Where You Should Visit On Your Garden Route Self-Drive Holiday

Where You Should Visit On Your Garden Route Self-Drive Holiday

High on the must-see lists of most holiday-makers to South Africa is the Garden Route, and with good reason: you can’t help but be seduced by its glorious natural beauty and scenery. There are so many amazing places you could visit on your Garden Route self-drive holiday, but to help you make the most of your time, our South Africa specialist Simon has suggested his top 5 places to visit.  

1. Walking at Robberg Nature Reserve

Situated just south of Plettenberg Bay, Robberg is not only a nature reserve, but also a national monument and World Heritage Site. Some highlight features of a visit to this breathtaking area of South Africa include spotting the rare blue duiker, the Western Cape’s smallest antelope, whale and dolphin sightings in season and walking alongside one of the seven climbing-falling dunes on the Cape coastline.

2. Tsitsikamma Forest

The mystical Tsitsikamma forest is a place of breathtaking beauty. From large stretches of forest to a plethora of waterfalls, it is truly a treat to the eyes. There are many hiking trails and walkways you can use to explore this magical place and many activities to partake in such as hiking, mountain biking, bungee jumping and many more.

3. Whale watching from Plettenberg Bay

Boat-based close-encounter whale-watching is one of Plettenberg Bay’s premier tourist draws, as the area is one of the best places in South Africa to do whale-watching. The first Southern Right whales begin appearing in the Bay in May, and ‘Whale Season’ is in full swing by mid-July.

These much loved giants of the sea are also easily viewed from shore, but nothing beats a close-up encounter from a boat with the added bonus of seeing many of the other marine animals and birds that frequent the Plettenberg Bay area.

4. Birds of Eden

Located near Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, Birds of Eden is the largest single-dome free flight aviary in the world, spanning 2.3 hectares of natural forests, streams and dams. With over a kilometre of walkways, visitors can experience the thrill of spotting almost 3500 previously captive birds of over 200 different species flying free and living natural lives. The scenery alone warrants a visit with hundreds of different plant and tree species plus there are giant fruit bats, golden-handed tamarins and the smallest of the antelopes, blue duikers.

5. Wilderness National Park

Situated in the heart of the Garden Route, Wilderness National Park is a wonderful combination of lush forests, imposing mountains and unspoiled beaches. There are activities for young, old, energetic or idle to enjoy at the park: take a stroll along a forest path, visit the bird hide and discover the wealth of bird life, enjoy whale and dolphin sightings from Dolphin Point in season or hire a canoe or bicycle, go abseiling, paragliding or hang-gliding. During spring, a carpet of flowers, further enhance the verdant beauty of this national park.