Tour through the beautiful South Africa🚙🚌🚐🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 On this page we visit the Garden route of South Africa. I will be happy to assist you in arranging a tailor made holiday which suits you. Self-drive or guided whichever suits you best 🚙🚌🚐🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
The Garden Route's 200km coastline stretches roughly between Mossel Bay and Tsitsikamma, features white sandy beaches, indigenousforests, wetlands brimming with birdlife, majestic mountain ranges, and rivers meandering through deep gorges. Although the Northern part of SA is the country’s foremost place to go for a safari, the Garden Route boasts several very good game reserves.
Details of five Game Reserves on the Garden Route at bottom of the page.
Birds of Eden's unique two hectare dome (the world’s largest) spans over a gorge of indigenous forest. Currently it is home to over 3,500 birds from over 220 species, with the main focus being African birds.
Monkeyland is the worlds first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary. It's mission is to educate and foster greater understanding of our primate cousins and the threats and challenges they are facing.
Day 3 Time for some adrenaline in the morning. Bloukrans Bridge Bungy is one of the world's highest commercial bridge bungy at 216 metres above the Bloukrans River. It is situated at Bloukrans Bridge on the N2 Highway at the border between the Eastern. Join me?
https://youtu.be/h5Yhu9_RBMw
Day 4, we visit Plettenbergbaai.
Monkeyland is the worlds first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary. It's mission is to educate and foster greater understanding of our primate cousins and the threats and challenges they are facing.
https://youtu.be/h5Yhu9_RBMw
Day 4, we visit Plettenbergbaai.
There are three beaches in Plett, all equally jaw-dropping. However, your choice is likely to be influenced by your personal beach preferences, all equally great.
Hike in Robberg Nature Reserve which is only a short drive away from town and undeniable one of the best places to experience untouched nature. With rock formations dating back more than 120 million years, it’s no surprise Robberg is also a World Heritage Site.
For jaw-dropping ocean views and a chance to spot dolphins and whales (in season) frolicking in the bay, be sure to head over to Whale Tail Lookout Point.
In Whale season go on a boat-based whale & dolphin excursion to get closer.
Day 5 Our Virtual tour continues we visit Knysna which is situated in the the world famous Garden Route. Knysna is a quaint town located on the edge of a vast estuary which flows into the Indian Ocean through two giant sandstone heads. Well known for its beauty, oysters, Knysna elephants and the endangered Knysna seahorse.
Knynsa is also well known for the Knysna elephant. Where a herd of elephant a thousand strong once roamed the mighty Knysna forest and surrounding regions at the southern tip of Africa until the 1800s and 1900s, a single cow now dwells its leafy footpaths.
Research conducted by SANParks scientists confirmed the presence of a female Knynsa elephant still calling the forest its home. A range of cameras was set up along the forest and one elephant was captured.
One particularly unusual characteristic of the Knysna Seahorse is that it is the males who gives birth. The female impregnates the male with up to 1,500 eggs and, during the gestation period the male hardly moves at all, while the female brings him food. https://www.oceanodyssey.co.za/the-knysna-seahorse/
Knysna,
Has lots to offer, if you have time and stay longer longer. Here are some ideas of places to visit :
Knysna Elephant Park
Featherbed Boat trips. My favorite is the trip including a walk
Sailing Ocean Odyssey. My favorite is the sunset cruise.
Whale & Dolphin Cruise
Knysna Heads
Drive or cycle the Seven passes Road from Diepwalle Forest via Kom se Pad.
Drive or cycle the Prince Alfred Pass to Uniondale just to enjoy the beauty.
Day trips to Brenton-on-Sea, Keurboomstrand and Noetzie
Visit Prince Albert via Swartberg Pass. (Also see page on motorcycle tours)
Play around of golf at Pezula
See the Map of Africa in Hoekwil
Visit Nature’s Valley and stop fir lunch at Bramon wine estate
More detail ideas below:
The Brenton blue butterfly, evident in late October until December, lives within one hectare of asteraceous coastal fynbos and its larvae depend entirely on the lower side of the leaves of Indigofera erecta for their food.
The home of one o1f the rarest butterflies in the world, the Brenton Blue Butterfly Reserve, is marked by a single signpost. The site extends over approximately 2ha and contains a mixture of coastal fynbos and coastal forest. The Brenton Blue shares its home with a wide variety of other insects, as well as mammal and bird species.
The vegetation in the reserve is a complex mosaic of candlewood thickets and asteraceous fynbos. The reserve contains a large population of the food plant of the Brenton Blue butterfly, a small plant in the pea family with pink flowers.
The Brenton Blue is a very rare National Treasure.
Entrance strictly by appointment only
The reserve is under the control and management of the Brenton Butterfly Trust and no visitors are allowed on an ad hoc basis. However there are limited tours of four people each twice a day from 5th to 25 th November and 5th to 25 th February each year, when the butteflies are active. The tours are at 12:00 and 13:00 and only if sunny and relatively wind free
TELEPHONE: Dr DA Edge +27 (0)44 381-0014 in business hours only (08:00 to 17:00).
Wild Oats Community Farmers Market is a local farmers and food market open every Saturday morning until 12 noon. Lcated on the western outskirts of Sedgefield at the turnoff to Sedgefield Island. An award winning Garden Route landmark ( not to be confused with the Scarab Craft Market to the far east of Engen Petrol Station or the Mosaic Flea Market across the road from Wild Oats.) As a food market, open times are limited due to the short shelf-life of many of LOCALLY produced products.
Walks/Trails
The Circles in the Forest trail is situated in the Goldfield State Forest and starts/ends at the Krisjan-se-Nek picnic site where you can braai and lie on the green grass. It is a beautiful easy to moderate walk through the forest. There is a swimming spot in a cool forest pool with small fish species in and also a beautiful pool with a waterfall. There are sections where you walk amongst huge forest ferns and frog-filled streams with small wooden bridges.
Distance: There are two options available, a short 3.1km circle route and a 9km circle route.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
Elephant Trails
From the Diepwalle Forestry Station one go lose yourself in the Knysna forest on one of the Elephant Trails. Make it even more special by staying one night on the wooden decks at the campsite.
Three trails, of varying difficulty, wind their way through pristine Knysna forest, starting and ending at the Diepwalle Forestry Station:
- Black Route: 9km; circular (Easy: 3-4 hours)
- White Route: 8km; circular (Moderate: 3-4 hours)
- Red Route: 7km; circular (Moderate – Difficult: 3-4 hours)
The trail is a mix of forestry road, woodcutter trails and boardwalk, winding its way past giant old yellowwoods, stinkwood trees, gurgling streams and beautiful tree ferns.
Along the forest floor, the fungi are a delight to behold. From the brightest orange to something that looks like Oreos growing out the side of a tree. If you lucky you might spot a Knysna Loerie
There are more trails in the area to explore. Garden of Eden, Terblans Nature Walk and more!
One of the world's great natural wonders, the Cango Caves, was sculpted by nature through the ages.
Numerous ostrich farms surround the town. Get to know this exotic bird species by visiting one of the show farms. Relive the booming Ostrich Era in the C.P. Nel Museum, with the theme The Ostrich through the Ages.
Exceptional stone masonry through the ages led to that special touch in Oudtshoorn. Admire the grandeur of the numerous ostrich palaces, like Pinehurst, established in the times of the feather boom. Conserved to this day as museums, guesthouses and dwellings for the discerning.
The Swartberg Pass, between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert, is one of the most sensational drives in southern Africa, declared a national monument. It is the masterpiece of a brilliant engineer, Thomas Bain, and dates from the 1880's, when it was hand-built in 5 years' time
Get to know the Meerkats which is part of the so-called Shy 5 which also includes the bat-eared fox, the aardvark, porcupine and aardwolf on a early morning excursion.
Exploring Oudtshoorn with Royden from RJ Tours. Informative, interesting & loads of fun! Don't miss this tour when you in Oudtshoorn
https://www.rjtours.co.za/
Day 6, we travel along a section of Route 62 which links Cape Town to Oudtshoorn. This scenic route passes through farming towns of Calitzdorp, Ladismith, historic Amalienstein, Zoar and the fruit growing and wine producing towns such as Barrydale, Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale, Robertson, McGregor.
Route 62 prompts associations with the legendary byway, Route 66, connecting the urban and rural communities between Chicago and Los Angeles. In 1926 the inter regional link, Route 66, between Chicago and Los Angeles, was established as one of America’s main east-west arteries, providing small towns access to a major national throughfare.
If you don't believe the notion that ‘sex sells' then this small pub in the Karoo will definitely prove you wrong. The story goes that Frank Ronald (Ronnie) Price bought a tiny farmer's cottage on a remote section of the R62. His aim was to open a farm stall, selling fresh produce to the passing trade. He painted the name ‘Ronnies Shop' on the side of the building, but business didn't get off to a cracking good start.
Then one day, his friends decided for a laugh, they would add the word ‘Sex' to the name, making it read ‘Ronnies Sex Shop'. Pretty soon this irresistible sign brought in loads of passers-by, and Ronnie's initial irritation was transformed as he began to see the business opportunity his establishment's newfound popularity presented. On the advice of these very same friends, Ronnie opened a pub... and the rest, as they say, is history.
Details of five of Game Reserves on the Garden Route:
Garden Route Game Reserve (1,500ha)
With the beautiful Langeberg Mountains as a backdrop, Garden Route Game Reserve is a Big 5 sanctuary offering 3-hour game drives. You can expect to see 4 of the Big 5 (lion, buffalo, elephant, white rhino) as well as the fastest of cats, the cheetah. While these iconic species are probably high on your wish list, giraffe and zebra roam around freely alongside antelope such as kudu, red hartebeest, impala, springbok and the rare bontebok, so you’ll see plenty of other animals too. Special child-friendly game drives, interactive tours of the reptile centre and other educational fun activities make this a real winner for families.
Gondwana Private Game Reserve (11,000ha)
Gondwana is the only fully free-ranging Big 5 private game reserve in this part of the country. Lions roam this vast ecosystem and while their favourite activity is sleeping, you have a chance to see them hunting too. Elephant, buffalo and white rhino are often spotted and if you’re lucky you might track down an endangered black rhino too. There are over 15 species of antelope on the reserve, including some that are very rare such as sable and bontebok.
Aside from twice-daily game drives, you have the opportunity to go on a fynbos walk with your knowledgeable guide who can tell you all about the unique flora of the region and its medicinal uses. This is a great opportunity for a spot of bird watching too. The endemic fynbos vegetation is home to many localized birds such as the black harrier and the orange breasted sunbird.
Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve (2,200ha)
Located in the heart of the Garden Route, Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve offers a Big Five experience at the foothills of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. The 2-hour game drive is perfect to learn about all creatures of the bush, including the sought after lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. If you’re feeling adventurous, a guided horse safari provides a unique opportunity to get close to the likes of giraffe, white rhino, greater kudu and Africa’s largest antelope, the eland. Most exciting perhaps is riding up to the reserve’s herd of nine elephants – if you hadn’t appreciated the size of a 6-ton mammal before, you will now!
Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (4,200ha)
Botlierskop, conveniently located halfway between George and Mossel Bay, offers an authentic safari experience against the backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains, with sweeping views of the Indian Ocean below. The family-owned reserve makes for a prefect day trip when visiting the popular Garden Route.
Go on a guided game drive for close encounters with white rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and hippo as well as specials such as golden wildebeest and black impala. More actively, a horseback or walking safari allows you to experience this beautiful tract of natural fynbos at a slower pace, but with a chance of seeing some wildlife too. For real relaxation, here’s your chance to indulge yourself with a spa treatment in the serene surroundings of the bush.
Buffelsdrift
Buffelsdrift, located near Oudtshoorn in the heart of the Klein Karoo, offers a safari experience with a difference. Game drives at the base of the Swartberg Mountains focus on seeing a variety of mammals such as hippo, giraffe, eland, zebra and buffalo, as well as birds and the unique plant life of the Karoo. For a big cat fix, you can head out by vehicle or on foot to track the reserve’s free-roaming cheetahs or visit the resident lions at feeding time.
Wildehondekloof Private Game Reserve
This game reserve is situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo's Swartberg Mountain range, 40 km from Oudtshoorn. Activities and things to do include guided game drives – view various buck species including wildebeest, nyala, eland, kudu, hiking trails, walking and mountain biking.
For a more intimate wildlife encounter, you can spend a morning observing a family of habituated meerkats at 5 Shy Meerkats at Zeekoegat Farm.
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