Sundance Spirit

destinations | south africa | the garden route


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	> The Garden Route

The Garden Route is perhaps South Africa's best known self-drive or guided touring scenic highway & one that offers the visitor everything from stunning sea coast to mountain vistas from practically every curve of the road.

The area stretching along the Southern Cape from the Slang River near Heidelberg eastward to the Tsitsikamma Forest & Storms River has a variety of flora & fauna ranging from magnificent fynbos & abundant native protea species, to dense tropical forests. This is commonly referred to as the Garden Route & is traversed by local South African & International visitors alike on both guided tours & self-drive vacations.

As its name implies, the Garden Route is richly endowed by nature. Spectacular in so many ways, it is graced by golden beaches & rugged coastal coves, a succession of bays, cliffs & capes linking one beautiful resort to the next. Bordered in the north by a series of impressive mountain ranges, the interior is reached by a number of scenic passes.

The warm Indian ocean & an abundance of inland water offers seemingly endless opportunities for swimmers, boaties, water- skiing enthusiasts, surfers & windsurfers, fishermen, divers & bird watchers. Golf, bowls & tennis are popular sports in this area, as is hiking the many well marked trails.

Accommodation is plentiful & varied offering up-market hotels, chalets, cottages, bed & breakfasts, caravan parks & a myriad of informal establishments. A combination of delightful climate, spectacular & scenic attractions have contributed to the ever growing international acclaim the Garden Route enjoys.

The Garden route will assail your senses, provide magnificent vistas such as the huge towering pinnacle cliffs at Knysna Heads & take you back in time as does the five hundred year old Post office tree at the Robberg Nature Reserve’s archeological sites.

The Garden Route is widely accepted as running from Cape Town to Cape St Francis onto Port Elizabeth along the southern N2. Along the way, there is a plethora of activities to partake in, things to see & excellent accommodation to take time out & relax at while travelling this glorious scenic highway.

Departing Cape Town, immediately you are confronted with the towering mountain passes above Franschhoek in the heart of the Cape Winelands.

Alternatively, one can turn seaward and scoot around the peninsula to Hermanus which offers the best land based whale watching in the world during the annual Southern Right Whale migration. ( May – November ) A whole ‘culture’ has developed around the whales & Hermanus boasts the only ‘ town whale crier’ who’s sole purpose is to point visitors to sightings as they occur. Hermanus & it’s neighbouring towns of Onrus & Stanford are home to a variety of artisans & crafts folks who display their talents in world class boutique galleries.

The historic heart of the Overberg region is based around Swellendam. Bordered by the Breede River to the west & the Langeberg to the north, this is South Africa’s third oldest township, famous not only for its youngberry farms, but the eclectic architecture.

Still Bay is watched over by the eternally serene sleeping beauty & enveloped in the fragrances of buchu that are associated with Riversdale. Some 2000 varieties of flowers from the fynbos species abound – some very rare – growing within a few kilometres of the town. This region is a drawcard for those who enjoy canoeing, horse-back riding, yachting & superb hospitality.

Mossel Bay – the bay of endless horizons. Half way between Cape Town & Port Elizabeth nestles this quaint seaside township which bustles in summer & is an ideal temperate retreat in winter. Here, the fearsome reputation of the Great White Shark comes to the fore, as in the oceans offshore lies their breeding grounds. For those daring enough, Great White Shark dives are a real adrenaline pumping activity where in complete safety of an enclosed heavy wire cage, one can view these often misunderstood goliaths of the deep, up close.

George – the town for all reasons. Crowned by George Peak ( 1337m ) in the Outeniqua Mountains, George is also the centre of the vegetable & dairy industry of the Garden Route. It’s cathedral – St Marks – is the smallest cathedral in the Southern Hemisphere & not to be outdone, the Cape Dutch Reform Church at the top of Meade Street is considered the most photographed.

Knysna – the place of people , beauty & magic. Knysna is considered the jewel of the Garden Route. No longer a sleepy little hollow, it is located in the estuary opening out to the ocean & protected by an indigenous forest. This vast forest conceals many secrets, not the least of which is the disappearance of the Knysna Elephants. Nowdays, one lonely solitary cow wanders somewhere in the wilds. The best way to enjoy Knysna is to start out with a scenic boat excursion on the lagoon created by the estuary. Featherbed Nature Reserve on Western Head is a favourite picnic spot & can be reached aboard the ‘John Beam’ which offers daily departures.

Mouth watering oysters are one of the local delicacies & are cultivated in oyster farms in the estuary. Knysna also has a few excellent micro-breweries where local beers are refined & twice a year the Knysna festival outside of main summer holidays sparks a party atmosphere here. Mid-winter is brightened by the Oyster Festival which draws locals & vacationers alike & the Arts Festival in September is high on the national arts calendar as a premier event to behold.

Plettenberg Bay for centuries was called ‘Babia Formosa’ or Beautiful Bay by the Portuguese seafarers who wandered these coasts. One of South Africa’s most popular resorts it has everything nature & adventure lovers could seek. The Plettenberg Bay region is rich in archaeological treasures & especially prominent is Robberg & Nelsons Creek where several rock shelters date back some 120000 years.

Tsitsikamma lies north about 100kms & between Plettenberg Bay & Humansdorp along the N2, one travels through the most breath-taking forest region in South Africa. The Tsitsikamma National Park extends for 68km along a pristine coastline between Nature’s Valley & Oubosstrand. There are many famous hiking trails – amongst them, Otters Trail – with an emphasis on mountain biking, snorkelling & kloofing in the Storm River.

While the Tradouw & Meiringspoort Passes offer stunning views of unusual rock formations & waterfalls, the world famous Cango Caves, historic towns & the wine tasting to be had along the journey, await.

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Coastal Scenary Tsitsikamma N. Park Garden Route	Flowers on the G. Rounte Cape Town to Knysna	Cango Caves	Outeniqua Choo-tjoe train Garden Route	Knysna