The mass exodus from Cape Town began in earnest on Thursday – prior to the Easter Weekend – so we decided to leave early on Friday morning for our four day trip up the Garden Route. Opting for Route 62, I again wondered why anyone who was on holiday would travel the N2. The weather in April is simply fantastic, both in Cape Town the Cape Winelands and on the Garden Route – escaping the South Easter that often blows in the early part of the year – the days are generally dry and warm. There are so many places to stop on the R 62 – it is probably best to split the journey over a couple of days if time allows – there are dozens of wineries, spectacular passes and amazing scenery to take in. Our time was unfortunately limited, and with a packed Itinerary we headed straight for Oudtshoorn, and the Cango Caves.
Oudtshoorn was over-run by people – in fact I could not believe such a small town could accommodate so many people – it certainly gave me hope for 2010 – if all else fails Oudtshoorn will be able to host it! The KKNK – an annual Afrikaans festival that has grown in stature over the years, was on in full force – the vibe was pretty funky, but unless you can understand Afrikaans, the hundreds of shows that are on offer is no place for you – or I! So following a half hour stroll through the Town, it was time to depart. Dinner at Jemima’s was a real treat, and after all these years, it is great to know that they still offer fantastic food, wine and service, even if it is all in Afrikaans – although they did assure us that this was only for the duration of the festival! A word of advice – ask your consultant to make a reservation for you as you unlikely to get one on the day during season. Fortunately we escaped the mayhem of Town, staying in a fantastic little guesthouse called Altes Landhaus (soon to be added to the websites), about 7 km outside of Oudtshoorn on route to the Cango Caves. The rooms are spacious, the gardens beautiful and the pool is heated!
The main purpose of the weekend break was to do the canopy tour in the forest – which in short means throwing yourself from one tree to another about 30m off the ground along a series of 10 slides – it comes highly recommended, and as a 91 year old lady completed the course just the other day, I guess it is suitable for all ages. Close to Natures Valley, we thought we would make Tranquility Lodge our base, in order to escape the crowds in Knysna and Plett. While Natures Valley is an amazing place, I can’t unfortunately say the same about Tranquility – while it is clean and simple, the rooms are small and dark and frankly I think there is a lot better value in the area – sometimes it really does make sense to pay just a little more.
That said, we still had a lot of fun. The Garden Route really has upped its game, and is a lot more than great accommodation and beaches. There are so many activities to partake in, so unless you have weeks to complete your trip, you really have to be quite selective about what you want to do. I haven’t quite figured out the difference between a Sanctuary and a Zoo, other than being inside the cage, but a visit to Birds on Eden, Monkeyland and the Elephant Sanctuary all come highly recommended. An afternoon walk to Storms River mouth or through Featherbed Nature Reserve are fantastic options.
All in all the Garden Route is a fantastic year round destination with an ever growing list of offerings. Often educationals are too focused on accommodation, when food, wine and activities are what really keep you busy in a destination like this. We look forward to bringing you a whole section on Garden Route Activities in the not too distant future.
Happy Travels,
D
For more information about the Garden Route, click here and for tours available in the area, see this luxury Garden Route Expedition and others here.