rovos Rail
Enjoy your dinner as you are overlooked by the Empire's celebrities in the
Lord Milner Hotel's
classic dining-hall.
Hint: You should not miss out a visit to the outstanding garden behind the Hotel!
Day 2 Inverdoorn, Ceres, Baines Kloof
After a satisfying breakfast we travel for approx. 45 min on the national road towards Cape Town until we reach a vast, lonely valley. Here we experience nature at its best at the private
Inverdoorn Game Reserve.
A Safari truly forms an impressive part of any trip to Africa. Whilst many African animal species face the destruction of their natural habitat, the management of Inverdoorn Game Reserve is totally dedicated to the protection of these endangered species:
- Big game: Lion, Cape Buffalo, Cheetah, White Rhino, Zebra and Giraffe
- Antelopes: Kudu, Eland, Oryx, Blue Wildebeest, Springbok and Impala
- 165 Bird species
Both nature lovers and botanists are able to enjoy a unique area that is host to an abundance of endemic plants particularly succulents. (With some 2439 scientifically recorded species).
After a fun safari drive in the reserve's landrover we enjoy a delicious lunch on the game farm.
On our way back to Cape Town we drive over the Theronsberg Mountain pass through huge mountain scenery before reaching the rural town of
Ceres,
is an important centre of the Cape’s agricultural industry particularly (deciduous fruits, citrus plantations)
delicious fruit juices.
After leaving for Cape Town and before approaching the narrow passage through the historic Baines Kloof pass, we stop for a drink at the rustic
Calabash Bush Pub.
The journey home takes some 1 ½ hours with a section being of difficult terrain. It was here that Mr. Andrew Baines and his fellows carried out an impressive task. It took them 4
years to carve a road through the rocks towards the winelands town of Wellington.
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