South Africa's gorgeous Garden Route-Dec 2015

With its wide open highways and dramatic roadside backdrops, South Africa is the perfect country to get behind the wheel for a self-drive holiday to remember. Although little known, the Garden Route rate's as one of the best road trip adventures, stretching from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth or vice versa it is mile after mile of jaw-dropping scenery with plenty of opportunity to explore wildlife and fine wines along the way. In particular the coastline will entrance you as the road winds by the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains. Every twist of road, every turn of corner will allow you to discover dreamlike forests, rugged coastline, white sandy beaches and roaring seas; all this with pretty villages tucked away beside remarkable wildlife reserves where animals of every description roam free upon the parkland.

Here you’ll find the Big Five: leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and rhino in the wonderful malaria free private Game Reserves - a perfect example of the wonders that lie in store along the Garden Route. You may have heard of Hermanus, the town on the coast along the edge of Walker Bay. It’s a world famous whale watching spot as southern right whales cruise by within metres of the shoreline from June to December. From your clifftop hotel you can spy them with your binoculars as they breach, lob-tail and spout plumes of water, and all the while the mournful songs of these endangered beasts haunt the waters along this stretch of the Garden Route.

Small towns offer picturesque pit-stops for a self-drive holiday along the Garden Route. Be sure to pay a visit to Mossel Bay and try their internationally acclaimed mussels and oysters. Everyone loves a pretty beach, so why not don your flip-flops and head over to Plettenberg Bay for surf breaks and un-spoilt golden sands. From sweeping, golden beaches to rocky cliffs, emerald forests, and mystical lagoons, Plettenberg Bay is a feast for the eyes.

The Tsitsikamma Forest is a region of spectacular otherworldly beauty with giant trees, a prehistoric landscape as though time itself had passed this country by. Bucolic valleys give way to dramatic mountains with trails for those wishing to explore the landscape by bicycle or on foot. Here, the five day Otter Trail will see you rise over coastal cliffs one moment and then plunge you into lush meadows bordering rivers teeming with fauna and flora.

Our penultimate stop! Africa's chic culinary capital founded by French settlers, the Gallic flair for mouth-watering cuisine has definitely rubbed off on this pretty little town. Known as the gourmet capital of South Africa, foodies flock to Franschhoek for its award-winning restaurants.

Cape Town has something for everyone – it really is one of the most cosmopolitan cities I have ever visited. From the moment you arrive, your shoulders seem to relax as you drink in the sunshine lapping the Cape. Take my word for it, in Cape Town you will be spoilt for choice of things to do; the cuisine is out of this world! More and more gourmet restaurants are popping up but the steak and seafood on offer cannot be beaten. The price you pay is amazing as well, almost a third of the price of the UK.

Add in the backdrops of Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles and the stunning beaches of Clifton, Bantry Bay and Camps Bay, you have world class scenery. Tours up Table Mountain, to the Cape of Good Hope and to see the penguins of Boulders Beach are a must-see for first-timers, while the shopping on the Waterfront is outstanding!

And don’t get me started on the wine! Just a mere 45 minutes from Cape Town are the Cape Winelands where you are spoilt for choice with amazing qualities of wine, all set on stunning working vineyards – think the Cotswold’s with permanent sunshine.

South Africa is a staggeringly beautiful country with fascinating cities and breathtaking landscapes. Wildlife adventures are everywhere you look while a shoreline hides secluded coves and dreamy bays in which to picnic and observe the beauty of nature. Of all the road trips that are possible in the world there is nothing quite like the Garden Route. Once you start your engine, you may never want to return home again!