The Cape & Garden Route
The Cape Region is the perfect introduction to South Africa with places such as Cape Town, the Winelands and Walker Bay - where you can see migrating whales. Equally famous is the Garden Route, a scenic stretch of coastline some 300 kilometres long.
The Winelands of Paarl.
The Cape and Garden Route regions are easily accessible and appealing; combining both into an itinerary is the perfect introduction to this wonderful country. These are areas where we advocate self-driving in particular, although they also lend themselves equally well to small group tours.
The Cape Region
The Cape Peninsula sits at the most southwesterly point of the African continent, curling like a crooked finger around the waters of False Bay.
At the northern end, like a knuckle, sits Table Mountain with the iconic city of Cape Town nestled on its lower slopes. High ground runs the length of the peninsula, and seaside towns like Hout Bay hang precipitously over the edge of the ocean as you progress south to the legendary Cape of Good Hope.
At nearby Cape Point, you can make your way to the lighthouse perched high above the crashing waves and be overawed by the vast expanse of ocean stretching to a curved horizon and the Antarctic beyond.
North of Cape Town you can visit the estates and pretty towns of the Winelands. Here, whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings are set against a backdrop of beautiful mountains and award-winning vineyards surround some of the best restaurants in the country.
Franschhoek in particular is a delight, its French heritage and compact size making it a real favourite. To the east, the shores of Walker Bay play host to migrating whales, easily spotted during the season, either from the cliff top paths and towns of the area, or up close by boat.
The Garden Route
The Garden Route is one area of South Africa that most people have heard of, even if they are not sure what it is! It is a stretch of coastline, perhaps 300 kilometres long, which is one of the most scenic areas of the country.
Its beauty and accessibility have led to some development, but there are still miles of white-sand beaches, glassy lagoons crossed by low bridges, hillsides covered in vast indigenous forests laced with a network of The Garden Route footpaths, and pretty towns that are hugely popular with South Africans and visitors alike.
To get around you have the choice of the N2 highway, which allows you to quickly cover the length of the Garden Route, or a network of beautiful back roads through the forests and over picturesque mountain streams.
Knysna is in the centre of the region, lying on the shore of an attractive lagoon, or you may prefer to base yourself in Wilderness, on top of a sand dune with uninterrupted views of the ocean, or it may be that Plettenberg Bay is more to your taste, perched on a cliff over a sweeping bay populated with iconic surfing dolphins.
Activities range from ocean safaris to journeys on picturesque steam trains and visits to wildlife sanctuaries or eco-ventures.
Close to both the Karoo and the Eastern Cape game reserves, the Garden Route is the hub for many people’s trips to South Africa.
Popular places in this region