Exploring the Garden Route
We had a driver throughout our time in Cape Town who then drove us along the Garden Route and stayed with us until dropping us at Shamwari. I can highly recommend this option as not only are you able to relax and take in the views along the way, our guide, Loryn, was a never-ending source of first hand knowledge and experience about all things South African and gave us so many tips throughout our trip.
The Garden Route is a 300-kilometre stretch of the south-western coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. It includes towns such as Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. However, the drive up from Cape Town to Mossel Bay nearly doubles the length of the journey. The first stretch does go through the winelands, to towns such as Hermanus and Swellendam and, with a bit of a detour, you can also take in Cape Agulhas, the real southern tip of Africa. Along the route there are so many things to do. Food and drink? An awesome array of amazing restaurants and hotels! Like adventure? Caves, zip-lines, bungee jumping and more will excite any adrenaline junkie! Looking for animals? It doesn’t matter if you are searching on land or at sea! There are Game Reserves and Safaris, ostrich farms and meerkat adventures plus take to the seas to find dolphins, whales, sharks, seals and more!
Hermanus is one stopover option and should take less than 2 hours from Cape Town and is a great place for whale watching and shark diving as well as being extremely picturesque.
We had lunch at the Marine Hotel which is a perfect spot overlooking the bay and set in gorgeous gardens. The hotel has a range of rooms – many with spectacular views of the ocean - and lunch was a feast of local fish and meats in a wonderful setting and highly recommended.
Our next stop was around 300km to Oudtshoorn – the ostrich capital of South Africa. It’s a long drive but some of the views are simply stunning as you drive along the coast and through the mountains. I would recommend you leave in plenty of time to complete your journey in day light to appreciate the views and for ease of driving. We stayed at the gorgeous Rosenhof Guest House and loved it! It’s a small and quaint hotel with stunning little cottages with everything you need. Set in beautifully maintained gardens and with a small pool area, this was a perfect place to stay.
We chose Oudtshoorn as a stopping point as we wanted to see the meerkats. It’s an early morning start before sunrise which starts with hot drinks before heading out to wait for the meerkats to come out. We were lucky to arrive just as they were getting up and spend a wonderful 90 minutes watching a family of seven pottering around and learning all about these lovely animals.
After heading back to Rosenhof for breakfast, it was time to leave but not before a visit to the Cango Caves. We opted for the less energetic one hour guided tour, but for the more adventurous, they also offer a more challenging option that takes you deeper into to caves. Had we had longer we would have visited on of the ostrich farms or maybe tried the zip line which looked amazing – and you can also bungee jump from here.
Our stop along the Garden Route was Plettenburg Bay which is around 150km from Oudtshoorn and we stopped for lunch enroute at Kynsna. This is a lovely seaside resort and lunch overlooking the marina was fabulous.
We stayed for two nights at the fabulous Plettenberg Hotel – a sister hotel of the Marine in Hermanus - a stunning hotel with beautifully designed interiors throughout. Our room had double aspects windows over the bay where you can watch dolphins frolicking in the bay if you’re lucky. The hotel is steeped in history and in a privileged position with amazing views.
Like Hermanus, Plettenberg Bay is a great place for whale watching. We had an amazing time with Ocean Safaris on a small boat that took 10 of us our to look for whales, and our patience was rewarded with not one but two humpback whales swimming along the side of our boat. On the way back we visited the seal colony and spotted a huge lion seal. You might also be lucky enough to spot sharks and dolphins!
After out morning on the sea we returned to The Plettenburg and had amazing massages before dinner in the hotel restaurant. The food was amazing, the service was impeccable and their extensive wine list has something for everyone!
Our next stop was Shamwari Game Reserve. They offer transfers from Port Elizabeth which is about 200km from Plettenberg Bay or to drive there from Plettenberg Bay is around 300km. Please see my next blog to find out how we got on with our safari.
There is so much to see and do along the Garden Route, and between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and I can tailor-make the trip based on what would suit YOU best. I would be happy to have a chat with you and help put together the perfect trip.