Again, as with much of South Africa, there is so much to do along the Garden Route and you will need to carefully consider what you want to see. We have picked just a few options to get you thinking:
Hermanus
About an hour and a half away from Cape Town, this is one of the 12 best whale watching places in the world, as recognised by the WWF. There is a 12km cliff path which takes you along the best whale watching stretch in South Africa and probably the world. Take a picnic and make a day of it or take a whale watching boat trip. The best time to spot them is in the months of September to November. You can also go shark diving here (although much to my husband’s relief, our trip was cancelled due to bad weather!!).
Oudtshoorn
This is where Meerkat Adventures is based but it’s an early start as you need to meet before sunrise to take the hike to where the meerkats will be waking up. Tours cost about £36 per person. Afterwards, you can then head to an Ostrich Farm, feed them by hand, learn all about them and watch an Ostrich race for about £10.50 per person! We stayed nearby and had a tour with Roos who was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about his role. We got to see the ostrich eggs right through to a newborn which I luckily got to cuddle!
Knysna
Probably the most famous town on the Garden Route and famous for its beautiful lagoon. It gets very busy in the high season though and so don’t expect a sleepy town! Visit Knysna Elephant Park which cares for orphaned African Elephants. There are various experiences and encounters you can take part in. We also visited the wolf sanctuary which was fun around feeding time! We also visited Tenikwa and got to send a lot of time with the big cats there including being able to walk two beautiful cheetahs.
Plettenberg Bay
A top local tourist spot due to its sandy beaches, blue waters and mountain backdrop but worth a stop. Visit Monkeyland, the top eco-friendly attraction on route, which helps rehabilitate wild monkeys. If you are into water sports, visit AfriCanyon which will see you navigating your way through the river shallows, jumping, zip-lining and swimming through fresh-water mountain pools. Also, take a day trip to Tsitsikamma and enjoy a few treks there. Take a picnic and plenty of water; you will not be disappointed!
