Breakfast:
Taken at the hotel, breakfast will be an expansive buffet featuring a variety of cold cereals, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheeses, pastries and hot items such as bacon, sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms. Omelettes, eggs and waffles can be cooked on demand. Fruit juices, coffee, tea and water provided.
Morning:
After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart toward Cape Point via the coastal route passing through South Africa’s famous beach resort town of Camps Bay, past the Twelve Apostle Range, through Hout Bay, and along Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the most spectacular coastal roads to be found in Africa, finally arriving at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Cape Point, the southwestern-most point of the African continent, is one of the world’s most beautiful places – a stretch of rocky mountain jutting southward into the sea. We will board the Flying Dutchman funicular, which will bring us up to a viewpoint walkway on the peak, the lower station; the upper station, where the lighthouse is located, is accessible by stairs from here. At Cape Point we will find a myriad of pristine beaches, sheltered bays and coves, as well as a rich array of indigenous flora. The fynbos reserve (a unique vegetation type of the Cape Floral Kingdom) is home to a variety of wildlife and bird species. Whales (dependent on season), penguins and seals may be spotted from this point. Lecture: Fynbos.
Lunch:
We will enjoy a picnic lunch with bottled water, taken at a scenic spot on the peninsula.
Afternoon:
We will continue to Boulders Beach to view the resident African penguin colony. Our Group Leader will lead us to the beach, which is nestled in a sheltered cove between Simon's Town and Cape Point, and introduce us to the penguins. Boulders has become world famous for its thriving colony of African penguins and magnificent wind-sheltered beaches. Boulders is one of the few sites where this vulnerable bird (Spheniscus demersus) can be observed at close range, wandering freely in a protected environment. In the late afternoon, we will return to the hotel with time to freshen up before dinner.
Dinner:
Dinner will be taken at a local restaurant on the V&A Waterfront, and will consist of a three-course, set menu meal including water, coffee, tea; additional beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.