The Garden Route in South Africa. Described by travel guides as one of the highlights of the country. And it really is. In the summer of 2018, we explored the magnificent beauty of southern South Africa. From the stunning Cape Town with its majestic Table Mountain, the haunting Robben Island and the beautiful beaches to the vast reddish-brown Little Karoo with its ostrich farms. We went hiking in the breathtaking Tsitsikamma National Park, where the Storms River flows into the Indian Ocean. But above all, never to be forgotten, the ‘real life’ zoo: whales, penguins, elephants, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, antelopes, dassies and so much more. In this blog I take you ‘en route’ on this extraordinary journey, perfect to do with teenagers.
Our itinerary: from Cape Town to Addo Elephant National Park
Below you will find our itinerary, per day, with an overview of the accommodation and the most important excursions. You find more tips & tricks about this itinerary and special travel stories per region in separate blogs.
| Day | Town | Activities | Accomodation |
| 1 | Cape Town | Brussels → Addis Adeba → Cape Town | Sleep on flight |
| 2 | Cape Town | Arrival Cape Town | De Waterkant Village 137 Waterkant Street Cape Town +27 (0)21 437 9703 |
| 3 | Cape Town | Robben Island Victoria & Alfred Waterfront | De Waterkant Village |
| 4 | Cape Town | City Walk Table Mountain | De Waterkant Village |
| 5 | Cape Town | Chapman Drive Kaap de Goede Hoop Boulders Beach pinguïns | De Waterkant Village |
| 6 | Hermanus | Muizenberg Beach Hermanus Braai | WhaleRock Luxury Lodge 26 Springfield Avenue, Westcliff Hermanus, 7200 +27 (0)28 313 0014 or 5 |
| 7 | Hermanus | Whales spotting | WhaleRock Luxury Lodge |
| 8 | Oudtshoorn | Route 62 Langeberg Mountain | AfriCamps Klein Karoo AfriCamps Head Office Rivergate Business Park 5 Columbus Cres, Cape Farms Cape Town 7441 +27 (0)21 300 5694 |
| 9 | Oudtshoorn | Walk neighbourhood Rest day | AfriCamps Klein Karoo |
| 10 | Oudtshoorn | Safari Buffelsdrift Ostrich farm Vreugde Voetjies | AfriCamps Klein Karoo |
| 11 | Knysna | Knysna city walk | Cuningham’s Island Guest House cnr Kingsway & Church Square, Leisure Isle 6570 Knysna, +27 (0)44 384 1319 |
| 12 | Knysna | Robberg Nature Reserve | Cuningham’s Island Guest House |
| 13 | Tsitsikamma (Storms River Rest Camp) | Hikes | Storms River Mouth Rest Camp Tsitsikamma National Park +27 (0) 42 281 1607 |
| 14 | Tsitsikamma (Storms River Rest Camp) | Hikes | Storms River Mouth Rest Camp |
| 15 | Addo Elephant National Park | Evening Safari | Addo Elephant National Park +27 (0)42 233 8600 |
| 16 | Addo Elephant National Park | Safari | Addo Elephant National Park |
| 17 | Addo Elephant National Park | Safari | Addo Elephant National Park |
| 18 | Addo Elephant National Park | Addo → Porth Elizabeth → Johannesburg → Brussels |
General information
Our itinerary is relatively short. We drove about 1500 kilometers in about 2 weeks.
We chose not to make a ‘loop’, we drove from Cape Town to Port-Elizabeth (instead of Cape Town-Cape Town). From Port-Elizabeth we took a domestic flight with South African Airways to Johannesburg and via Addis Ababa to Belgium.
This way, we had enough time to discover each region. Also, the cost of the additional flight corresponded to the extra nights driving back.
Jambo
Usually, I plan the full trip myself. For this journey, we however worked together with the tour operator Jambo Safari Club. The main reason? I felt, despite extensive research, not always completely sure about our safety, a.o. about the choice of accommodation in Cape Town. Moreover, Jambo was able to offer a very competitive price for certain accommodations and willing to make quite some adjustements at our request. It was a pleasant cooperation and the documentation of the trip (itinerary, directions, …) was top.
Why visit South Africa?
South Africa has everything to offer for a great holiday with children: magnificent nature and an extraordinary culture.
- Number one: the ‘real life’ zoo. There are special animals in abundance, everywhere you go, even if you don’t go on safari. There are the dassies in Cape Town, the penguins at Boulder Beach, the whales in Hermanus and the ostrices and local wildlife at Africamps, Klein Karoo. But ‘top of the bill’ yes, is the safari: elephants, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, antelopes, meerkats, … you name it. All equally impressive, especially these elephants just in front of your car. The children also enjoyed ticking off the ‘which animals are in this park’ lists.
- The national parks are equally impressive. On Table Mountain you can take a beautiful walk. Standing on the very tip of the Cape of Good Hope is very special too. Tsitsikamma National Park, where the Storms River flows into the Indian Ocean, is breathtaking. And impressive sand dunes meet with beautiful ocean views in Plettenberg bay. All parks are well maintained.
- Culture is everywhere. In Cape Town you can visit Robben Island. And the country in itself is very special: the confrontation with the townships, the gap between rich and poor, … It makes you think.
Interested in more South African adventures? Then read my blogs on amazing accommodation and tips and costs.