Road Trippin’ on the Garden Route

With views and terrain that are always changing, plus a chance to spot whales, dolphins, and seals, the hike around Robberg Peninsula is anything but boring. Throw in a wide, peninsula of sand and gorgeous coastal views and you have a hike that is perfect for almost all ages and ability levels.

This hike is located next to Plettenberg Bay at the Robberg Nature Preserve. The hike takes between four to six hours, so plan for a picnic lunch right on the beach.

It’s time for some uniquely African experiences. Located in and around Plettenberg Bay are numerous animal sanctuaries. For a fee, all of these places allow you to get up close with the animals. The Knysna Elephant Park offers various elephant interactions. You can also have amazing nature experiences at the Tenikwa Animal Sanctuary. Tenikwa offers a selection of conservation based wildlife tours to suit all interests and budget. All activities have an educational focus on the indigenous wild cats of South Africa, the role of small predators and other local endemic wildlife.

Get up close with monkeys at the Monkeyland Sanctuary, snakes at the Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary, or birds at the Birds of Eden. Spend the afternoon and evening in Knysna. A must-do in Knysna is to take the view of the lagoon from the viewpoint at the East Knysna head. Have dinner in town.

It’s time to get up close with ostriches (and more!). To get to Oudtshoorn, its 1.5 hours (120 kms.) from Knysna. The whole reason for visiting Oudtshoorn is to meet the quirky, crazy ostriches. There are several ostrich farms in town. You may visit the Cango Show Ostrich Farm and have a great experience. On the one hour tour, you can learn about ostriches in detail, stand on ostrich eggs, feed them, and receive a big, fat kiss smack on the lips from a female ostrich.

Spend the afternoon at Cango Wildlife Ranch. This is a great place to get up close with more cheetahs, lemurs, and even crocodiles. Plus, they have lions, tigers, and more, and this makes for an interesting, even comical afternoon (but it sure is hard to beat those ostriches!).

In Oudtshoorn, spend one night at a wonderful hotel or B&B.

Today you will drive to Hermanus. However, before starting the journey, there are two activities in Oudtshoorn that you should consider.

If you like scenic drives and mountain passes, one hour north of Oudtshoorn is the Swartberg Pass. This high mountain pass gets rave reviews for its scenery. It is a winding road and a bit of a white-knuckle journey but it is one of the highest rated experiences in the area.

Instead of the Swartberg Pass you can chose Meerkat Adventures. This is an early morning activity where you are taken out into the fields that surround Oudtshoorn to watch as meerkats emerge from their dens. This is an expensive activity and after the excitement of cheetahs, ostriches, and elephants, this experience seems rather dull. Unless you really have a fascination with meerkats, this experience may not be worth it.

From Oudtshoorn, it is a 4 hour drive to Hermanus. You have the option to stop in Mossel Bay along the way. Also along the way is Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in South Africa.

Once in Hermanus, get settled into your hotel or hostel.

Between the months of June and December, the southern right whale can be seen in Hermanus right from the coastline. However, if you want to see more than whales, then consider shark cage diving. Gansbaai, just a short drive from Hermanus, is the white shark cage diving capital of the world.

Most shark cage diving excursions last three to four hours. They typically leave right from Gansbaai. Seeing those great white sharks up close is an unforgettable experience!

From Hermanus, it’s time to drive to your final destination, Cape Town, just an hour and a half away.

Spend the day touring Cape Town. Things to do include Robben Island, a ride on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and the Cape of Good Hope. At a minimum, you should spend three days in Cape Town to visit the main highlights.