Exclusive Tours

Our visit to South Africa was truly the trip of a life time! Freewalker handled all the details of our Garden Route tour efficiently and graciously. Eleven of us, ages 4 to 58, traveled together and Murray and Jordie made it look easy as they tailored the trip to meet all of our interests! Freewalker’s familiarity with the area and people was clearly valuable as they arranged for spectacular lodging, zip-lining, snorkeling with the seals, great white shark adventure, shopping, great restaurants and a myriad of daily requests and needs. Freewalker took all the worry and hassle out of the trip leaving us to enjoy the breath taking sites and fantastic adventures.

Murray and Jordie enthusiastically shared their knowledge and insight of South Africa. For adults and children in our group alike, their drive and commitment to give back to this beautiful country is inspiring. They easily fit our family and we count them among friends. Our granddaughter cried as we left them expressing what we all felt! Okay, that does it:) Honestly, I am crying as I write this and I was the “cynic” in the group about the trip in general. Feel free to edit! Thanks again for a memorable, enriching and fun experience!

Janine Barry, Exclusive Family holiday trip July 2012

As the land swept through green pastures to the tip of Africa we could not have been in better hands and enjoyed ourselves more or had any more fun! Five stars to you both. Thanks for sharing your passion with us, absolutely fabulous. A special thanks to Jordie & Murray Heartfelt thanks

Liz & Jim Barry, Exclusive Family holiday July 2012

After a ten day safari with John X Safaris, owner Carl Van Zijl highly recommended Freewalker to guide three generations of our family on a tour of the Eastern Cape and Cape Town. From the moment our family was introduced to Jordie and Murray, it was like we had known them for years. Their excitement and energy was contagious and as we would find out, was everlasting! We spent six days experiencing things we never thought possible with moment to moment planning on Jodie and Murray’s part. They catered to every age and interest in our group. From wine tasting, private sunset cruises and curio shopping for the grandparents; zip lining, elephant and ostrich riding for the more adventurous, to playing with lemurs, learning to carve African figures and sightseeing for the kids. All while ensuring that the entire family was content at all times. Their attention to detail was impeccable and we could tell there was much thought put into finding the perfect adventure or activity that was right for our family. Freewalker Adventure Tours is not your ordinary tour guide company. Jordie and Murray are like your best friends that know everything there is to do, see, and experience in South Africa. If you want to do it, they will make it happen and they will handle every detail in planning flawlessly. Thank you Freewalker for your friendship and for a trip of a lifetime!

Eric and Kristie Arnette, Exclusive Family holiday trip, May 2012

Our trip to South Africa in July 2012 was truly the trip of a lifetime. After spending the first week of our family vacation on a game reserve we decided to take the next week of our trip to travel from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town along the Garden Route. While we would normally take this adventure on ourselves, for a trip of this magnitude we decided to use Freewalker. What a great decision. Jordie and Murray picked us up right from the game reserve and stayed with us until we were checked into the airport at Cape Town. They did an awesome job coordinating all of our adventures including zip lining, cage diving with Great White sharks, shopping, Cape Point…and the list goes on. There would be no chance that without their local knowledge we could have pulled this off. We enjoyed every minute without having to think once about how to find something, where to eat, or what time the tours departed. They took us to some of their favorite restaurants along the way and the fresh seafood certainly did not disappoint. With their outgoing and fun personalities, very quickly in our trip you began to look at Jordie and Murray like they were part of your family and not just your tour guides…they are very special people and we would highly recommend Freewalker to anybody traveling around the Eastern / Western Cape.

Mark and Jen Barry, Exclusive Family holiday, July 2012

Words can’t express how special you made our trip to SA. You both are such wonderful, extraordinary people and taught us both so much. We enjoyed our adventure to both Plett and Knysna and every little detail you put forth in making it so special. Hugs to you both….take care and hope to see you again sometime! This was the trip of a lifetime, one that I will hold dear to my heart for many years to come!

Peg & Shandra Christianson, Exclusive Family holiday, March 2012

This was the best tour company in South Africa, a must have guides Jordie and Murray are a blast and get the job done. You dream it they make it happen. I also look forward to a return trip, but I don’t know how you could ever top the last one. It was truly our favourite trip ever. Also Murray and Jordie from Freewalker Adventures were the best we have ever had, they did an outstanding job. Making sure all 7 of us got to do what we wanted and fit it all in somehow. They make it happen, and made us feel like family.

Paul Majeroni & Family, Exclusive Family holiday, September 2012

Guests are collected from Lalibela and the tour begins, with set accommodation and routes planned with a few adventure and personal interests booked. The tours are personally designed, which allow the guests to let the guides know what they want out of their holiday. The Garden Route to Cape Town is filled with diverse scenery, culture, adventure, luxury and entertainment and caters for all ages. This tour is perfect for a family holiday and seven days is more than enough to fully enjoy your South African adventure. Good advice would be to spend two nights at accommodation destinations to enjoy the area to avoid spending the holiday in the bus.

Guests are collected from Lalibela and transported to Plettenberg Bay or Knysna for the remainder of their holiday. These 3-6 day tours are for the travelers who wish to be based at one or two accommodations for the entire stay and enjoy the town activities and surrounding adventures. Guests fly out of Port Elizabeth airport after this tour. The towns mentioned above are the most popular amongst the past families and our personal favorites. Best for families who wish to do less driving and more holidaying.

“The valley of Elephants and ‘Big 7’”

Addo Elephant National Park is situated in the dense valley of the Sundays River region. This Eastern Cape game park offers a memorable wildlife experience and is home to the Big 5, namely Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. The original Elephant section of the Park was proclaimed in 1931, a time when just 11 Elephant roamed the area.

Today, however, over 450 Elephant makes the park their home, as well as Cape Buffalo, Black Rhino, a variety of antelope species and the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. Addo National Park is indeed a unique and diverse wildlife sanctuary, and plans to expand and transform Addo is already in motion.

At this Eastern Cape game park you will experience an unrivaled natural diversity, boasting 5 of South Africa’s seven major vegetation biomes. Addo is also home to the ‘Big 7′, namely Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Whale and the Great White Shark.

The park has several archaeological sites on the coast and in the Zuurberg – also the area where bushman rock art can be seen. Addo’s mega-park status will preserve 120 000 hectares of marine reserve, including islands that are home to the world’s largest breeding populations of Cape gannets and second largest breeding population of African penguins.

Opportunities to: get up close with the “Big 5,” elephant back safaris, Raptor and Reptile Center, canoeing, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, horseback safaris, health spas

“Always a beautiful day in Plettenberg Bay”

Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plett, is a town with 19,565 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It was originally named Bahia Formosa (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers and lies on South Africa’s Garden Route 210 km from Port Elizabeth and about 600 km from Cape Town.

Plettenberg Bay hosts one of the largest seagull breeding colonies along the South African coast at the mouth of the Keurboom’s River, named after the indigenous keurboom tree. Local vegetation varies from Cape Fynbos to indigenous forest further inland. Whales are a common sight in the bay during their breeding season, while dolphins are frequently seen in the surf. A delicate flower-shaped sea shell called a pansy shell is endemic to this part of the coast, and is used as the symbol representing the town. Looking for these shells on the beach is a popular activity amongst visitors and locals alike. Robberg Peninsula is maintained as a nature reserve, allowing visitors to see many of the area’s local plants and animals. The greater Plettenberg Bay area is also home to Birds of Eden, the largest free-flight bird aviary in the world, and the free-roaming primate sanctuary called Monkeyland. The white, sandy beaches around the town are very popular with tourists. The bay is defined on the southern end by Cape Seal at the terminus of the Robberg Peninsula, separating the bay from the open Indian Ocean. It is one of the southern cape coast’s typical “J-shaped” bays, which is formed by wave eroding action. To the north, the Tsitsikamma and Langkloof Mountains keeps the moisture on the southern slopes of the mountains and prevent the temperature extremes of the interior reaching the bay.

Opportunities to: whale and dolphin watching, sky diving, World’s highest bungy jump, zip line adventures, quad biking, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, scenic flights, nature and beach walks, surrounding game reserves and animal sanctuaries, interacting with elephants, elephant back safaris, golf, learn to surf, river boat cruises, arts and crafts, township tours.

“The Place of People, Beauty and Mystery”

A natural paradise of lush indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches adorns South Africa’s unspoiled southern coast. Nestling on the banks of a shimmering lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route is the picturesque town of Knysna. Beaches, lakes, mountains and rivers provide endless opportunities for leisure and outdoor adventure. Within the town, craft shops, flea-markets and cozy cafe’s beckon with small-town charm and hospitality.

Knysna is synonymous with fine indigenous timbers, and famed for the craftsmanship of its furniture and timber products. The area is a veritable Garden of Eden: home to the only forest elephant in South Africa, the unique Knysna seahorse and the Pansy shell, the brilliantly colored Knysna Loerie, a plethora of waterfowl and forest birds, dolphins and visiting whales.

Opportunities to: Lagoon cruises to the infamous Knysna Heads for luxury to casual boat cruises, interacting with elephants, elephant back safaris, golf, learn to surf, many arts and crafts, great shopping, and township tours.

“The heart of the Klein Karoo”

Oudtshoorn is in the Klein Karoo between the Swartberg and Outeniqua mountains. Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of the world. Ostriches are found in great numbers and the region produces the best feathers, leather products and ostrich meat in the world. But the world’s biggest bird is just one of the many attractions in this area of exceptional contrasts and natural beauty.

It is also home to the spectacular Cango Caves, Africa’s largest show cave system. Oudtshoorn is in the vicinity of an ecological hotspot where three distinct plant biomes (succulent karoo, cape thicket and fynbos) converge.

Opportunities to: soar above the great Karoo in a hot air balloon, visit the Cango Caves, tour through the Cango Wildlife Ranch, touch cheetahs, cage dive with crocodiles, walk with meerkats, ride ostriches, visit ostrich farms, enjoy spa treatments.

“The Mother City of mountain and sea”

Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa, and the largest in land area, forming part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are situated. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is Africa’s most popular destination for tourism.

Cape Town is not only the most popular international tourist destination in South Africa, it is Africa’s main tourist destination even overtaking Cairo. This is due to its good climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure. The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain, which forms a large part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the back end of the City Bowl. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway. Cape Point is recognized as the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula. Many tourists also drive along Chapman’s Peak Drive, a narrow road that links Noordhoek with Hout Bay, for the views of the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up Signal Hill for closer views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain. Many tourists also visit Cape Town’s beaches, which are popular with local residents. Due to the city’s unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Though the Cape’s water ranges from cold to mild, the difference between the two sides of the city is dramatic. The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of the docks of the Port of Cape Town, is one of the city’s most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locally known, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave. The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferries depart for Robben Island. It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon’s Town and the Cape Fur Seal colonies on Seal and Duiker Islands.

Opportunities to: shark cage diving, scuba diving, Table Mountain cable car, mountain hikes and walks, abseiling, whale and dolphin watching, bungy jumping, paragliding, beach walks, golf, fishing charters, wine lands tours, surrounding game reserves and Cape Point, Robben Island Tours, Seal Island boat cruise, penguin colony, floral heritage sites.

“Gem of the Karoo and Heritage Heartland”

Graaff-Reinet is a town with 80,776 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is the fourth oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam.

The town was founded by the VOC Dutch East India Company in 1786, being named after the then governor of Cape Colony, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, and his wife whose maiden name was “Reynet”. The town lies above the sea and is built on the banks of the Sunday’s River, which rises a little farther north on the southern slopes of the Sneeuberge Mountain Range. Graaff-Reinet is a flourishing market for agricultural produce, the district being noted for its mohair industry, sheep and ostrich farming.

Graaff-reinet is home to more National Monuments than any other town in South Africa and boasting over 200 private dwellings being restored and labeled National Monuments.

Graaff-Reinet is a little town that allows visitors to step back in time and enter a world that is very different to city life. Exploring all its charms takes at least a day. One can wander freely around day or night admiring the historical buildings and museums, have a meal and a drink and stroll back. There is no need for a car to get to the town’s sights. Graaff-Reinet has retained much of the character of a 19th century rural town. With its painstakingly restored buildings, its monuments and historic associations, it’s virtually a living museum. There is plenty of history attached to each street of this town.

Opportunities to: Touch and interact with lion/cheetah cubs, farm stays, hikes and walks, fossil farms, Valley of Desolation, surrounding game reserves, historical town and museum walks, township tours, donkey cart rides, golf, Nieu Bethesda visit with 2 Goats Brewery tasting local beer and visiting the Owl House.