The Garden Route Combines With...

The Garden Route combines well with other areas of the Western and Eastern Cape. Some, like Cape Town and the malaria-free safaris, work well at the beginning or end of your journey. Others, like the Cape Winelands or the Route 62 are a great way of making the whole experience even more fulfilling.

Malaria-Free Safari in the Eastern Cape

Just on the other side of Port Elizabeth from the Garden Route are a number of well-stocked game reserves and luxurious safari lodge accommodation.

It's here, at the northern end of the Garden Route, that you can find Africa's iconic wildlife: elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo in their natural habitat.

There's no need to rough it in the South African wilderness though. Both Shamwari Private Game Reserve and Kwandwe Private Reserve boast some of the best safari accommodation in the country.

The Eastern Cape is also one of the few safari locations in Africa where you don't have to worry about those pesky, malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Oudtshoorn

A trip to Oudtshoorn, in close proximity to the Garden Route, is a fascinating glimpse at the contrasts of the South African countryside, in terms of scenery as well as culture.

In the Victorian era Oudtshoorn supplied the world with ostrich feathers - an industry that made many farmers here extraordinarily wealthy. Today the birds are still the focus of attention, but now they're farmed more for their meat, which is a tasty cholesterol-free alternative to beef.

You can visit an ostrich farm and see these large but slightly dim-witted birds in action - and even get to ride one. They move pretty fast so you'll need to hold on tight.

Also in Oudtshoorn are the magnificent Cango Caves with displays of stalagmites and stalactites that would make any art gallery proud.

There's also a crocodile farm and a cheetah sanctuary where you can get close and personal with the fastest land animal in the world.

Route 62

While the N2 is the quickest way to reach the Garden Route, Route 62 is prettier and more interesting. So when returning to Cape Town, wake up early and explore Route 62 - it might land up taking a week.

Route 62 was the original road that connected Cape Town with Oudtshoorn, the Garden Route and Port Elizabeth. Once the N2 was built this route was seldom used, except by locals, and almost forgotten.

Nowadays it's one of the most scenic drives in the Western Cape, taking in big mountain ranges, free-flowing rivers, quaint villages and great food and wine. Not to mention the interesting and creative characters that inhabit this special region of the Cape.

Places such as Ashton, Barrydale, Bonnievale, Calitzdorp and Montagu are all cute little towns and all offer something different; from cheeses and wines to hot mineral springs and gardens of succulents.

Whale Coast & Overberg Country

Rather than shooting along the slick, N2 highway on the fastest road to the Garden Route, you could take the slower (but far more picturesque) country roads along the Whale Coast and through the quaint towns of Overberg Country.

See whales and their calves in Walker Bay if you stop in Hermanus or De Kelders during whale season; visit the southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas and meet the traditional fishing community of Kassiesbaai in Arniston.

Make your way up or down the coast by driving through friendly country towns, past waving wheat fields or sunshine-yellow canola fields - it definitely beats a four-lane highway!

Cape Winelands

If your interests lie with wine tasting, or even just enjoying beautiful vineyard-covered valleys and twisting mountain passes, it's possible to take a detour through the Cape Winelands on your way up to the Garden Route.

Discover the traditional Cape Dutch architecture on the old wine estates, taste wine made from the various varietals grown in the area and indulge in delicious food at the many restaurants.

It's possible to fly through this area in a day, but why not slow down and spend a night in the gourmet capital, Franschoek or linger in the old, university and wine-producing town of Stellenbosch as you make your way to the Garden Route, or down to Cape Town.

Cape Town Culture

Cape Town is currently Africa's hotspot, with world-class attractions like Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch and the V&A Waterfront. And it's a mere five hours from the Garden Route depending on what route you take.

You could easily spend a few days in this cosmopolitan city visiting the historical and natural attractions of the Cape Peninsula. Swim with the penguins at Boulder's Beach, visit Nelson Mandela's old prison cell or take in the view from Table Mountain - there are many great experiences in Cape Town.

And when you have completed your sightseeing, shopping, sun-tanning and discovering new cultures for the day, you can treat yourself to a top-class dinner before hitting the town.

View our Garden Route Map or our South Africa Map

Enquire now |  Add to my enquiry