The Great South African Escape
off-road adventure
8 Day-guided 4x4 adventure through South Africa's Eastern Cape region
- Lodge accommodation, including a 5-star lodge
- All breakfasts included
- R 13 100 per person sharing
- Single supplement R 2 200
- Soft-roader friendly
- Guides, medic and support truck on the tour
Tour Dates:
2 - 9 April 2023 (Fully booked)
The 4x4 Tour Itinerary
This 4x4 off-road adventure is a must for any 4x4, off-road or outdoor enthusiast. The objective of the tour is to rediscover South Africa now that we can travel again, bringing much-needed cash flow to the small lodges we'll be staying at on our adventure. No previous 4x4 experience is required.
Join SA Adventure on this great South African escape, and we guarantee that on this tour you will see places in South Africa you never knew existed. The route takes us through the back roads of Kwa-Zulu Natal, down to the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast, up and down countless bucket list passes including Naude's Nek, Pot Rivers Pass, the War Trail and the Devils Bellow's! From Rhodes through to Hogsback and ending at the Gariep Dam at a farm situated alongside the Orange River.
A brief itinerary is set out below, but we will send you a more detailed one once you have signed up for the tour.
Be quick as we are limiting the number of places to 12!
At SA Adventure, the client comes first. Your safety and enjoyment of your adventure is our number one priority!
Day Two
We have breakfast at the lodge and then start our 4x4 off-road adventure by heading for the Wild Coast. Our destination for the day is Mbotyi River Lodge. Situated at the mouth of the Mbotyi River and tidal estuary, it's nestled between the rolling hills, lush forests and the warm Indian Ocean. One of the most beautiful roads we travel down today is the Mzintlava Pass. It winds its way through sub-tropical forests and through the valley and over the Mzintlava river.
Day Three
Today is a day of relaxation. The wild coast beach is a short walk from the lodge. There are amazing photo opportunities of the Nguni cattle walking along the beach next to the sea. You also explore the nearby Fraser Falls, Cathedral Rock and Magwa tea plantation. Or you can just chill out and read a book at the pool.
Day Five
Today we drive completely off-road to the small historic village of Rhodes. We head out of the hotel onto the Tenahead Tiffendel Traverse pass. Stunningly beautiful, it winds its way along the border with Lesotho towards the War Trail area and Volunteershoek pass. Lunch today is a reward at the foot of the mountain in the form of the best pizza and apple pie you will ever eat at Bidstone farm.
After lunch, we head off towards Rhodes. We will be staying in the village's refurbished historical cottages, and having our meals at the Ou Pastorie Restaurant. The atmosphere here is great and they have the local craft beer from the Rhodes brewing company.
Day Six
After breakfast, we leave Rhodes via some beautiful gravel roads. We are headed through the Eastern Cape to the small village of Hogsback via some very scenic gravel back roads. Very exciting off-roading in this area!
Situated in the Amathole Mountains, Hogsback and the Amatola Forest is often claimed, as J. R. R. Tolkien's inspiration for The Lord of the Rings. There is loads to do around the area, including visiting the Eco Shrine and Labyrinth in the village.
Day Eight
In the morning, after breakfast, we visit the Gariep Dam Wall. Completed in 1971, is the largest dam in South Africa. 'Gariep' is an ancient San word for 'great water'. After we've explored a little we say our farewells to our travel companions, with whom we have shared this awe-inspiring South African 4x4 adventure and made memories to last a lifetime...
"Not all those who wander are lost."
Day One
It's finally time to get out and explore in our 4x4's! We meet up at our hotel in the afternoon. It's set in the picturesque Kwa-Zulu Natal midlands in the beautiful Kamberg area.
On the way stop off at Fort Nottingham. You will find there is an actual fort there, and it has been turned into a museum. It's well worth a visit to learn about the local history.
The area is considered to be one of the most scenic in South Africa and has some amazing gravel roads that we will be travelling down and exploring in our off-road vehicles.
Day Four
After breakfast, we will have a basic off-road driving skills lesson before we leave Mbotyi and start heading back inland to the mountains. Our destination for the day is the spectacular 5-star Tenahead Lodge. It is situated at 2500m above sea level, earning it the title of "The Highest Mountain Lodge in South Africa". Located in the Eastern Cape Highlands, near the escarpment in the southernmost end of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range.
We drive over a few spectacular mountain passes today on our way to Tenahead, here are some that you will get to tick of your bucket list: The Luzi Poort and Pitseng passes. These two stunning gravel passes wind their way along the Luzi River. We cross several rivers along the way. You will be treated to some amazing scenery of sandstone outcrops and colourful little villages along the way. We also traverse Naude's Nek. This beautiful pass is the third-highest pass in South Africa.
Day Seven
We leave the sleepy village of Hogsback and head towards the Free State Province and the Gariep Dam. We traverse another 4x4 pass today called Michel's Pass, just outside Hogsback. It's a lesser-known pass and is only seventeen kilometres long, but it offers some great off-road driving. We head through a couple of small villages and also get to drive our 4x4's along the Devils Bellow's pass before stopping for lunch along the way. Words cannot describe the beauty this pass holds.
The Gariep Dam lies between the Free State,
Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. For the last night of our South African 4x4 tour, we will be staying on a farm situated on the banks of the Orange river, downstream of the Gariep dam wall. For our last evening together as a group, we are going to experience true Karoo hospitality which will reinforce the good vibes our adventure together brought.
So why go on a 4x4 Tour with SA Adventure?
SA Adventure has been conducting off-road 4x4 tours since 2009. Our track record speaks for itself and the relationship we have with all the lodges on this South African 4x4 off-road adventure have been built up over the past few years.
We pride ourselves on safety and nothing is more important to us than your well being while on your tour. We have a full support truck, guide and medic on every tour. You can relax on your adventure and know that the SA Adventure team has taken care of all the details to make your experience an unforgettable one!
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