The spectacular Cape floral kingdom is surely one of the bucket list items for holiday-makers who visit Western Cape. It is one of the richest areas in the world for plant biodiversity, and fynbos landscapes are just so very beautiful to explore and experience. For this reason we’ve designed a special luxury fynbos trip in Western Cape, ending in the Mossel Bay area which is the portal to the Garden Route. While we offer this as a trip, each place can also be enjoyed as a single getaway. We recommend private fynbos reserves where you can be a staying guest and do self- or guided fynbos experiences on stunning landscapes.
“South Africa’s Western Cape is more botanically diverse than the richest tropical rainforest in South America, including the Amazon. ” ~ World Wide Fund for Nature.
Around 9 000 plant species are found here in the Western Cape, most being the area’s native fynbos, which is seen on the mountain slopes, lowland valleys and coastal plains. The flower holiday we suggest gives you access to a good bit of this floral magic. Such a trip can be both informative and deeply uplifting. Natural beauty, after all, has the knack of making the heart sing again, and returning colour to the soul.
A flower holiday also gets you walking out in the fresh, clean air to make your rich discoveries. Although the king protea (South Africa’s national flower) is a large, unmissable specimen, many fynbos species are small and delicate, which means that walking in a fynbos wonderworld is full of surprises – so many exquisite varieties will reveal themselves to you.
Luxury Fynbos & Flower Trip in Western Cape and Garden Route
DESTINATION 1: CEDERBERG – Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve
Distance from Cape Town to Bushmans Kloof is 284 km, about 03:30 – 04:00 travelling time.
Bushmans Kloof is a dazzlingly beautiful and captivating world of ancient rocks, fynbos, wildlife, rivers and mountains. There are some 750 indigenous fynbos species found in the Bushmans Kloof reserve, many of which you can discover with your guide, and you can learn about fascinating health benefits and how the Bushman people used them in daily life. Other activities include guided nature drives, excursions to view rock art, hiking and bicycling, canoeing, swimming and wellness treatments. Just like the nature activities, accommodation and cuisine at Bushmans Kloof is top quality. Mail us.
DESTINATION 2: PRINGLE BAY – Kapensis Guest House
Distance from Bushmans Kloof to Kapensis Guesthouse is 353 km via N7, about 04:30 travelling time. Travellers may, however, wish to punctuate the trip with some time in Cape Town before travelling to Pringle Bay.
Kapensis Guesthouse is set on an 8.5-hectare fynbos farm on the outskirts of Pringle Bay in the Western Cape. The coastline and unique fynbos of the area bestow unrivaled views that stretch across a vast landscape, serene and beautiful. The guest rooms look out upon exquisite mountainscapes and valleys, and one can hike and bike in this fynbos-clad world. Not far away there is also whale and penguin viewing, wine routes and beaches, and local delights in the village to enjoy. Mail us.
DESTINATION 3: WALKER BAY – Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Distance from Kapensis Guest House to Grootbos is 90 km via R44 and R43, about 01:30 travelling time.
Arriving at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is like checking into heaven. This private eco-reserve stands in glory above Walker Bay, on a magnificent landscape of fynbos, forest and sea – all of it part of your explorations with in-house environmentalists. There are 800 recorded plant species in the 2500-hectare Grootbos wilderness, and you will have the opportunity to discover many of them on a 4×4 guided botanical safari . It is a most glorious experience. And then there are also forest and coastal walks to enjoy, and boat tours for memorable marine safaris.
Luxurious accommodation is at Garden Lodge and Forest Lodge, or at a super-luxurious sole-use villa surrounded by fynbos. Mail us.
DESTINATION 4: STANFORD AREA – Mosaic Lagoon Retreat
Distance from Grootbos to Mosaic Lagoon Lodge is 21 km via R43 and Wortelgat Rd, about 25 minutes travelling time.
Mosaic Lagoon Lodge is a wonderful nature lodge basking beside the Hermanus Lagoon, and just outside the town of Stanford. The surroundings are rich in plant life, and there are also many types of birds and animals to discover there.
Mosaic Lagoon Lodge is an active member of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy, and works hard at eliminating invasive plants so that indigenous plants – as well as animals and birds – can thrive again.
Stay in a gorgeous stone-and-glass suite secluded among milkwood trees on the edge of the water and equipped for luxurious living in nature. The views are serene. Aside from enjoying the plants of the area, you can also enjoy beach adventures, whale watching and marine tours, and nearby you can explore the wine region of the Overberg. Mail us.
DESTINATION 5: MOSSEL BAY AREA – Gondwana Game Reserve
Distance from Mosaic Lagoon Lodge to Gondwana Game Reserve is 290 km via the N2, about 03:15 travelling time.
Both a fynbos and a wildlife safari await you at Gondwana Game Reserve in the Mossel Bay area. This is a double bonanza indeed. Here you will have a wonderful experience of a most beautiful fynbos landscape, in addition to a fabulous wildlife safari with 4×4 game drives, safari walks and conservation activities. Gondwana offers a special Fynbos Conservation Experience, which includes a guided nature walk lead by their resident botanist. You are likely to see an abundance of Proteas, Ericas and Restios – and much else too. Birding is also excellent in the fynbos. Gondwana Game Reserve also offers 3 / 5-day walking trails in the reserve, which is another great way to enjoy the fynbos. A choice of luxury rooms and more rustic tented accommodation is available, depending on what you prefer. Mail us.
Mail us to book your fynbos getaway in the Western Cape, and for getaways throughout South Africa. Call +27 21 797 7122 to speak to a consultant.