Trip Planning

South Africa is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world with a unique blend of wildlife,  vast natural habitats, striking landscapes, a diverse culture of people and a remarkable history. AWOL Tours  provides trip planning services for visitors in search of customized, unique hiking and cycling adventures in Cape Town and the Western Cape. If it’s Adventure, Culture, and Nature you’re after, we’ve got you covered.

Adventure: South Africa offers a wide range of exciting activities for the adventurous travelling to South Africa.

Select from hiking on the iconic Table Mountain, trekking the majestic peaks of the Drakensberg mountains, river rafting in the breathtaking Blyde River Canyon, to mountain-biking through the Knysna Forest on the Garden Route or a leisurely cycle through the Cape Winelands. You can choose horseback-riding over rolling hills in Swaziland, tracking wild animals on a Kruger Walking Safaris or scuba diving at wrecks along the Cape Coast. Other alternatives include; sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, surfing the warm waters at Muizenberg beach, rock-climbing in the rugged Cederberg Mountains or canyoning in the secretive gorges of the Hex River Valley.

Culture: Southern Africa’s rich cultural heritage can be incorporated into your travel experience in a myriad of ways.

You can learn to click like a Xhosa, take a slurp of Umqomboti beer, track animals with the Kalahari Bushmen/San, spend the night in a Shangaan village, join a Zulu warrior dance or find out what your future holds when a Sangoma throws the bones for you. You can enjoy a traditional meal in the Cape Malay Quarter, sample the catch of the day in a West Coast fishing village, visit historical buildings influenced by the Dutch, English, Portuguese or South-East Asian legacy, or sample South Africa’s unique wine cultivar in the historic Winelands.

Nature: Viewing African wildlife in its natural habitat is a unique experience that should be undertaken at least once in a lifetime. Most visitors to South Africa spend time in either Addo, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kgalagadi, Aquila Game Reserve or a wildlife walking Safari in Kruger National Park.

The phrase ‘Big Five’ was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot.  Although the term is still used and we are fortunate to encounter these animals on safari, we prefer to focus on all aspects of the natural habitat, especially on the lesser-known and endangered species. Why not combine your safari with the opportunity to gain a more in-depth knowledge of our natural biodiversity? AWOL Tours offers various safaris, from relatively inexpensive camping trips, to exhilarating walking safaris through the African bush, to high-end luxury expeditions.

Garden Route

Trips up the Garden Route begin in Cape Town and wind through the rugged scenery of the Little Karoo exploring Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital, the dramatic Outeniqua Mountains, vast stretches of coastline and beautiful white beaches. You will travel through Indigenous Forests and end your journey in Addo Elephant National Park on the Eastern Cape.

Kalahari Safari

AWOL arranges tours from Cape Town that meander up the harsh but beautiful West Coast, known for its icy blue seas and excellent seafood. Travel inland over the Cederberg Mountains, with their ancient rock art, through Namaqualand where you will meet contemporary Khoisan people and end your trip on a game-viewing safari among the red dunes and gnarled camelthorn trees of the Kalahari Desert.

Kruger Walking Safari

There is a world of difference between experiencing a safari in Africa on foot, “old style”, they say, from the tinted windows of a luxury bus! To walk is to be out there with the African wildlife, sharing their paths and waterholes, the daily dramas of their lives, sharing their space. To walk is to follow their tracks, feel the tingle of your own senses and hear the beating of your heart as you edge closer to a herd of elephant resting in the shade. To sleep in a tent under the trees with only the canvas between you and the bush is an experience not easily forgotten.