The Garden Route

The Garden Route is a strip of land like no other in the world in terms of beauty, natural attractions and unique flora and fauna – hence its name!  Mountains crowd close to a shoreline dotted with beaches and bays, and vividly colored wild flowers and fynbos.

Geography

The delightful town of George, known as ‘’The Gateway to the Garden Route’’, is nestled at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains.  Oudtshoorn, the capital of the Klein Karoo, is set in a semi-arid valley, where ostriches are farmed on a large scale.  The main cities and towns on the Garden Route are: George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Storms River, Natures Valley, Tsitsikamma National Park and Mossel Bay.

Climate

The Garden Route has a Mediterranean maritime climate, with moderately hot summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the richest rainfall areas in South Africa. Most of the rains occur in the winter months, brought on by the humid sea-winds from the Indian Ocean.

Accommodation

There are a variety of accommodation venues available down the beautiful Garden Route.  These range from backpackers to 5 star boutique hotels and resorts.  This is a great destination for malaria-free wildlife game viewing experiences….Addo Elephant National Park, Botlierskop Private Nature Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve are some of the top reserves and resort s in this area.

What to do?

Hike the Otter Trail from Tsitsikamma National Park, surf at Plettenberg Bay, bungee jump off Bloukrans Bridge, enjoy a bridge walking tour, walk with elephants near Knysna, ride on the famous Outeniqua Choo-tjoe Train, quad biking, visit the Ostrich farm and Cango Caves in Outsoar, go dolphin watching or horse riding in Plettenberg Bay, take a boat trip to Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna, visit the Saturday Sedgefield market…..just a few ideas of the many things that will keep you busy along the Garden Route.

Transport

By plane
South African Airways has regular flights to George.

By car
easy access from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth or longer drives from Durban or Johannesburg.  You can hire a car at the George airport if you want to self-drive.  The N2 is the main highway that passes through the Garden Route, connecting Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

By bus
the main companies offer regular services along the Garden Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.  There is also a Baz Bus that services this route and is very affordable.

Eating Out

There are restaurants for every taste….seafood is fantastic and most of the time has just been freshly caught.

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