Umzantsi Afrika Tours

3 Day Karoo Fossil Safari (UMZKF3)

At a Glance

• Tour duration: 3 days / 2 nights
• Group size: Minimum of 2 people per tour
• Tour departs from: Port Elizabeth
• Price: From R13 per person

Tour Highlights

• Graaf-Reinet
• Valley of Desolation
• Fossil Tour
• The Mountain Zebra National Park

Suitable for those interested in Archaeology, Wildlife

Itinerary

1. DAY 1: Port Elizabeth to Graaff-Reinet

   After Breakfast we travel north through old Settler Towns like Uitenhage, Wolwefontein and Jansenville and arrive in Graaff-Reinet with the overlooking and imposing 1400m high Spandaukop Mountain. The town is also known as the ‘Gem of the Karoo', as it has more national monuments then any other town in South Africa. After booking in to your room you can do a guided walk (or drive) to various places of interest. In the late afternoon we visit the ‘Valley of Desolation' where you look from a safe view point in awe over the inspiring, gigantic Karoo Basin with the encircling Mountain Range in the far distance where about 250 million years ago Dinosaurs roamed and from where you may watch a magnificent sunset.

   OVERNIGHT: Drostdy Hotel or similar

2. DAY 2: Graaff-Reinet to Nieu Bethesda

   You start the day with a leisurely breakfast and than take a ride to Nieu Bethesda. After a visit to the curious ‘Owl House' you can take part in a ‘Fossil Tour' where you can observe the 300 million Year old Fossil's still embedded in the Sandstone. From there you travel to a local farm and visit the only private Fossil Exhibition in South Africa. After a light traditional lunch, you continue to ‘The Mountain Zebra National Park', where you will be able to see some of the 250 Zebras and other animals that live in the park. After dinner you can watch the magnificent South African night sky with its many shooting stars as only visible on a clear Karoo night.

   OVERNIGHT: Mountain Zebra National Park

3. DAY 3: Nieu Bethesda to Port Elizabeth

   This morning you travel through Cradock, Bedford, Adelaide and Fort Beaufort, on the foot of the Kagga Mountain. You visit the old Martel Tower, a strong hold, built during the Frontier Wars between the English Toops and the various ‘Xhosa' tribes in the 1700 & 1800th century. Thereafter you travel through the 400 million Year old Ecca Pass to Grahamstown, the “City of Saints”, due to the 40 places of worship in this town. You visit the Museum with its only functional Camera Obscura in the Southern Hemisphere. After a slow drive through the town you turn southeast and arrive back in Port Elizabeth in the late after noon. An over night in a Game Park can be connected to this with Game Drives to watch the big 5 for and a visit to Addo Elephant Park the next day, with an additional price per person sharing.

   TOUR ENDS