CapeFun Tour
3-14 Feb 2021
Day 1 [Wednesday 03 February]
Arrival in Cape Town and transfer to Double Tree Hilton Hotel by own arrangement (we will happily assist you with that)
17:00 Hotel lobby: meet&greet with group members and welcome dinner
Accommodation Cape Town (Doubletree Hilton Hotel)
Day 2 - [Thursday 04 February] 105 km (Cape Town - Wellington)
After breakfast we pick up the Royal Enfield motorcycles.
From Cape Town we first ride into the Cape Winehills towards the second established town in South Africa (after Cape Town).
Stellenbosch is known for its university, wine farms, old colonial buildings and relaxed atmosphere.
After visiting Stellenbosch we continue via Wemmershoek towards Wellington, dubbed the Heart of the Cape Winelands.
On the way we pass the monument in Paarl dedicated to the Afrikaner language.
After checking into our accommodation and changing our riding gear into more comfortable clothes we can partake in a wine tasting.
Accommodation Wellington
Day 3 [Friday 05 February] 240 km (Wellington - Laingsburg)
From Wellington we head towards Bainskloof Pass, loved by motorcyclists and named after engineer Thomas Bains.
That genius designed a series of legendary mountain roads and passes in the Cape provinces.
After the pass we head further inland to Ceres, fruit capital of South Africa.
Protected by towering mountains on all sides, the Ceres valley offers a true Shangri La.
From Ceres we ride deeper into the barren, dry hinterland known as Karoo desert.
Karoo means “great dry place” in the language of its first human habitants, now known as Khoikhoi.
Through landscapes dotted with mountains that seem to have witnessed the dawn of creation we continue towards Touwrivier.
There we join the N1 highway towards Matjiesfontein.
Matjiesfontein is synonymous with the Lord Milner Hotel.
In the dry and healthy Karoo air Matjiesfontein provided a welcome destination and stopover for well-to-do train travellers in the past. The old splendour has been preserved and augmented by modern amenities.
Strengthened by refreshments served in Lord Milner’s Tea Room we get back on the road to reach Laingsburg, today’s final destination.
Accommodation Laingsburg
Day 4 [Saturday 06 February] 210 km (Laingsburg - De Rust)
Today is a riding day. The engines hum through the seemingly endless Karoo landscapes that play their magic on us as we roll along.
At Prince Albert Road we trade the N1 for the R407 towards Prince Albert.
Via Meiringspoort pass and its waterfall we continue towards De Rust, a charming provincial Karoo town, where we will have a well deserved rest after a long but enchanting ride.
In the evening we enjoy a Braai (BBQ) under the Sky.
Accommodation De Rust
Day 5 [Sunday 07 February] 245 km (De Rust - Stormsrivier)
From De Rust we loosely follow the Olifants River that flows between the Swartberge and Kammanassie Nature Reserves.
The by now familiar Karoo landscapes keep lifting our spirits as we ride via Uniondale Heights Pass onto the famous Route 62, the South African equivalent of Route 66 in the USA. Same history, same attraction for motorcyclists.
The dry landscape gets dotted with fruit plantations underneath the mountains as we continue east.
At Kareedouw we turn towards the coast where we head west via the Garden Route towards Tsitsikamma National Park that stretches for about 80 km’s along the Garden Route. Tsitsikamma(“place of much water”) is well known for its indigenous forests and breathtaking coast line.
We spend two night at Storms River Village, that offers outdoor activities, several restaurants and a micro brewery.
Accommodation Stormsrivier
Day 6 [Monday 08 February] 0 km
Today is a leisure day. Enjoy the swimming pool or the beach at nearby Nature’s Valley, or partake in outdoor activities on offer.
Accommodation Stormsrivier
Day 7 [Tuesday 09 February] 210 km (Stormsrivier - Oudtshoorn)
From Tsitsikamma we continue on the Garden Route for a short ride towards Knysna. The Knysna lagoon, used for oyster farming, is undoubtely one of the most beautiful sites on the South African coast. At entrance of Knysna Lagoon stand The Heads, two rock formations that like watch towers seem to guard Knysna against the rough Indian Ocean. Landinwards a river winds through the jungle-like vegetation of Knysna Forest, famous for its tropical hardwoods.
After Knysna we continue on the Garden Route towards George, where we head back into the interior of the Karoo via the Outeniqua Pass through the mountains.
The city of Oudtshoorn is enclosed by two mighty moutain chains and is famous for its ostrich farms that provided an economic boom in the early 20th century. Grand Victorian buildings are remnants of that bygone era. Oudtshoorn also holds the annual Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, which focusses on the culture of Afrikaans speaking people in South Africa and beyond.
North of Oudtshoorn we park the motorcycles at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge.
After lunch we have live interaction with elephants.
Accommodation Buffelsdrift Game Farm Oudtshoorn
From Tsitsikamma we continue on the Garden Route for a short ride towards Knysna. The Knysna lagoon, used for oyster farming, is undoubtely one of the most beautiful sites on the South African coast. At entrance of Knysna Lagoon stand The Heads, two rock formations that like watch towers seem to guard Knysna against the rough Indian Ocean. Landinwards a river winds through the jungle-like vegetation of Knysna Forest, famous for its tropical hardwoods.
After Knysna we continue on the Garden Route towards George, where we head back into the interior of the Karoo via the Outeniqua Pass through the mountains.
The city of Oudtshoorn is enclosed by two mighty moutain chains and is famous for its ostrich farms that provided an economic boom in the early 20th century. Grand Victorian buildings are remnants of that bygone era. Oudtshoorn also holds the annual Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, which focusses on the culture of Afrikaans speaking people in South Africa and beyond.
North of Oudtshoorn we park the motorcycles at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge.
After lunch we have live interaction with elephants.
Accommodation Buffelsdrift Game Farm Oudtshoorn
Day 8 [Wednesday 10 February] 0 km
No motorcycling is allowed when the Big Five are around.
So we have an early morning bush drive with a specially adapted game drive vehicle to spot buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant and rhinoceros.
These five animals were most dangerous in the days when hunting was on foot with rifles instead of in game drive vehicles with telelenses.
We get on our motorcycles to regain the Route 62, humming along as ostriches watch us or try to keep up with us behind the fences of the farms that breed them.
Route 62 takes us via Calitzdorp, another traditional South African hinterland town that offers, apart from wine and port farms also decent restaurants for those who prefer to have a good meal to accompany their wine tasting.
But we continue along the winding R62 through breathtaking Karoo mountains and landscapes to Ladismith to Barrydale.
There we pause at Ronnie’s Sex Shop- which on closer inspection is nothing worse than a decent roadhouse café with an interesting story. We might hear that story from good old Ronnie himself, if he’s not to busy serving customers or signing hats, t-shirts or other RSS-memorablia for sale.
After Ronnie’s we turn south via Tradouw Pass through some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery on offer in the Langeberg. This pass is undoubtedly one of the top tarred passes in the Western Cape. After the picturesque coloured settlement of Suurbraak we turn onto the N2 towards Swellendam, third-oldest town in South Africa after Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Swellendam’s main street is lined with old buildings in Cape Dutch style, including a few interesting museums.
No better way to enjoy another Karoo evening than with another Braai under the Sky.
Accommodation Swellendam
Day 9 [Thursday 11 February] 170 km(Swellendam - Arniston)
From Swellendam we let the tires roll south to the coast. Bredasdorp’s Shipwreck museum offers a fascinating insight into the perils seamen faced and still face along the South African coast. After Bredasdorp we ride to Cape L’Agulhas, for photo opportunities at the southern most point of Africa.
Then we ride back and encounter more maritime atmosphere in the fishing villages of Kassiesdorp and Arniston, where we will spend the night after a meal that will undoubtely feature fresh catch of the day.
Accommodation Arniston
Day 10 [Friday 12 February] 145 km (Arniston - Hermanus)
After breakfast we roll the bikes through undulating coastal lands via
back to the coast at Gansbaai, known for the sharks that surf the ocean waves, where the bravehearted confront one of man’s primeal fears in a cage under water.
A few twisty coastal kilometers onward we reach Hermanus, a laid back coastal town that will provide our base camp for tonight.
Hermanus is also known as Whale Capital of the World. In peak season (September, October and November) we hope to spot Southern Right Whales from terra firma.
An optional boat ride can bring us even closer to these gigantic sea creatures in their natural habitat.
Accommodation Hermanus
Day 11 [Saturday 13 February] 205 km (Hermanus - Cape Town)
After a relaxed breakfast we mount our iron horses for the last day of our Cape Fun Tour.
Adrenaline and euphoria peak once again on the coastal R44 with Atlantic grandeur on port and the steeply sloping Kogelbergen on starboard.
One last grand detour takes us via the world famous wine growing town Constantia and across the mountains to the Atlantic coast at Houtbay.
We know that our odyssee is approaching its destination when we see Table Mountain looming ahead.
A memorable motorcycle ride comes to a good end when we return the motorcycles and watch the sun set over the harbour at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
Accommodation Cape Town (Doubletree Hilton)
Day 12 [Sunday 14 February]
After breakfast departure by own arrangement
End of Tour