5^th – 20th February 2013 

Price  :  to be confirmed, but in the region of £2300 - Land Tour only 

Maximum Group Size: 12

Tour Leader: Cameron McMaster

Assistant Tour Leader: Dawie Human

Cameron Mc Master has organised and run tours in South Africa for many years.  He is extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the Eastern Cape.

Dawie Human is an experienced part time Botanical Tour Guide, who runs a Nursery for the Free State Nature Conservation Department

The tour price includes:

All tour travel in South Africa;

Double/twin bedded accommodation in comfortable hotels and guest farms with en-suite facilities where available;

Dinner and breakfast on all days.  We will need to purchase the odd take away midday meal while on route.

All entry fees to game parks etc.

Services of leaders.

The tour price does not include:

The cost of international flights;

Items of a personal nature,such as laundry and alcoholic drinks

Travel insurance;

Tips and gratuities.

Single room supplement: none

NB  This tour starts and ends in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It may be possible to arrange for a group booking for the flights to and from Port Elizabeth, but only if 10 clients wish to fly on the same flights from London Heathrow.  In order to arrive in Port Elizabeth on 5^th February 2013 it will be necessary to depart from London on 4^th February.  The return leg will leave Port Elizabeth on 20^th February 2013.   Group booking facilities are not available for groups with fewer than 10 members.  However we do realise that people may wish to extend their stay in South Africa and to make their own flight arrangements.

AGS Expeditions Limited will book flights for clients if you wish us to do so.  There are a number of cheaper options available on the internet, but some of these involve more than one stop.  As at late June 2012, the best offer is a combination of flights with Swiss Air and South African Airways, costing £780.  This does involve one long stop-over in Johannesburg on the return journey.  The direct routes, via either Johannesburg or Cape Town, are with South African Airways and presently cost in the region of £940 per person.   Some airlines will not yet have published their timetables for early 2013, so better offers may become available.  Please see the various options on the booking form. 

If you intend to book your own flights, please do not do so until you have received confirmation from AGS Expeditions Limited that there have been sufficient bookings for the tour to go ahead.  Once this confirmation has been received, we suggest that you book immediately.

If we cannot make a group booking and are asked to make individual bookings, payment in full for the flight element will be required before that flight can be booked and a separate invoice will be issued.

The group size for this tour is smaller than normal for AGS tours, to enable us to use guest farm accommodation.  Bookings will be taken in the order in which they are received.

HEALTH & FITNESS

You will need to be reasonably fit to derive maximum enjoyment from this tour.  An ability to spend a full day walking in hilly country in the United Kingdom would be a rough guide to the level of fitness required. 

Itinerary - AGS East Cape Botanical Tour with Came
 

February 2013 

Tue 5 Feb      Arrive Port Elizabeth . Overnight Humewood Hotel on the Beach front.

Wed 6             Early start – Travel to Kaboega Private Game Reserve for the first taste of  the African bush (4 different biomes in one reserve with Aloes, Cycads and Succulents and Fynbos).  3-hour drive through the bush with a picnic lunch.                     

Proceed to Glen Avon, Somerset East for a two-night stay at this historic Guest Farm.

Thur 7            AM.  Visit Waainek Private Wild Flower Reserve with elements of Valley Thicket, Afromontane forest and Mountain Grassland

                        PM.  Glen Avon falls – a hike through riverine forest to the bottom of these spectacular falls. Overnight at Glen Avon 

 Fri  8              Breakfast at 7 am for an early start – excursion into Nama Karoo near Cradock (succulents and Nerine huttoniae) Karoo-Namib and Valley Thicket flora.  Overnight at Hogsback Arminel Forest Resort 

Sat 9               Exploring the flora of the Amatola Mountains and forests - Overnight at the Hogsback Arminel.

Sun 10           Travel via Satansnek pass to Maclear – grassland flora  with Crocosmia masoniorum a speciality. Ground orchids and Proteas spectacular. Overnight  Woodcliffe, Maclear.      

Mon 11           4 x 4 excursion on Adele Moore’s Orchid trail, Maclear. Overnight Woodcliffe

Tue 12            Excursion to Naudes Nek for the day– to explore alpine flora Packed lunch provided.  Overnight Lovedale Guest Farm, Rhodes  

Wed 13          AM Morning excursion to Tiffindell or back to Naude’s Neck, weather permitting either excursion.   PM Travel from Rhodes to Balloch Guest Farm

Thur 14          Exploring on Balloch – Excursion to top of the farm and hike back (optional) Overnight at Balloch Guest Farm. 

Fri 15              Travel via Barkly East and Barkly Pass to Stutterheim. If time, stop at Kei river to view Rock Art.-  Overnight at The Croft, Stutterheim.  A number of facilities available here including a laundry.  

Sat 16             Dawn departure for visit to Neil and Carmen Potter’s farm (043 6831739) -  4x4 excursion up Moonstone mountain – to view some pristine grassland and Valley thicket - three species of Cycads.  Overnight The Croft, Stutterheim

Sun 17           Hike through Afromontane Forest near Stutterheim and view Amatola mountain grassland.   PM Travel to the seaside resorts of Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay –  Overnight Morgans Bay Hotel. Meet local wild flower experts Joan Bursey and Wayne Hauslau who will guide us in viewing sub-tropical coastal flora, including wild populations of Clivias.   

Mon 18           Hiking and exploring at Kei Mouth.  Overnight Morgans Bay Hotel.

Tue 19            AM Travel to Grahamstown stopping at some interesting sites.

PM Travel to Port Elizabeth. Return vehicle before 5 pm

Farewell dinner and overnight at Humewood Hotel.

Wed 20          Catch return flights at Port Elizabeth airport.

  For further information please contact

the AGS Centre, Pershore. tel - 01386 554790 or email  tours@alpinegardensociety.net