Garden Route
 

we are going to SA, Kenya and Tanzania on Set..we plan to rent a car to drive from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth...any sugestions? Txs

please be more specific - what do you want suggestions on - hotels? restaurants? sights? weather?

we are driving 5 days...which are the best places to see in the way, hotels, restaurants sights...thanks

I think you need to start witha guide to South Africa or look up South Africa onFodors. Also look at the map. There are many places between Cape Town and PE - Hermanus, George, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay. I think if you can try to break it down into days, you can then pose very specific questions as in - whats a good restaurant in Oudtshoorn. The drive from CT to PE is lovely and if you are giving yourselves 5 days you will really see the best.

I hope you are also planning to spend some time in Cape Town?

Good Luck

Hi

It has been a few years ago since I took this route but I thought it was great. My wife and I rented a car in Cape Town and we just drove off and we didn't really have a detailed plan. We stopped when we wanted and found places to stay and eat along the way. There are many small and wonderful towns and it seems a lot more relaxed compared to the big cities like Joburg and Cape Town. I have posted some pictures and trip reports on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com . Maybe you can find some useful info there. Have a great road trip :d

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

We took 17 days to do this route, starting with 5 nights in Cape Town and then wending our way to Port Elizabeth (from where we took a flight to Durban and continued the trip with anothre 17 days in South Africa).

So our itinerary experience probably won't be of any help.

However if you have any specific questions to ask (about accommodation or restaurants or activities in a particular town etc.) I'd be happy to help.

hi, I've not been posting as we were deciding about the safari we are doing after South Africa, thanks for your answers..Yes we are staying 3 days at Cape TOWN and then driving to PortElizabeth...I've seen the map..my husband loves to drive and we should like to know which are the best places to overnight...and good restaurants and acomodations ..thanks!

Virginiaush,

If you already are planned safari wise could you tell me why you are travelling to Port Elizabeth?

Also please tell us when you are travelling as this is important when trying to recommend a town to stop over in en route?

Have you purchased all your plane tickets already especially the ones where you are scheduled to fly into Cape Town and leave from Port Elizabeth?

Where are you staying in Cape Town? By using this info I will be able to gauge what sort of accommodations you are looking for.

Once you answer the above I will be able to respond to all that you ask.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

My favorite hotels on the garden Route are:

Hog Hollow in Plettenberg Bay - superb service and lovely setting, just out of town.

Plettenberg Park right on the sea cliffs if you want to spoil yourselves and be romantic!! The massive glass showers hanging over the cliffs are an experience!

In Knysna, Elephant Hide is very reasonable and has stunning views of the Lagoon.

Oudtshoorn - I loved Rosenhof. Very friendly and lovely decor. Couldn't muster the courage to ride an ostrich though...

thanks for your answers...Selwyn..I try to explain myself..we live in Argentina we fly South African it is a looooooong way through Sao Paulo(Brasil)Johanesbourg,then we decided to know Cape Town named as so beautiful in our looooong way to Kenya...we are renting a car to drive the Garden Route and the flying from P Elizabeth to Nairobi...our agent suggested the Capetonian hotel but I've read about the Hollow and I asked him for it...in the Garden Route we should love some cozy B&B or someone not very "hotel alike"..the same in Cape Town if you know any...our safari is booked with the flights etcetera...is not very simple to decide a safari to Africa being so far away...thanks!(we should love to know about good restaurants at your place also!

Virginia

Can you just confirm - you have a TOTAL of 5 nights from when you land in Cape Town to when you leave from Port Elizabeth?

That's not a very long time, I'm afraid so your itinerary is going to be very rushed with some long driving days too.

Ideally you'll want at least two of those nights in Cape Town itself, with a third night in the Winelands. That only leaves two for the Garden route, three if you leave out the Winelands.

Knysna or Plettenburg Bay would probably be the best place to stop for those last two nights. From there you can visit the surrounding area including Oudtshoorn.

Kavey we are arriving to CT on set 13th at 11 AM...we plan to stay 3 nights at CT as we think the first day we are going to be ready only for a city tour and good dinner after such a long flight.After that drive to Port Elizabeth my husband enjoys driving very much...we have to fly from Port Elizabeth to Nairobi on the 21st..we want to see as much as possible during those days before our safari..is our first time in SA but not the last I hope! thanks for your help

So you have two nights after your stay in Cape Town and before your flight onwards from Port Elizabeth, is that right?

Ignore that last post, I've just realised I can't count! So actually you have 5 days AFTER the 3 nights in Cape Town!

That's a MUCH better proposition and definitely gives you more time to enjoy the pleasures of the garden route.

How about

3 nights Cape Town
1/2 nights Winelands
1 night Oudtshoorn
2 nights Knysna (or near)

Depending on the time of your flight out of Port Elizabeth you may want to stay one night in PE (or near) before the flight or drive directly to the airport from Knysna if the flight is late enough in the day.

If you are looking for a great B&B, "The Old Cape Road Guest House" in Knysna was a fantastic place in 2003. Its on the hillside overlooking the bay, you can see it as your driving on the garden route. They even booked an ultralight flight for us- which was one of the highlights of our trip. Wish I was going back soon.

I like those stops in the Garden Route ...Im going to check the B&B and hotels information and the homepage you've sent to me! thanks...
I'm not sure what time we are leaving from Port Elizabeth to Nairobi yet...

just so you know--selwyn does tours in the capetown area about which his clients have spoken very highly. You can look at his website for information.
http://www.ilovecapetown.com/

Virginia

Our guesthouse in Cape Town was Jambo in the Greenpoint area. We booked the garden suite which had a large bedroom including a dining table and chairs area, a small seating area and obviously an ensuite bathroom. It had it's own patio doors out onto the garden so coming in and out was not via the main guesthouse door. It wasn't an issue whilst we were there because no one was really using it but the only potential downside to that room would be that the guesthouse bar is directly above the garden suite. Other rooms are nice too though - we had a look. We certainly really liked being in Greenpoint as our base. Selwyn knows lots of other places which I'm sure he'll post.

We did initial research using Portfolio Collection but contacted guest houses directly rather than through the site in order to negotiate discounts.

In Franschhoek we stayed at the absolutely charming Plumwood Inn which I would definitely recommend!

Wouldn't particularly recommend our guest house in Oudtshoorn or Knysna...

As someone born in PE we did the Garden Route many many times and it's wonderful. We stayed every summer at Plettenberg Bay and always loved it. Also, along the garden route, you do want to detour in Oudtshoorn, if not an overnight. For Cape Town, when we were last there, we stayed at a b&b called Harfeld Guest House which was simply divine. Web: www.harfield.co.za
In Cape Town make sure you go up the mountain as soon as you have a clear day. If in PE for dinner or overnight, make sure you eat at the most fabulous restaurant - Old Austria. Last year when we did Garden Route, we went off beaten path and into the Swartberg mountains and stayed at a heavenly remote B&B called The Retreat at Groenfontein - just incredible place. Web: http://www.groenfontein.com/ Along Garden Route, Wilderness is beautiful and Sedgefield (not far from the lovely Knysna) are worth stops.