South Africa Experience For The Disabled Traveller

I have some good friends in South Africa who I’ve known for many years, who provide disabled holidays for clients with all types of disabilities. They are born and bred South Africans, and are also registered tourist guides.

These can be wheelchair bound clients who require totally adapted accommodations, those who can climb a few steps and maybe walk a few more and don’t require fully adapted accommodation, and also for sight and hearing impaired travellers.

They have been operating their business for 15 years now, have a very strong client base, and are very popular because of the excellent and professional way in which they carry out their business and take care of their clients. They are based in Cape Town and operate their tours in the Western Cape, Garden Route, Namaqualand and the Eastern Cape. This has now been extended through the Johannesburg to Krugar Park area as “self-drive tours” if you wish, which can also be arranged through South Africa.

Their tours are very personalised, and arranged around your specific needs, with the accent on showing you as much of South Africa’s magnificent diversity of landscapes, people, cities, game viewing, coastline and seas.

They use accommodation from 5* hotels to guest houses and guest farms, whichever you require, and all will be personally viewed by them to ensure that it is suitable for your needs and requirements.

Pam is a registered professional nurse, and where possible, they conduct their tours personally through the southern part of the country to ensure that their very high standards, and clients expectations are exceeded. They also do tours and transfers for large international travel agencies, which in itself is a commendation on their excellent dedication to their business.

In a recent addition to their tour portfolio they now do tours for the blind, hard of hearing and the deaf, for which tours are conducted in sign language. Tours for the blind and reduced sight clients are specifically chosen to accentuate the smells, aromas and sounds of the places visited, and the carer the traveller brings with them, usually expands on the sensation of the destination by being their “eyes,” with additional explanation, along with the guides commentary.

All the vehicles used are fully air-conditioned, and the adapted vehicles, to take the wheelchairs, have been modified with imported equipment approved by the British Transport Board. Midi-coaches can be arranged for larger groups that can take 3 – 5 wheelchairs.

Fully escorted and fully pre-arranged self-drive tours, car-hire, equipment hire, and medical procedures you may require, such as dialysis and oxygen, can also be arranged.

The thing that has always impressed me is that their disabled tours are always arranged around the client and their requirements – not the other way around.

I have a form which they initially ask all their interested clients to complete, so they can get everything correct for you on the tour, and once you express an interest to me I can forward one to you.

All the tours are fully bonded for your financial security, so your money is perfectly safe, as usual.

They have a large number of “Adventures” you can choose from, and I can only show a few of them here. If you can’t see anything you like, simply email me on my contact form with your requirements, and we’ll see what can be created for you. A fixed price will always be given to you for any of the tours, with all the inclusions and exclusions clearly listed.

Sample Disabled Holiday Adventures

Only a sample of what can be arranged – some are already included in the tours, others can be arranged if required.

Cape Town

• Helicopter Flights
• Deep Sea Fishing
• Abseiling – tandem
• Yacht Sailing
• Fossel Park archaeological site viewing (Palaeontology – extinct animal fossils)
• Seal viewing boat trips
• Sea Kayaking – good upper body strength and balance required

Hermanus/Gansbaai

• Shark Cage Diving (cold water 1 – 15°C)
• Whale watching from boat
• Land based Whale watching

Garden Route

• Farm Experience – farm tour on back of pick-up vehicle (bakkie) to see African Nguni Cattle, Osrich, Blue Cranes and Sheep.
• Shark Cage Diving – warm water 20°C+
• Paragliding – tandem
• Meet the People – unusual style “township” tour (not the typical township tour – very different – shows PRIDE not poverty.
• Whale and Dolphin watching from boat off beach
• Crocodile Cage Diving for those who can stand – not in a chair.
• Hot Air Ballooning for those who can stand – not in a chair (In JNB area in chair) Oudtshoorn for able bodied.
• River Cruises
• Bungee jumping

West Coast

• Fossil Park – extinct animal bones of creatures we’ve never seen.

There are more adventures being added all the time, so I’ll add to them as soon as I’m notified.

I’ll list some of these excellent tours which are suitable for disabled travellers of various disabilities, but, if you don’t see anything you like, and would like to see different areas or experience different things, just drop me a line on my contact page and we’ll see what can be arranged.

South African Adventure Tour

13 Days – Cape Town & Garden Route + 5* Game Reserve

Day 1

Transfer from Cape Town airport to Commodore Hotel. Rest of day at leisure. 4 nights on a B&B basis.

Day 2

Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
& Cape Fur seals on Duiker Island

(The next couple of days are inter-changeable and are run according to the weather)

Visit to Table Mountain, taking the cable car to the top, (tickets included & weather permitting), where there are stunning 360degree views across Table Bay, the Cape Flats and back across the chain of mountains making up Table Mountain. We then descend and drive through city, pointing sites of historical and architectural significance.

We then continue to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which are famous for winning flower shows around the world. Lunch for own account can be enjoyed there.

Later we head down to Hout Bay for an optional boat trip to view Cape Fur seals on Duiker Island. (Guest will be lifted chair and all onto boat – no power chairs). We have a manual chair we can bring along for boat trip, at no extra charge.

We return to the hotel around 16/17h00. Evening at leisure. Breakfast included.

Day 3

Cape of Good Hope Reserve

Visit to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve down the Peninsula, stopping at the Penguin colony in False Bay and also at Cape Point in the reserve, where we take a funicular ride to the Old Lighthouse.

We return via the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, if it is open, if not via the Old Cape Road into the Constantia valley. Lunch for own account en-route.

We return to the hotel between 17/18h00. Evening at leisure. Breakfast included.

Day 4

Winelands of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl

A visit to the winelands area of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, is a must when in South Africa. Stellenbosch, being the second area to be established after Cape Town, back in 1679, also is the most famous wine area in the country.

It has saved most of its original architecture and we visit the Period House museum with antiques of each period and style of house. We stop for two wine tastings as well, or drop the museum and do 3 tastings, one in each town/village. Lunch for own account en-route. We arrive back at the hotel between 17h00 -30. Evening at leisure. Breakfast included.

Day 5

Depart for the Garden Route.  We drive via the Breede River Valley, where we stop for wine tasting en-route (not on weekends), lunch for own account in area. We drive via the Kogman’skloof Pass into the Klein Karoo through more magnificent passes in this fertile valley. We overnight at a Guest House in Calitzdorp or Oudtshoorn, on a D,B&B basis. (400km/282ml) Breakfast & dinner included.

Day 6

Wildlife Ranch & Ostrich farm

We depart for Oudtshoorn for the day, where we visit the Wildlife Ranch, where we see The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. We have lunch and a tour at an Ostrich farm and find out more about these fascinating flightless birds. Later in the afternoon we drive over the Outeniqua Pass to the coastal area of the Garden route. We continue to Knysna for overnight on B&B basis for 2 nights. (210km/130ml) Breakfast & lunch included.

Day 7

Eco-cruise on Keurbooms river & Elephants

We head to Plettenberg Bay for an Eco-cruise on Keurbooms river near Lunch in area for own account.

In the afternoon we have a very memorable afternoon planned – feed the gentle giants of Africa!
(80km/50ml) Breakfast included.

Day 8

Eastern Cape and 5 star Private Game Reserve

We depart for the Eastern Cape and the malaria-free game viewing experience at the 5 star Private game reserve in the malaria free area of the Eastern Cape driving past Port Elizabeth en-route. Full board basis at reserve.

You will be lifted out of the wheelchair and transferred with transfer carry seat onto the seat of the Landrover open game vehicle After lunch on arrival, we do an afternoon/evening game drive. Then it is change or rest or both and get ready for dinner. (330km/210ml) Full board included.

Day 9

On reserves programme on full board basis.

Day 10

Cat Sanctuary & more

After the early morning game drive and breakfast, we depart the private game reserve and head to overnight in Knysna at the same place as previously. On return to Plett area we visit a small cat sanctuary. Here we can see Caracal, Cervil, Black footed cats, Wild cats, Meercats. Get close to our national bird, the Blue Crane and more. (330km/210ml) Breakfast included.

Day 11

We drive to Mossel Bay, where the first Portuguese Navigator Dias landed in 1488 and visit the museum which houses the replica caravel boat from the 500 year re-enactment of this famous voyage. Lunch in area for own account. We continue to an aloe factory where you can find out more about this plant and its healing properties. In the Late afternoon we depart for our Farm experience We overnight on a Guest Farm in the Heidelberg district. 250km/160ml Breakfast & dinner included.

We can add in a “Meet the People” tour here and overnight in Mossel Bay and add 1 day onto tour or drop the maritime museum and do the Meet the people and keep it to the same no of days.

Day 12

After our farm tour if farmer not harvesting, we continue through the old town of Swellendam with its wonderful history and architecture. We stop for a berry liquor tasting – not weekends.

Return to Cape Town over Sir Lowry’s pass, returning to same option hotel for one night on B&B basis.

Evening at leisure to explore V&A waterfront.

Day 13

Check out of hotel. Free time in the morning to explore depending on time of return flight.
You will be collected for airport transfer, 3 to 3.5 hours prior to flight departure.

Included

• All vehicle and fuel costs
• Services of a registered driver/guide
• All accommodation on B&B basis, except at Game Lodge which is full board (FB) – NB!!(All accommodation is subject to availability when booking)
• Entrance fees as per itinerary
• Certain meals as per itinerary
• Porterages at accommodations
• Gratuities to Rangers and guides at attractions
• Welcome letter and tips for a successful holiday on arrival
• Maps and brochures to area, where available

Excluded

• Meals and drinks not stated itinerary
• Phone, fax and cellular calls
• Items of a personal nature
• All airline flights
• Personal travel insurance – please insure for ALL eventualities

Package prices

The below price is a very SPECIAL OFFER and will only remain until 2nd February 2011. Costings for tour (These tour pricings are per person sharing a twin room – single rooms priced on request).

These are the basic “special price” costings for the above tour. You can request any changes you wish, and include any additional items, and the package will be priced accordingly for you.

• 2 persons travelling together (client and a carer for example) sharing a twin/double room.
  R40,200 (£4,020 approx / $6,750 approx) per person
• 4 persons travelling together (sharing 2 twin / double rooms)
  R29,850 (£2,985 approx / $4,990 approx) per person
• 6 persons travelling together (sharing 3 twin / double rooms)
  R26,380 (£2,638 approx / $4,420 approx) per person

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