AREAS VISITED

Lyon Tours & Safaris has chosen unique and spectacular areas to visit. We take our clients on tours that are specifically designed to suit their needs. The reserves visited are tranquil and not highly commercialised. A description of some of the areas which we visit is listed below. If you would like more information on an area not specified below, please contact us and we will happily advise you on those areas.

Eastern Cape Province

Tsitsikamma (Eastern Cape)                                         This region borders the Western Cape and boasts the Tsitsikamma National Park. “Tsitsikamma” is derived from the Khoi expression meaning “place of abundant water”. This park prides itself in attractions like the Otter Hiking Trail, the highest bungee jump in the world, tree-top canopy tours, incredible snorkelling, whale-watching, phenomenal waterfalls, a giant 800-year-old Outeniqua yellow wood tree, and a community trust development craft market. This area is filled with tall indigenous forests and vast, unspoilt stands of the Cape’s unique fynbos.     

The Great Karoo & the Camdeboo (Eastern Cape)
Steeped in history, Graaff-Reinet, the third oldest town in South Africa, nestles in the foothills of the Sneeuberg Mountains. This town hosts the most national monuments in the country. It is described as the “gem of the Karoo”, the “Athens of the Eastern Cape” and the “Capital of the Camdeboo”. Camdeboo is derived from the Khoi expression meaning either “green heights” or, more probably, “green hollow”. Though this region has an unforgiving climate and terrain, it attracted the first European settlers. It is an area in South Africa where the breath-taking views, from the Valley of Desolation to the Plains of the Camdeboo, will rival any. In the Karoo Nature Reserve, Mountain Zebra National Park and numerous private game reserves, the renowned, endemic and endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, amongst other wildlife, can be viewed.

Wild Coast (Transkei Region)
The Wild Coast encapsulates the “Spirit of Ethnic Africa”. An almost untouched paradise, this strip of rocky outcrops, small inlets, sheltered coves and unspoilt beaches is untamed rather than undeveloped. Explore the customs of the local Xhosa people who are still largely bound by the traditions and lifestyle of their ancestors. Visit the birthplace of Nelson Mandela at Qunu and learn more about the amazing life of the man who led South Africa into modern democracy at Mthatha’s Nelson Mandela Museum. There is simply no comparison for the area’s magnificent isolation.

Northern Region of the Eastern Cape
The northern region of the Eastern Cape is significantly different from all other parts of the Eastern Cape and South Africa. The semi-arid Karoo region to the south, the forests of the Garden Route, and the hills of the Wild Coast to the east are transformed into this mountainous area with its flying buttresses and where eagles soar on the thermals. Due to the topography, this area has a very specific climate similar to that of the Free State to its north. The primary industry in this area is agriculture, with cattle ranches thriving in the crisp air and other live stock grazing on the specific flora. Some of the untouched resources in this particular area are; 100km of navigable water, over 500km of wild trout fishing, hiking, snow-skiing, San rock art and engraving, and a wealth of historical artefacts. Prehistoric fossils have also been discovered in this area. When visiting this untouched area, you can appreciate the awe-inspiring beauty of the terrain and mountain peaks.

The Settler Country and Cape Midlands (Eastern Cape)
This area is crammed with history as this is where the frontier wars occurred. Many of the towns and villages originated as forts or strongholds built by the British in the 19th century. The area starts at the Great Kei River in the north, and runs down the coast to the small resort town of Port Alfred. The Buffalo River, which forms the only river-mouth port in South Africa at East London, divides the area in half. The first inhabitants of this area were the Khoi-Khoi, relatives of the nomadic San people. They named the Buffalo River “Ingaab ab”, an expression meaning “Buffalo”, while the Xhosa tribes that migrated south used the name “Bisho”, a word also referring to Buffalo. The Amatola Mountains inland form some of the best ranching in the country taking their name from “Amatole” which means “place of weaned calves”. Marino sheep is the preferred stock, while beef and dairy cattle are also found everywhere. There are many little towns to explore in this area, and it has become a popular holiday destination due to the awesome hiking trails.

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Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site (Eastern Cape)
Virtually the entire area covered by the Baviaanskloof and the Kouga mountains has been proclaimed the Baviaanskloof Wilderness area. Baviaanskloof, which means “ravine of the baboons”, is home to large troops of baboons, while many other species of animals can also be found in the area. Baviaanskloof is made up of an intensely folded and dissected landscape, with a road running 150 kilometres through the narrow valley. The road enters at Nuwekloof Pass and it follows the course of the Baviaanskloof River, which has a myriad of clear mountain streams feeding into it from the Baviaanskloof range in the north and the Kouga range of mountains in the south.  The road seems to be a continuous mountain pass, with countless ascents and descents, often flanked by sheer cliffs on one side and abyssal drops on the other. Dense vegetation on the mountain slopes and in the valley includes a large variety of succulents and flowering plants, as well as its own variety of Cedar.  Small settlements dot the route through the valley and mixed farming is practised in the narrow valley which is only 2 kilometres wide in places.

Langkloof (Eastern Cape)
Galleries of San (Bushman) rock art can be found on many farms, the San having been driven out of the valley by the Gouaqua Khoe, who, in turn, were gradually displaced by the European farmers around 1740. The Langkloof is usually thought of as the east-west valley, bounded by the Kammanassie and the Kouga ranges of mountains to the north, and the Outeniqua, Langkloof and Tsitsikamma ranges to the south. It begins at the village of Herold and ends at Kareedouw, varying between 10 to 16 kilometres wide. The Langkloof is one of the largest deciduous fruit-growing regions in South Africa.  The Kouga River (Khoe word for “place of the hippopotamus”) flows west-east through the valley, flowing out to the north through the Kouga mountain range.

Free State Province

Eastern Free State
When the trekkers stared upwards and realised they could go no further, they had reached what is today called the Eastern Free State. This is an area of hills and mountains where every place is above or below you and many high-flying raptors can be seen in these skies. The Maluti Mountains of Lesotho (the “Mountain Kingdom”) form the eastern boundary and the mountains were the stronghold for the Basotho people during the Basotho wars.  They have defended this rough terrain for 100’s of years and today we find the country of Lesotho landlocked within South Africa. In the Golden Gate National Park, close to Phuthaditjhaba (“Meeting place of the nations”), you will find the sandstone outcrops for which this area is famous, the  colourful facades appearing all the way south to Zastron & Rouxville.

TransGariep (Free State)
This is for the most part a featureless grassland prairie ideally suited to and famous for sheep and cattle ranching.  The vast open grasslands as far as the eye can see is fed by the broadly-burrowing river to the south which the San people named the !Garib, (“Great River”). This river system was crossed by settlers who had orange in their flag while the river had a gold, murky look to it, hence the name, the Orange River. The river forms the natural border of the Free State. When visiting this area, you will experience how the people here have adapted to deal with the harsh conditions, and why they are so good at their style of farming. Some of the most fascinating stories ever told relate to the history of the concentration camps and war sites in the area . You will leave this area with the utmost respect for the people who live here.

Western Cape Province

The Garden Route (Western Cape)
The Garden Route is one of the most diverse and picturesque regions within the South African borders. It stretches along the Southern Cape coast and is boarded by magnificent, densely wooded mountains and pristine beaches. The climate and vegetation are Mediterranean and the bird life is abundant. This “route” includes extravagant tropical forests, inland lakes, spectacular mountain passes and deep gorges, the famous Knysna elephant and a well-developed tourist infrastructure.   

Little Karoo (Western Cape)
The Little Karoo is a narrow valley constrained by rugged mountains. Undoubtedly the most popular attraction is the remarkable Cango Caves, which boast some of the world’s most famous dripstone formations in 30 magnificent, subterranean limestone caverns. Some of the most imposing mountain passes in the country link Oudtshoorn, the centre of the ostrich industry and the world’s feather capital, to other fascinating towns in this area. As the rainfall in this valley is “blocked” by the impenetrable height of the Outeniqua and Langeberg mountain ranges, the area is semi-desert broken by lush river valleys.

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