The Garden Route is the place to play, relax and splash in the sea on some of the prettiest beaches in the country. Top tip: if you’re driving there from Cape Town, take the tranquil and altogether more scenic R62 road rather than speed down the M2 motorway. And if you have time, include a night in the artsy little town of Prince Albert, on the edge of the Little Karoo desert, and another in Oudtshoorn, near the Swartberg Nature Reserve, which was once the ostrich feather capital of the world, and where you can now go on a delightful early morning meerkat safari.
Map illustration: Ana Yael/Studio PI for Bridge Studio
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GARDEN ROUTE
Get back to nature on this beautiful stretch of road from Mossel Bay to Storms River Mouth, where there’s plenty of opportunity for adventure as well as relaxation
GARDEN ROUTE
The Garden Route, backed by lagoons and swathes of forest, stretches 125 miles from Mossel Bay to Storms River Mouth, although many people continue onwards to the quaint town of St Francis Bay and the surfing mecca of Jeffreys Bay before flying out from Gqebera (the recently renamed Port Elizabeth).
Towns such as Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay – known locally as “Plett” – are popular places to stay awhile and those with flexible itineraries often find a few days here turning into a few weeks pretty easily.
There’s more to the Garden Route than just lazing in the sun or on the deck of a catamaran with a chilled glass of white wine – although there’s nothing wrong with that! Tsitsikamma National Park takes in deep gorges and a marine reserve and is a paradise for those who like gentle activity, whether that’s biking, kayaking or hiking.
outdoor Adventures and serious R&R
Paddle up!
Kayaks pass the Storms River Mouth in Tsitsikamma National Park; right, a mob of meerkats
Don’t miss – THE GARDEN ROUTE
Cape Town
West Coast & Cape Winelands
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Johannesburg
KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
The Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn are 20 million years old. The Adventure Tour option squeezes through tighter gaps and is not for the claustrophobic!
Hikers will love the Otter Trail, South Africa’s oldest and best-known, which meanders for 28 miles along spectacular coastline.
The Leopard Trail is a four-day, three-night hike through the magnificent Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site Wilderness Reserve. This is a slack packing hike – each day your bags and food are transported from one overnight hut to the next, but the route still requires good hiking fitness.
here, days easily turn to weeks
Breath of fresh air:
Robberg nature reserve near Plettenberg bay
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KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
Johannesburg
Garden Route
West Coast & Cape Winelands
Cape Town
Take a closer look at trailfinders.com/southafrica
your expert guide
No one knows South Africa like Michaela Strachan – and Trailfinders. The travel agency is staffed by teams of expert, passionate travel professionals and has been helping curious people travel to South Africa and beyond for more
than 50 years. Its knowledgeable staff have spent time getting to know the destination, developing the kind of inside knowledge that makes all the difference when it comes to offering you varied travel options, and working
with you to curate a truly memorable holiday. Visit one of its 41 travel centres, call or request a video consultation. There’s never been a better time to visit
with Trailfinders, the South Africa travel experts.
THE
KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
Johannesburg
West Coast & Cape Winelands
Cape Town
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Take a closer look at trailfinders.com/tours/africa/south-africa
your expert guide
No one knows South Africa like Michaela Strachan – and Trailfinders. The travel agency is staffed by teams of expert, passionate travel professionals and has been helping curious people travel to South Africa
and beyond for more than 50 years. Its knowledgeable staff have spent time getting to know the destination, developing the
kind of inside knowledge that makes all the difference when it comes to offering you varied travel options, and working with you to curate a truly memorable holiday. Visit
one of its 36 travel centres, call or request
a video consultation. There’s never been
a better time to visit with Trailfinders,
the South Africa travel experts.
Map illustration: Ana Yael/Studio PI for Bridge Studio
KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
Johannesburg
Garden Route
West Coast & Cape Winelands
Cape Town
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