The 300 km stretch of coast connects Mossel Bay and the Storms River Mouth and is home to wide sandy beaches, lovely lakes and lagoons, shady evergreen forests and protea-studded slopes. Lined with family-friendly beaches, but also ideally suited to hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, the region is home to the Garden Route National Park and a host of protected indigenous forests. The region offers fabulous aquatic and forest bird watching, including striking avian endemics such as Knysna turaco, yellow-throated warbler and olive woodpecker, while seals, dolphins and whales are commonly seen from seaside cliffs. Along the way, every kind of adventure activity is possible; scuba diving, abseiling, fishing and more. The Tsitsikamma National Park, perched on a tumultuous Indian Ocean shore is one of South Africa’s most dramatic protected areas, combining marine and land attractions. Its indigenous forests are a haven for birdlife. One of the most geologically interesting parts of South Africa is the Klein Karoo, with its towering mountains and sheer gorges.
A short distance inland of Tsitsikamma, the 215 m Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump is reputedly the world’s highest.
An important geological feature is the Cango Caves , a series of caverns and chambers naturally hewn out of limestone, situated outside the city of Oudtshoorn. The Cango Caves are among the top ten most visited South African attractions.
Oudtshoorn itself, the heart of the ostrich feather industry when it was in its hey day the late 1800s and early 1900s, is well worth a visit. The grandiose, old feather palaces are still to be seen, while ostrich farms, now involved in the commercial production of meat, leather, eggs and feathers, can be toured, with the possibility of riding an ostrich.
Family friendly Monkeyland is a private sanctuary offering refuge to more than a dozen species of monkey and lemur, all rescued from domestic captivity. The adjacent Birds of Eden is a massive free-flight aviary run through by a 1km walkway and suspension bridge. A third associated sanctuary Jukani is home to rescued lions and various other big cats and smaller carnivores. Set on the aptly named Baia Formosa (Beautiful Bay), the perennially popular resort town of Plettenberg Bay boasts one of the South Africa’s loveliest and calmest urban beaches, along with a great selection of seafood and other restaurants.
Adjacent to Plettenberg Bay, the towering cliffs of the Robberg Nature Reserve, home to large numbers of Cape fur seal, are circumnavigated by a stunning day trail from which dolphins, humpback whales and the endemic African black oystercatcher are often observed.
Things to do:
Storms River Suspension bridge
Bloukrans Bridge Bungee
Zip-lining in the Tsitsikamma forest
Mossel Bay zip-line
Robberg Nature Reserve
Big Tree
Bartholomeu Diaz Museum
The Crags
Birds of Eden
Monkeyland
Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary
Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary
Knysna Heads
Knysna Forest
Knysna Elephant Park
Featherbed Nature Reserve
Swartberg Pass
Cango Caves
Ostrich Farms
Wilderness National Park
Accommodation:
Emily Moon River Lodge
Sky Villa Boutique Hotel
Kanonkop House
Pezula Hotel
Robberg Beach Lodge
Simola
St James of Knysna
The Fernery
The Plettenberg
Tsitsikaya Lodge
View Boutique Hotel
Garden Route Game Lodge
Fancourt
