Ok,
With a lot more research and pondering I have now sorted this week and will now just explore Cape Town and the region near it, rather than also doing the Garden Route.
We will now fly in from JNB. Flights are very cheap on
Kulula http://www.kulula.com/. No frills certainly, but it is only a short flight.
To heighten its flavour being different from the rest of our trip, and to take advantage of what the Cape Town Region offers we have decided to make a key part of this week a "foodies" trip with ample time to be spent enjoying the local cuisine and wines which are rated highly in the various reviews that I have read.
I have now made bookings for two of South Africa's Top Ten Restaurants (different lists, have different rankings) and am eying off a couple more in the region.
I have so far booked the The
Test Kitchen www.thetestkitchen.co.za in Cape Town and
Overture in Hidden Valley,
www.dineatoverture.co.za adjacent to Stellenbosch. In each case we will opt for the extended menu with matched wine pairings of local wine. As you need to book these restaurants well in advance I have also locked in accommodation to suit.
I have booked 2 nights in
Stellenbosch at the
Oude Werf Hotel, www.oudewerfhotel.co.za , which has the distinction of being South Africa's oldest hotel. The current $40 Hotel Club discount sweetened the deal.
I have booked in three night in Cape Town at the
Protea Hotel North Wharf Waterfront to take advantage of the Marriott Chain now having properties more widely in South Africa. I had some points expiring next Feb, and there was enough for 2 of the 3 nights we will be staying there. The rooms, or rather suites, here are large and luxurious and so will be a taste of luxury before starting our more basic, but comfortable Kruger SANPark accommodations.
That leaves two nights in between. At this stage I am leaving these unbooked. If the whales are about, then we will mosey on down to
Hermanus. Evidently in August the whales are not always there. If not we will probably spend more time on the
Cape Peninsula, including the
Constantia Valley and the
Groot Contantia www.grootconstantia.co.za
We have booked a
VW Polo via Avis for 4 days if this section (the days we are not staying in Cape Town.
For
Kruger NP I have changed the vehicle to the
Avanza as it is taller and so better for game viewing. With more internal room it may also make things more comfortable asa lot of time may be spent sitting in the car watching. It also has better ground clearnance and that may be handy on the way to Elephant Plains where I have heard the roughs are quite rough. While it is more expensive, at $Aust 300 for a week it is still cheap car hire.
In both cases one way dropp-offs are not being charged. Pick up at CPT and drop off in Cape Town. Pick up at SZK and dropp off at HDS.
We have booked manuals, but being Aussies the South Africans drive on the "correct" side of the road for me anyway
I am also very used to driving on gravel roads, trails and the like.