If you are looking for a fun and original day out, there is nothing that rivals the Redberry Farm experience along South Africa’s scenic Garden Route.

As you enter the farming area just outside George on the Geelhoutboom road, you will be in awe of the rows and rows of strawberries in what is now known as “Strawberry Country”. Redberry Farm is the first beacon that greets tourists along the beautiful Outeniqua Country Hop Route where visitors are lured in by the sweet aroma of ripe berries.

Once you have chosen which container to use, you will be guided to the “pick your own fields,” taking a carefree walk through the farm with the majestic Outeniqua mountains in the background. Friendly staff are always keen to answer your questions and share the inner secrets of the strawberry.

Redberry Farm also offers a tea garden and farm stall where home-made produce can be purchased. A children’s playground makes this a popular attraction for families with small children.

Open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm (open on public holidays, except Christmas Day and Good Friday). The farm is closed on Sundays as all farmers need some family time and rest.

Contact Information +27 (0) 44 870 7123

Get to touch, feel, feed, walk trunk-in hand and even ride these magnificent animals. Elephants are highly intelligent and delightful – when meeting them, you will discover that each one has a different character, personality and temperament. Join the southern-most clan of elephants in the world at the Knysna Elephant Park, where the resident family of African elephants and world-class guides will unravel the sad and mystical story of the Knysna Elephants. The park offers a rare and exciting opportunity to get close to these gentle giants, who live in a controlled, free-range environment in the heart of the famous Garden Route.

+27 044 532 7732

+27 044 532 7763

GPS Coordinates: 34°02’17”S 23°16’10”E

Bungee jumping is normally a highlight on a Garden Route visit. The location is very close to various other activities and you will enjoy a very scenic drive from Mossel Bay to this location, passing through such beautiful towns as Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.

On the bridge, there is a lot to do, even for the non-bungee jumper, including a bridge walk to the spot where the jumpers take off for a small fee. There is also a restaurant at the lookout point where friends and family members may eat while watching the jumps. This is also a great spot for taking photos and video, so do not forget your zoom lens!

Breathtaking views from this location make it a worthwhile visit for the whole group or family.

Tel: +27 44 691 3182 info@gardenrouteadventures.com

Why should adults have all the fun? The Kids’ Club, run by a team of qualified childcare professionals, provides great activities for children aged 4-12 making the Oubaai Hotel, Golf & Spa the perfect destination for family holidays in South Africa. Children under the age of four are welcome when accompanied by an adult, or we offer a private babysitting service.

In the meantime, Mums and Dads can enjoy a well-earned break on the golf course or relax in the spa, making Oubaai Hotel, Golf & Spa an ideal holiday destination for everyone in the family – especially the younger members.

At Camp Oubaai, children can dance and sing along to funky tunes, listen to stories of scary pirates, beautiful fairy tales or cuddly koalas, paint pictures of their favourite things using all the colours of the rainbow or make a necklace to remember their South Africa family holidays by.

Designed to entertain, educate and inspire our young guests, the Camp Oubaai Kids Club is located in the Village Market. Available at the kids club are fun-filled activities such as movies, PlayStation and WII games, face painting, a jungle gym, educational games and group activities.

We also offer educational excursions for kids to the Strawberry Farm, Cango Caves, Crocodile Farm, Boat Trips, Reptile and Bird Parks, Elephant Sanctuary, Ostrich Farm and Camel Rides. These excursions will be and extra cost and subject to bookings

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Please note that the daily programme may change due to weather conditions or number of participants.

The Camp Oubaai Kids’ Club will be open on Mondays and Sundays during school holidays, subject to bookings.

Activities and Sessions

Family holidays in South Africa have never been so much fun! You never know what we have in store for your kids at Camp Oubaai. No matter what the activity, indoor or outside, rest assured your children are being well cared for by experienced Oubaai employees.

Some of the supervised activities include:

• Mini Golf
• Baking & Making
• Face Painting
• Singing
• Nature Walks
• Arts & Crafts
• Movies
• Dancing
• Memory Card Games

Reservations & Policies

Reservations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the camp day.  Please note any food allergies. An indemnity form must be signed by parents or guardians.

Children must be toilet trained. Ages 4 and older permitted.

Children under the age of 4 are permitted when accompanied by an adult. Private Baby Sitting service is available on request.

The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour is a unique eco-wilderness adventure that takes place in the magnificent Tsitsikamma indigenous rainforest. The first of its kind in Africa, the canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 metres above the forest floor.

Most platforms are located in giant Outeniqua Yellowwood trees. The scenery and bird life is spectacular and professional guides provide interesting facts about the forest ecology during the 2½ to 3 hours it takes to descend.

The concept of guiding people through the upper canopy of a rainforest originated in Costa Rica, where adventurous biologists devised new methods to access the forest canopy in order to conduct research on the undiscovered canopy ecosystem. The idea soon developed into a breathtaking form of eco-tourism that allowed people to enter and experience a previously inaccessible natural environment.

Canopy Tour Rates & Tour Information:

• Duration: About 2½ to 3 hours.
• Bookings are essential and are subject to availability
• Tours are conducted in all weather conditions, but may be cancelled in the interest of safety
• Participants must be aged 7-70
• Maximum numbers: 264 pax per day (max. 8 pax per group)
• Maximum Weight Limit: 120 kg/pregnant women are not permitted to take part in the excursion
• OPTIONAL: Capture your experience on DVD! R145 per activity – ±15-20 minutes’ video footage and ±80 downloadable still photos.

Stormsriver Adventures Tel: +27 42 2811 836 Cell: (A/H) 076 473 9541

Tsitsikamma – Information Centre Tel: +27 42 280 3561

Stormsriver Village – Information Centre Tel: +27 42 2811 098

Monkeyland is the world’s first multi-species free-roaming primate sanctuary, renowned throughout the world for its rehabilitation work.  Visitors are offered the opportunity to join a one-hour safari. Here, you can expect to see many species of monkeys, apes and lemurs living as they should – free and in a forested habitat.

Monkeyland is a unique primate sanctuary and the top eco-tourism attraction on the Garden Route, capturing the hearts of visitors thanks to its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. The residents here are free to move about the forest and do so most harmoniously. The transfer of information about these fascinating creatures enhances your visit to the sanctuary during a safari. The safaris are conducted by multi-lingual game rangers and are fun, exciting and educational. Guests leave the sanctuary with a greater understanding of the primates of the world and the threats they are facing.

Birds of Eden is the Garden Route’s very own world-class free-flight bird sanctuary.

Birds of Eden is the world’s largest free-flight aviary and incorporates an indigenous forest with waterfalls and elevated walkways. Previously caged birds from every corner of the globe live here in free flight. This is not somewhere you want to rush through, so allow enough time to soak up the splendour.

The unique two-hectare dome (the world’s largest) spans over a gorge of indigenous forest. The sanctuary has its own mysterious ruin, which incorporates a walk-behind waterfall. Another feature is its amphitheatre, which can accommodate more than 200 visitors. Like Monkeyland, the popular primate sanctuary next door, Birds of Eden boasts its own canopy walk. While shorter than the 128-metre bridge in Monkeyland, it hangs above the clouds.

The decision to develop Birds of Eden stemmed from the need to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free-flight African birds and miniature monkeys. The sanctuary also enables bird owners to apply to release their pet birds into the sanctuary after they have undergone rehabilitation. More than 3,500 birds currently live at the sanctuary.

Monkeyland and Birds of Eden

Monkeyland Safari

Birds of Eden

Combo Monkeys and Birds

Open daily from 8:30am to 5:00pm Tel: +27 44 534 8906 E-mail: info@monkeyland.co.za

Garden Route Wine Tasting is a full day guided tour that includes transport, entrance fees, a light lunch and bottled water.

The tour departs at 8:00am with an expedition to Calitzdorp through the scenic Outeniqua Mountains and the Little Karoo.  Four different wine estates are visited and, at each estate, you will be given a short explanation of the various wines on offer before tasting them.  Lunch is served in Oudshoorn before returning to the hotel by 6:00pm.

A minimum of five people per tour.  A late cancellation fee and no show charge will be applicable at a rate of 50% of the rate per person.

Please confirm the Wine Tasting tour 24 hours prior to departure.

Just 15 km from George and a two-minute drive from Oubaai, Herolds Bay Beach is nestled in a magnificent and sheltered rocky cove where the golden sands meet the frothy, turquoise waters of the ocean. Herolds Bay has coastal walks and trails ideal for spotting dolphins and whales. The area is also a popular spot for birders and nature-lovers.

Knysna, pearl of the scenic Garden Route, is situated between George and Plettenberg Bay. Perennially green thanks to a Mediterranean Mmaritime climate with rain falling throughout the year, Knysna is mantled by indigenous forests extending into the Tsitsikamma National Park area. Nestled between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, it is the culinary capital of oysters with other delectable seafood which makes it a compulsory stopover on every travellers’ itinerary. At the heart of Knysna is a lagoon protected from the sea by the monolithic sandstone “Heads,” which is best explored on board a catamaran or from along the hiking paths in the Featherbed Nature Reserve. A hotspot for arts and crafts, as well as such adventure activities as tree canopy gliding, kloofing and abseiling, Knysna offers something for everyone.

Located 29 km from Oudtshoorn, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley is the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo, the Cango Caves. Situated in a limestone ridge parallel to the well-known Swartberg Mountains are the finest dripstone caverns, with vast halls and towering formations.

Cango Caves are the only show caves in Africa that offer a choice of Standard (easy) or Adventure tours. All tours are lead by experienced, knowledgeable and accredited Cave Guides. All tours are offered in English, but Afrikaans, German, French and other language guides may be available (please check guide availability when making a reservation).

Standard Tour Hours of Operation: 9:00am to- 4:00pm Tours depart every hour on the hour Duration:  60 mins Rates are valid from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012

Adventure Tour: Hours of Operation: 9:30am to – 3:30pm Tours depart every hour on the half hourDuration:  90 mins Rates are valid from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012

Tel: +27 44 272 7410 Fax: +27 44 272 8001 E-mail: reservations@cangocaves.co.za

Based in the Garden Route town of Wilderness, take a tandem flight from one of 24 flying sites within an hour’s drive, ranging. These range from easy coastal soaring to cross-country thermals.

Cloudbase Paragliding Tel / Fax: +27 44 877 1414 Cell: +27 82 777 8474

An exciting and significant landmark in the heart of South Africa’s Garden Route, the multiple award-winning Wild Oats Community Farmers’ Market is located on the outskirts of the tiny coastal town of Sedgefield, adjacent to the beautiful Swartvlei lake-lagoon. Now in its tenth year, this small, rustic but internationally famous farmers’ market continues to attract the enthusiasm of proud locals and discerning travellers who return consistently for more of its festive fare.

What this initiative has achieved is the blending of people from diverse backgrounds, uniting urban and rural where important educational experiences about local food sources, nutrition, environmental awareness and agricultural issues all blend into an unusual festive spirit of community.

This authentic producers’ market is brimming with the choicest locally-produced foods, including the take-home and breakfast variety. Headlining free-range meats, chicken, lamb, dairy and cheese, the market also specialiszes in fresh-from-the-field vegetables, freshly baked and bottled goods, as well as a wide variety of fresh-off-the-coals breakfasts. The market also proudly offers the many plants and flowers of the unique Southern Cape Floral Kingdom, propogated by local plant specialists.

Admission: Free

Tel: +27 82 376 5020 wildoatsmarket@gmail.com

Enjoy horse-back rides on Buffalo Bay Beach and forest rides, or even a miniature horse riding for children.

Horse-back riding lessons: single private lessons or group lessons are available.

Tel: +27 73 251 3122

Golf is one of the most popular sports in South Africa, and golfers from around the world are attracted here throughout the year to play on some of the best golf courses on the continent. Not only are there many excellent courses here, but the stunning scenery makes them even more spectacular. When planning a golf trip to South Africa, here are some things to keep in mind.

Choose Your Preferred Area

South Africa is a vast country and there are many golf courses to choose from. Clearly you won’t be able to visit them all, so start by choosing your preferred area of the country.

For example, you could head to the Western Cape and visit Cape Town, or travel to Limpopo Province. Some of the best courses, however, are found along the Garden Route, which is one of the most beautiful areas of the country. Research the different areas of the country and find an area that looks appealing.

Choose a Hotel with a Golf Course

One of the best options is to stay in a hotel that also has an excellent golf course, and that way you get the whole package in one. One option is the Oubaai Hotel, Golf & Spa, which is on the Garden Route. The course is surrounded by beautiful scenery with the Outeniqua Mountains nearby. It’s also just a few minutes from George Airport, making it very easy to reach.

Here you will find the first signature golf course by Ernie Els in the country. It’s over 6,000 metres long, and it looks out over the Indian Ocean, making it a popular option.

Plan Other Things to See During Your Holiday

Golf may be your main reason for visiting, but don’t miss out on all of the other attractions in South Africa. Some of the best things you may want to see and do include:

• Go on a safari in Kruger National Park
• Head to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town
• Visit Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island
•  Visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
• Go on a wine tour
• Go on a tour of the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn
• Start Planning Your Golf Trip

South Africa is a beautiful country and a perfect destination for anyone planning a golf holiday. Start planning your trip by choosing your area, looking at various golf courses and planning other things that you would like to see in the country. Then pack your kit and enjoy a fantastic holiday in this amazing country.