Top Experiences on the Garden Route

1. Breaching, Playing and Surfing

Spot friendly bottlenose dolphins and the endangered humpback dolphins as they play in the warm and foamy coastal waters of the Garden Route.

Whale watching is also a rewarding pastime on the Garden Route. If you're lucky you could spot Bryde's Whales throughout the year, although the waters are practically teeming with whales between June and October when the Southern Right and Humpback whales migrate from the cold Antarctic to warmer breeding grounds.

Plettenberg Bay is a great place to encounter these playful creatures from specially licensed boats with environmentally sensitive operators.

Not only can you look forward to seeing whales and dolphins, but also seals, sea birds and small shark species.

2. Fly Through The Treetops

Experience the Garden Route's beautiful indigenous forest from a completely different perspective. The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours take you on a bird's eye passage through the Tsitsikamma Forest as you 'fly' from platform to towering platform along a route of steel cables.

Guides make sure it's both a safe and informative adventure as they point out some of the forest's inhabitants - the brilliantly-coloured Knysna Turaco (Loerie), samango monkeys and the elusive narina trogon - and explain more about the amazing vegetation.

Your three-hour tour will leave you exhilarated ... and you'll enjoy the knowledge that you have contributed to job creation and an ongoing forest regeneration project.

3. Explore the Featherbed Nature Reserve

This privately-owned reserve on the Western Head of Knysna is a ferry trip and a world apart.

Here you can spot two of the Garden Route's most famous residents - the Knysna loerie and the blue duiker, one of the smallest antelope to be found in Africa. You'll also see bushbuck, the Cape mountain tortoise, blue cranes and the rare black African oyster catcher.

It's a tranquil spot where you can stroll through indigenous fynbos, explore the Beachcomber caves and Coffin Bay...or up the adrenalin factor and try your hand at abseiling and rap jumping.

Other activities include luxury leisure cruises, a gentle paddle on the Knysna Lagoon and picnicking under the milkwood trees or a good meal at the restaurant in the reserve.

4. Savour Oysters and South African Wine

Sitting on a deck overlooking the Knysna lagoon, feasting on the freshest oysters and sipping on a crisp, locally produced wine - is an essential Garden Route experience.

The first to cultivate oysters in the tidal Knysna Lagoon was the Knysna Oyster Company and the delicacy has now been cultivated there for over 50 years with great success.

The oysters here are so good they have an entire festival dedicated to them. So if you're a real fan of the aphrodisiac, time your visit to Knysna to coincide with the atmospheric and fun event (which includes a marathon and mountain bike race for the energetic) held in July each year.

5. Experience the Highest Adrenalin Rush

Give your vocal cords a workout and experience the ultimate rush on the world's highest commercial bungee. If you can stand the dizzying walk out along the sub structure of the Bloukrans Bridge you surely have the nerves of steel required to take the 216m plunge down into the gorge.

Make sure you have the photographic and video evidence and make full use of the bragging rights you'll be entitled to after this bungee.

6. Get to know the Creatures of the Forest

The indigenous forest of the Garden Route is home to an amazing array of birds, such the colourful Knysna Turaco (Lourie) that is even named after the area. Animals of all shapes and sizes have also made the forest their home - from monkeys to elephants.

Unfortunately the original forest elephants have not been seen for years, and may no longer exist. The place you are guaranteed to find elephants is at the Elephant Sanctuary where the whole family can walk with the elephants.

Monkeys from all over the world now swing through the trees at the fun and informative Monkeyland and you are basically guaranteed to see the Knysna Turaco as you stroll the forested walkways at Birds of Eden.

Of course a walk through the forest itself will reveal wonderful birdlife and possibly the small buck, chameleons, monkeys and other creatures of the forest.

Enquire now |  Add to my enquiry