TRAVEL TIPS SOUTH AFRICA III

THE GARDEN ROUTE  TO CAPE TOWN 

TRIBAL DANCERS AT THE PE BEACH FRONT

The famous garden route runs from Port Elizabeth (PE) to Cape Town. It is generally done by car as this gives the freedom to stop and stay over and certain towns along the way. A drive straight through can take anything betwee 8-10 hours, depending on your speed. We'll be driving west towards the mountainous Cape Province, but there are many coastal towns and beautiful beaches in small cities to stop over at, such as Jeffrey's Bay, Tsitskikama Forest, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and Hermanus, (for Whale watching in October). The half-way mark is George but there is not much to see here, so you could break the trip to go north to Oudshoorn to visit the Cango caves. There is also an ostrich and crocodile farm here.

But let's start the journey from PE, approximately an hour and you'll be in Jeffrey's Bay which is the Hawaii of South Africa. A surfer's paradise, where many global competitions are held, because of the  Indian ocean showing off its magnificant long, wide beaches of white sand and huge waves! Also visit local restaurants and small boutiques for lovely summer clothing.  An hour an a half further west and you will be at Tsitskikamma National Park and forest, which has rustic lodgings to stay overnight. This area is more suited for hiking and walking or those who are not big fans of water sports. The trees here are incredibly old and tall with massively wide trunks. Walk across rope bridges and enjoy picturesque views. Another hour driving and you'll be in Plettenberg Bay which is a tourist holiday destination where many locals visit from other coastal towns or the north (Jo-burg) for holidays.

 

PLETT  - With thanks to the UK telegraph

TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK - with thanks to Afroadventures

Half an hour driving west and the next stop is breathtaking Knysna, where you can climb up to the river head mountains on both sides to view the river entering the sea. The lagoon is a nature lovers paradise and also for adventurers on foot. There are many lovely restaurants, cocktail bars, clubs, drives and shops to entertain you otherwise. You should also try out oysters and champagne here. 

Leaving Knysna you drive onto George or Mossel Bay as next cities, but these you can skip. They are more industrial and nothing much for tourists. You can either go in north to Oudshoorn, a one hour forty-five minute drive north, or continue on a straight drive until you reach, which will take four hours and a quarter.  Mossel Bay to Hermanus is a three hour fifteen minute drive. Whale watching is in October is what people go to Hermanus for. It is then late spring in SA, although the change of seasons is not that apparent in terms of flora and fauna. The winter months, June, July and August do see more rain though and it can get chilly on the coast, but it is still similar to a European cool summer. Up north in Jo-burg it gets colder.

In Hermanus, try to lodge at a B&B house with seaview, or near by the coast. When the whales come into to calve, a siren and loudspeaker warns tourists. I myself have only heard of this but have yet to see it in October, so my picture is only a postcard. Those who have seen it call it a  magical experience and the whales come, every October.

From Hermanus you can visit Stellenbosch before you get to Cape Town and this is a one hour twenty minute drive. This is the best wine region of SA, and you will see colonial old Dutch architecture in lovely estates, with stunning gardens, wealthy homes, all nesting at the bottom of beautiful mountains. The Cape province is all about mountains. They are everywhere, and you drive around them, often with the coast on the other side. It's incredibly beautiful.  Stellenbosch to CPT is another forty minutes.

 COASTAL DRIVE IN CAPE TOWN

 SEE HOW SMALL THE BOAT IS ON THE BOTTOM LEFT? YOU GET THE IDEA!

 THIS IS THE INDIAN OCEAN SIDE DRIVING AWAY FROM SIMON'S TOWN 

MORE STUNNING COASTAL DRIVE VIEWS:: THIS ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE WHICH IS COLDER THAN THE INDIAN OCEAN

 TONS OF GHETTOS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD

AS YOU ENTER CAPE TOWN 

 CAPE TOWN WATERFRONT RESTAURANTS - VIEW FROM THE BIG WHEEL

Of course Cape Town is a thriving metropolis, cosmopolitan in nature, lots of international modelling happens here because the weather and scenery is so beautiful.  Generally though, SA should not be visited for city-life as it's architecture is modern and the centres, apart from nice restaurants and cafes, are not the real beauty of SA. What you will want to view is the stunning endless untouched environment natural diversity.  Of course though in Cape Town, you should go up by cable car to Table mountain. There are monkeys up there so watch your food. Where ever you drive around  in CPT, you see fabulous Table mountain, also sometimes covered in its famous table-cloth of clouds. The mountain range in CPT is called the 12 Apostles and there is also one mountain called Devil's Peak, which has an amazing little tree on it, seen miles in the distance, prominent because of the mountain shape. Simon's Town about an hour away is also worth seeing. It's a lovely little tourist village with a Maritime museum. Of course you should visit Robben Island where Madiba was imprisoned for 27 years too. It's an historical but bland site but respectful tour, and you will probably visit seal island on the way. Not for those who get sea sick though, as the seas can be extremely choppy! Sometimes at the Cape Town boulevard and restaurant area, seals come up to the dock and of course, there are lovely shops and markets at the Waterfront with African curios and clothes. There is also a gem stone museum to visit.

 VIEW FROM ONE SIDE OF TABLE MOUNTAIN 

It would be best to fly back to Johannesburg/Gauteng and if you are in SA then you should tgo to Sun-City which is two and a half hours away. It is where the Ms World pageant has often been held.  Although it has unnatural seas, waves and underground bars built in caves,  it's great fun. You can take early morning safaris, golf, go to the casino, it's pretty much a little world of its own up there in the northern mountains but very African, and by this time you will not be wanting to return home. Pretoria is a small town which is the capital of the President and cabinet, fifty minutes north of Gauteng. There is not much to see but if you are there in September you will see lined avenues of the exquisite purple flowered Jacaranda trees. They were imported from Rio de Janeiro many years ago and not indigenous to SA, but they are gorgeous! I really haven't covered everything as there is still Blyde's river Canyon (God's Window), Drakensburg and other places I haven't included. But hopefully this whets your appetite and if you haven't visited yet, I hope you get the chance, or make it happen. Travelling opens our minds to the diversity of this world and all of humanity's culture. It's such a great education!

 SUN CITY 

JACARANDA TREES IN PRETORIA 

THERE IS ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO SAY WHEN YOU LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA

AND THAT IS

NKOSI SIKHELE AFRIKA!

(GOD BLESS AFRICA)