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Baviaanskloof Adventure
South Africa
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Join us on a dual-sport adventure through South Africa on BMWs! This is a dirt-oriented ride featuring beautiful coastline, rugged mountain passes, and great camaraderie. Come visit South Africa and discover Cape Town, Addo Elephant National Park, vibrant cultures, stunning natural scenery, and world-class wildlife viewing!
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This is a great ride for couples and for adventurous riders. Passengers are welcome, either riding two-up or in the support vehicle we provide. Our staff prides itself on giving you quality service, with a large staff-to-guest ratio to ensure a personalized and safe ride.
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Tour Details
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Location:
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Cape Town, South Africa (ANCAL2)
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Terrain:
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Both paved and unpaved roads
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Duration:
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17 days (including arrival and departure)
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Riding days:
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12 days
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Route length:
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Approximately 1640 miles (2640 km)
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Motorcycles:
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BMW F650 GS, BMW F800 GS, BMW R1200 GS
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Group size:
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6 - 10 riders
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Accommodations:
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16 nights accommodations included in tour price
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Highlights:
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Cape peninsula, Addo Elephant National Park, vibrant cultures, stunning natural scenery, world-class wildlife viewing
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Tour Dates
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October
Contact us
with the dates
that interest you!
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Scheduled tours:
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November 7th to November 23rd, 2010
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October 4th to October 20th, 2011
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Tour Price
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Price for a single rider (double occupancy)
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Renting a BMW F650 GS
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$8,200
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Renting a BMW R800 GS
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$8,590
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Renting a BMW R1200 GS
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$8,660
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Price for a single rider (single occupancy)
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Renting a BMW F650 GS
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$9,900
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Renting a BMW R800 GS
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$10,290
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Renting a BMW R1200 GS
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$10,360
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Price for a couple (one bike, one room)
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Renting a BMW F650 GS
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$12,500
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Renting a BMW R800 GS
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$12,890
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Renting a BMW R1200 GS
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$12,960
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Extra Services
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Optional Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
Limits your liability to $2,000 in the event of damage
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$25 per riding day (not to exceed $300)
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Currency: USD - CURRENCY ASSISTANT >
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 Ready to ride? Book here
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Itinerary
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 Day 1:
Arrival in Cape Town, South Africa
You will be met at the airport by our team and transferred into Cape Town. After checking in at the hotel, you can spend the day relaxing after your flight. In teh evening, over "sundowners", meet the team and the other participants while we run through the logistics of our planned adventure. This will be followed by a welcome dinner. After dinner, feel free to explore some of the watering holes aorund the city, or return to your hotel for a well-deserved rest!
Day 2:
Day in Cape Town
After breakfast, we head out on an orientation tour of the "Mother City", as she is affectionately known. This includes a cable car ride to the top of Cape Town's famous 1000 meter (3000 feet) backdrop, Table mountain. For those who are interested, you can take a trip to Robben Island (price not included), which is best known internationally as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 19 of his 27 years of incarceration. Spend the rest of the day and evening at leisure.
Day 3:
Cape Town - Simonstown (75 mi/120 km, tar 100%)
After breakfast we check out, collect our bikes, and ease into our first day's riding with a leisurely trip down the visually stunning Cape Peninsula. This is an unforgettable journey to the mythical meeting place of the two great oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic. Breathtaking scenic beauty contrasts with the harsh rugged conditions of the most southwesternly edge of the African continent. After a visit to the Cape of Good hope, we continue to Simonstown, where we will spend the night.
Day 4:
Simonstown - Arniston (217 mi/350 km, tar 80% dirt 20%)
After breakfast we travel east, hugging the False Bay coastline via the seaside towns of the Strand, Gordon's and Betty's Bay. We meander through vineyards famous for producing world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine, to a point overlooking the town of Hermanus, which amongst other things is considered to be one of the best land-based whale viewing areas in the world. Spot a whale or two from the top of the mountain, then we go down into the town to get up close and personal with these gentle giants. Enjoy lunch in this quaint village before we continue east, mostly on dirt, to the southern tip of the African continent at Cape Agulhas. We'll spend the night in Arniston, which has some of the Cape's finest swimming beaches.
Day 5:
Arniston - Knysna (199 mi/320 km, tar 50% dirt 50%)
After bidding this beautiful fishing village farewell, we continue on good quality dirt roads through wheat fields, sheep farms, and unusually large flocks of blue cranes. We cross the Breede River at Malgas, a truly unique river crossing, and continue via Heidelberg and Mossel Bay, along the Garden Route to Knysna, the town of wood. From the quiet beauty of its evergreen forests to the soaring beauty of the Heads (two sandstone sentinels that mark the mouth of Knysna Lagoon), Knysna has beauty in abundance.
Day 6:
Free day in and around Knysna
Knysna is the perfect base from which to explore the Garden Route. Take rides to the surrounding hot spots like Plettenberg Bay, the Outeniqua Forest, or simply relax and enjoy activities in and around Knysna. Discover the galleries and flea markets, workshops and buskers on foot. The Knysna lagoon attracts with cruises to the Heads and Featherbed Nature Reserve - a natural heritage site. Visit the beautiful private beach of Noetzie with its magnificent castles, located just east of Knysna. Or how about an ocean safari to view the diverse and plentiful sea life just beyond the breakers? Other adventurous activities include abseiling, canoeing, creeking, deep-sea fishing, diving, hiking, horse riding, whale watching, quad biking, paint balling and much more.
Day 7:
Knysna - Jeffrey's Bay (124 mi/200 km, tar 90% dirt 10%)
Check out and continue along an extremely picturesque part of the Garden Route, taking in Plettenberg Bay, Natures Valley and the Tsitsikamma National Park. For the brave or crazy, stop off at the Bloukran’s Bridge and try the world’s highest commercial bungy jump at whopping 216 meters! Our destination this evening is the world-renowned surf spot, Jeffrey’s Bay, considered by many to be the home of the perfect tube.
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Click here for more photos!
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Day 8:
Jeffrey's Bay - Zuurberg (100 mi/160 km, tar 80% dirt 20%)
After an early surf at Supertubes (for those who are in the mood), we go in search of Africa’s Big 5 wild animals. Heading northeast from Jeffrey’s bay, we bypass Port Elizabeth en route to the Addo Elephant National Park. Addo lies deep within the shadows of the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape. We head for the high ground through the old pass to the spectacular location of the Zuurberg Mountain Village. The original Elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only eleven elephants remained in the area. This afternoon we will join a qualified ranger for a safari game drive into the national park. Today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 420 elephants, 450 Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. Even more exciting is that for the first time in over 100 years; lion and spotted hyena were reintroduced to the park recently. Here, the evenings are punctuated by the strident howl of the black-backed jackal.
Day 9:
Zuurberg - Baviaanskloof (155-186 mi/250-300 km, tar 40% dirt 60%)
Riding southwest, we head into an area known as the Baviaanskloof. The road leads through the rugged beauty of the "Grootrivier" Gorge on its winding path through this pristine conservancy. It rises and descends very steeply in places and encompasses a number of passes including the Combrinks, Holgat, Grasnek and Nuwekloos. These were the last of many passes constructed by Thomas Bain between 1880 and 1890. It is the longest of the 24 roads he built, with concrete causeways in places to keep the road in place during flash floods. In other places it just follows the river. The area is characterized by extremely diverse landscape due to the region's high geological, topographic and climatic diversity. The colorful cliffs and rock formations are characteristic of the predominant hard sandstone, which is part of the Table Mountain group of sediments. The beauty of the Baviaanskloof is hard to describe. For the adventurous, this vast mountain kingdom offers a unique wilderness experience through stunningly beautiful landscapes found only in the Eastern Cape. Our resting place this evening is an oasis set deep in the Baviaanskloof Mountains known as Sederkloof Lodge.
Day 10:
Baviaanskloof - Prince Albert (143 mi/230 km, tar 25% dirt 75%)
Today we continue west through the Baviaanskloof and exit via Willowmore along the northern edge of the Groot Swartberg Mountains. We continue through the Great Karoo via Klaarstroom and Meiringspoort and on to the charming town of Prince Albert. Prince Albert lies 650 meters (2133 ft) above sea level and has 8000 inhabitants. It is both relaxed and lively, with many beautifully restored Cape Dutch and Victorian houses. The main commercial activity is Merino sheep farming; however, fruit and olives are also cultivated on the mountain slopes. Some farms have years ago specialized in Angora goats. The Mohair wool of Prince Albert is known to be of the highest quality and is very much in demand.
Day 11:
Prince Albert - Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge (81 mi/130 km, tar 30% dirt 70%)
After a sumptuous breakfast, we start our day with a journey through the last of Thomas Bains creations, the Swartberg Pass, which leads us down into the ostrich capital of the world, the town of Oudtshoorn. En route we stop in for a visit to the magnificent Cango Caves. After the caves, spend a bit of time in the town and visit an ostrich farm if time and inclination permits. After lunch we continue via the dramatic Rooiberg pass to Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge, an oasis in the wilderness. Here we will be spending two nights with an opportunity to relax, unwind and enjoy the multitude of activities available!
Day 12:
Free day at Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge
After breakfast, enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. Relax and unwind in awesome surroundings or take a ride in any direction - options abound! For the energetic, perhaps take an early morning walk into the gorge. Optional activities include: Clay Pigeon shooting, a massage in the comfort of your chalet, or a visit into town. Afternoon nature / game drive in open 4X4 vehicles, ending up with sundowners on top of the mountain. Return to the lodge for a traditional South African bar-b-que or “braai”.
Day 13:
Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge - Ceres (199 mi/320 km, tar 40% dirt 60%)
This morning we bid farewell and travel through Van Wyksdorp, and onto the Route 62. There are similarities between Route 62 and America's Route 66. Both were developed to link rural towns and villages to major centres and both were replaced by highways diverting traffic along more direct roads. Route 62 is now emerging from hibernation to delight the discerning visitor wanting to explore the best of the Western Cape. No biking trip would be complete without a visit to Ronnie’s Sex Shop. Ronnie painted the name "Ronnie's Shop" on this cottage next to the R62, planning to open a farm stall to sell fresh produce and fruit. His friends played a prank on him by changing the name to "Ronnie's Sex Shop". Initially angry about the involuntary name change, Ronnie left the name and continued fixing the dilapidated building. His friends would stop by for a chat, having a few beers. During one of these evenings, someone suggested: "Why don't you just open a pub?" Ronnie's Sex Shop has had visitors from all over the world, judging by the graffiti, it has also become a regular pit stop for bikers, the local farmers and people traveling this road regularly. From here we make our way to Ceres, which is nestled in a fertile valley at the base of the Witzenberg mountains on the edge of the Warm Bokkeveld, Ceres is the perfect base from which to attack the Cedarberg area.
Day 14:
Cere - Oudrif (143 mi/230 km, tar 10% dirt 90%)
After juicing up the bikes we travel north into the Cedarberg Mountains, which stretch for approximately 100 km (62 miles). The highest peaks are around 2000 meters (6000 feet). Of special interest are the many weathered sandstone formations, which create a spectacular stage. The Cedarberg derives its name from a species of cedar trees, which grow at an altitude of between 1067 and 1372 meters. Today the mountain range is a proclaimed wilderness area. It is a superb recreational area with caves, bushman paintings, waterfalls, stunning view sites and astonishing formations such as the Wolfberg Arch and Maltese Cross. This is some of the best riding terrain in the country - a real treat for those who love uninhibited wilderness riding and awesome views. En route we travel through Wuppertal, a most attractive little oasis in a very rugged wilderness. If you like, we can stop and buy a pair of genuine “veldskoen” before we continue on to Oudrif, a masterpiece in sustainable design and operation. Prepare to be blown away by Bill's cooking out here in the most rustic and beautiful setting on the banks of the Doring River.
Day 15:
Oudrif - Franschhoek (199 mi/320 km, tar 60% dirt 40%)
We travel south along the Olifants River and as we move closer to Cape Town, we leave the rustic wilderness feel of the country and enter the equally beautiful Winelands of South Africa. We pass through many small farming towns and heavily cultivated areas as we travel en route to Franschhoek, originallyknown as the French Glen. More than three centuries ago, about 200 French Huguenots, having escaped religious persecution, settled in the Berg River Valley and founded the community of Franschhoek. With its fine balmy summers and the majority of its rainfall in winter, the French Huguenots recognized the potential of the region for wine production and fruit growing. Today it is considered the food and wine capital of the Cape.
Day 16:
Franschhoek - Cape Town (75 mi/120 km, tar 100%)
As the end of our trip approaches, we take the day to explore the area at a leisurely pace. There is something for everyone in and around these Winelands towns. Apart from the natural beauty and host of activities on offer, the region is also steeped in history and museums and art galleries abound. It also has a great café culture where you can sit out on the street corner and watch the town go by. After a relaxing day we return to Cape Town and deliver our motorcycles safely back to the rental agency. After that we check into the hotel and freshen up in time for our farewell dinner.
Day 17:
Departure day
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, check out of the hotel and if time permits, spend time doing last minute shopping, relaxing or whatever takes you fancy before transferring to Cape Town International Airport for your flight home.
Note: We reserve the right to make changes.
Ready to ride? Book here
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Terrain: mostly dirt, some tar.
