THE GARDEN ROUTE & THE EASTERN CAPE
Moving on towards the Garden Route, one can stop at Hermanus, once a small fishing village and now a bustling seaside resort. Hermanus is famous for whales, as it offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. From June through December, Hermanus becomes home to the Southern Right Whale.
Neighbouring Hermanus to the East is the small town of Gansbaai, which is regarded as the world’s capital of the Great White Shark. Gansbaai, nestled at the foot of the Duyenefontein Mountains, boasts a beautiful coastline with magnificent “Fynbos” vegetation. However it is Dyer Island (just off the coast of Gansbaai), home to 60,000 Cape Fur Seals, which has transformed this area into a tourist hot spot. For the sea around Dyer Island has become the feeding ground of the endangered great white shark, and many visitors flock to Gansbaai to test their nerves on a shark safari, which involves diving with great white sharks, whilst protected in a specially designed shark cage. The period April to December is best for shark cage diving with about a 90% chance of a sighting. Gansbaai is also one of the best places for land-based whale viewing.
The Garden Route region begins as you descend Sir Lowry’s Pass after leaving Cape Town, and continues along a unique, picturesque landscape and coastline, culminating at the seaside City of Port Elizabeth. Located in South Africa’s south east coast, the Garden Route is one of the most famous and popular attractions in South Africa. It’s a place of wild indigenous forests, fresh water lakes, hidden coves, mountain ranges and spectacular sandy beaches.
Highlights of the Garden Route include whale watching at Hermanus, shark cage diving off Gansbaai, the picturesque coastal stretch of Wilderness, Knysna’s lagoon and forests and the beaches of Plettenberg Bay. Tsitsikama National Park (just outside Plettenberg Bay), with its rugged coastline and dense indigenous forests, draws hikers from all over the world.
George, Wilderness, Oudtshoorn, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are all beautiful places situated on the Garden Route along South Africa’s south east coast, and should be included on any itinerary to the Garden Route region.
Recommended The Garden Route Safari Lodges
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Bradach Manor
Bradach Manor is a comfortable 4 star guest house in Knysna along South Africa’s famous Garden Route. Its the perfect setting from to explore the beautiful surroundings…
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Lalibela Game Reserve
Lalibela Game Reserve is located in the Malaria Free Eastern Cape and as it is only 1 hours drive from Port Elizabeth it makes an ideal Safari extension to the Garden Route…
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Tsala Treetop Lodge
Tsala Treetop Lodge is perfectly placed between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay along the Garden Route. The lodge consists of elevated wooden walkways that meander through the trees to ten exclusive and very private suites, each with its own infinity pool.
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Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari Game Reserve is located in the Malaria Free Eastern Cape, South Africa. Excellent wildlife viewing and oustanding Safari Lodges are associated with Shamwari. One of South Africa’s premier Safari destinations…
