Some ideas for when you’re visiting the Garden Route
People who have visited the Garden Route will know that it is one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. We’ve got the ocean, the mountains, the forest and the Karroo on our doorstep. Having lived in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein I can assure that there’s no place like Eden.
Finding things to do is really easy, especially if you’re a nature-lover like we are. We’re a family of four with two small daughters, so finding something for the whole family is top priority for us. I’ve compiled a list of 5 things to do in the Garden Route (Heidelberg – Plettenberg Bay).
- Swimming, fishing, snorkelling, boating… basically anything you can do at the beach! According to TripAdivsor Wilderness Beach received the most and best reviews. I personally prefer something that has a little of everything. This I’ve found at Glentana Beach. Beautiful pools of water open up at low tide. So when hubby wants to collect bait for his next fishing trip, the kids and I can explore the pools and they can splash to their heart’s content. There is nothing that compares to the beauty of nature, and you can experience it in all its glory when visiting the beach.
- Museums – I love learning about our history. After all as Terry Pratchett said “If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are… or where you’re going”. Apart from the main museums we have the Outeniqua Transport Museum where you can walk inside the trains and get a feel of how our ancestors used to travel far distances; you can visit the Cango Caves for a great adventure and a breath taking display of stalagmites and stalactites; the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex does not disappoint with its life size replica of the Diaz Caravel ship that you can also on board and explore.
- We have 2 major waterparks in the Garden Route: Adventure Land – which is tucked into a forest setting and Diaz Waterpark – that was just re-done and definitely promises for a whole day of fun in the sun.
- A walk on the wild side… The Garden Route boasts with a ton of wildlife parks and sanctuaries. Here you can see anything from elephants to wolves. Just outside Plett. you can visit Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and Knysna Elephant park. On your way back you can visit George Wildlife park and see the beautiful White Tiger and his friend play in their swimming pool.
- Last but not least, if you are artsy fartsy person like me you’ll get lost in our craft markets. Every Saturday you have a host of craft markets to browse through, the most popular being the Sedgefield Craft Market. There you’ll find anything from handmade soaps to fresh produce, it really makes one proud to be South African. The Garden Route is known for its artists and here you can expect nothing but the best hand crafted items money can buy.
It was great to show you around my Eden and I really hope you visit soon, as you can see there’s so much to do and hardly ever enough time!
