If you are ever lucky enough to be able to bring a visit to the Garden Route in South Africa, you are in for a real treat. Kilometers of white sandy beaches on one side, flanked by mountains and rain forests on the other side make for a holiday paradise. The route starts in the west at Mossel Bay and ends at the Tsitsikamma rain forest near Plettenberg Bay in the east.
Arriving from Cape Town, you will first encounter Mossel Bay. This historical old town with its many finely preserved colonial buildings has an atmosphere and charm all of its own. It lagged behind the other Garden Route towns in development for many years, but nowadays it bursts at the seams with luxury hotels and guest houses. Standards are high: We could not help to notice that our hotel even had baby bath tubs available for those who travel with a baby.
A few kilometers to the east lies the resort towns of Klein Brak River and Groot Brak River. Both have been popular holiday spots for South Africans for decades. When it’s winter in the Northern hemisphere, it’s of course summer in South Africa. This makes the country the ideal winter holiday location for people from the North.
George is the major town of the region. Here you will find all modern conveniences like shopping malls, movies and loads of good restaurants. To the east of George lies the renowned coastal resort town of Wilderness. Once again wide open white sandy beaches and many restaurants. Over weekends you will also find live music at many of these restaurants. I prefer to make my own music though: my Martin acoustic electric guitar, has been a source of great pleasure for many an evening.
Leaving Wilderness, the road criss-crosses through a series of lush green hills and valleys where you will catch a periodic glimpse of the Indian Ocean to your right. A few km further to the east the road passes through Sedgefield. This is a timber-producing area with many lovely lakes. Despite asking around, we couldn’t find the fine costume jewelry wholesale distributor mentioned in our guide book.
About sixty kilometers from George the road enters the historical town of Knysna. Situated on the shores of a lagoon, it boasts a charming waterfront area with numerous restaurants and curio shops. Thirty years ago Knysna only came alive during summer, but nowadays the town is swarming with tourists throughout the year.
The last town that forms part of the Garden Route is the upmarket beach resort town of Plettenberg Bay. Numerous upscale hotels and guest houses, as well as lots of huge holiday homes, contribute to the perception that this is a hangout venue for the rich. Near Plettenberg Bay you can also bring a visit to the Tsitsikamma Forest – a stunning area of rain forests where there’s still a couple of wild elephants roaming around!