Garden Route & Port Elizabeth holidays

This compact coastal belt, running from Gorge to the Tsitsikamma National Park, is picturesque stretch of wide beaches, lakes and rivers, indigenous forests and impressive mountain passes. It is particularly suited to self-drive holidays. The Garden Route is known for its small, owner run and managed guesthouses and farms (although larger hotels are also available), which give a real feel for the country and its culture, and enable guests to meet the locals. Oudtshoorn, known as the ‘feather capital,’ has a picturesque setting in the semi-desert region of the Little Karoo. Popular visits from Oudtshoorn include the dramatic Cango Caves and a local ostrich farm. Continue east along the Garden Route to the small seaside town of Knysna, which overlooks a picturesque lagoon. Have dinner on a Paddle Cruiser or walk in the secluded Featherbed Nature Reserve. Plettenberg Bay offers miles of sweeping, unspoilt beaches and, close by, the quaint hamlet of Storms River lies at the feet of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountains. The area is characterised by vast expanses of Cape flora and gigantic trees, and is teeming with birdlife.