South Africa is famous for many things: it’s passion for the sport cricket, the great man Nelson Mandela, the country’s abundance of diamonds, and of course the Garden Route. The Garden Route is famous for being a must-see in South Africa, popular among locals and foreigners who praise it to a high extent. The Garden Route is known to have breath-taking views and is often considered to be one of the best water-sports areas in all of South Africa. The route stretches 190 miles from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east. While we were planning to visit South Africa, we were constantly told that the Garden Route was something that could not be missed. With all that hype and people constantly telling us about the Garden Route, it was incorporated into our trip.
Our road trip on the Garden Route started in Cape Town and ended in Knysna. The drive was about 5.5 hours, not including pit stops. We decided to leave earlier in the morning so we could get in early and explore a little bit of Knysna before planning our adventures for the next day. Our driver had mentioned that the beginning of the road trip would be dull and rather boring and the action would start when we were to get onto Mossel Bay. I have to say that this was not true. The beginning of the drive was actually very beautiful, but in a way that is different from the beauty of the Garden Route. The area before the Garden Route was filled with farmland and wild ostrich in all directions for miles upon miles. We were told that all the farmland that could be seen belonged to farmers who had held onto this land for generations. It was amazing to see all this beauty that had not been touched by the commercial world. There was not much traffic on this part of the drive. It seemed very peaceful and quiet in the farmland area. Over development has obviously not reached this area and I am glad it hasn’t.
We saw some blue cranes and ostriches that were roaming the farms with no restrictions. The blue crane is gorgeous and is also the national bird of South Africa. This bird has long legs like an ostrich and a body similar to a swan but lightly tinted blue instead. Though there were some ostrich farms along the way, there were also several ostriches in the wild that were free. It was truly amazing seeing an animal in its natural habitat with no restrictions.
A recommended pit stop is in Oudtshroon. Oudshtroon is a town that is about 1 hour and 40 minutes away from Knysna. It is often called the “ostrich capital of the world,” because of the many ostrich farms that are there. Although we did not stop at the farm because we had already seen many ostriches, you may wish to explore the town for a little while. The Cango Wildlife Ranch is also nearby; it offers animal petting which could be quite the experience. Another popular touristy location near Oudtshroon is the Cango Caves. There caves are limestone chambers that have been around for 20 million years.
After seeing the farmland for a while, we finally reached the supposed “highlight” of the trip —the Garden Route. With all the hype that was built around the Garden Route, it was a big let-down to actually experience it for ourselves. Maybe we were disappointed because we expected something truly extraordinary. Don’t get me wrong, the Garden Route is not boring or bad, but rather it does not seem worth all that hype! We saw a jungle with the backdrop of the mountain along the Garden Route. It was pretty beautiful, but once again, it did not live up to the hype. We also saw two lakes that also had the jungle surrounding them. I think the Garden Route could best be experienced if you have an interest in water sports. We did not understand this until later when we saw people parasailing and paragliding over the blue water. If you do have an interest in water sports, the Garden Route may be just up your alley. Otherwise, the Garden Route may actually seem like a waste rather than something that is meant to be enjoyed. In hindsight, we should have stayed a day at Mossel Bay and done some cage diving to see the sharks up close.
After we arrived at Knysna, everyone was rather tired, so we did not do anything that afternoon other than chill out at home. We rented an Airbnb which had a huge deck. The house itself was on a large hill, so we were able to see most of Knysna from the house. Knysna is known for the famous “Two Heads.” The Knsyna Heads are basically large sandstone cliffs that guard the passage between the Indian Ocean and the Knysna Lagoon. These heads are accessible and can serve as a great view. The East Head can be reached by a car with ease, but the West Head can only be reached from a ferry across the Lagoon. Though the West Head may be trickier to reach, it is home to the Featherbird Natural Reserve which is worth the troubles to get there.
The next day, we took a ferry in the morning to sight see along Knysna’s coast. I would recommend dressing up warmly because out on the sea, it is very cold and windy. The waters are also very rough so you may be splashed a little a bit. The ferry ride has many different timings so you can choose the one that suits what you want. There are many rides available all over Knysna near the water, so you can book from wherever you choose. After the ferry ride, we went to explore some restaurants near the ocean. There are many quality restaurants to choose from in this area that serve a variety of food. Something that you should try if you are a fan of seafood are the oysters. Knysna has some of the best oysters available on all of South Africa, so I would really recommend that you try these.
The reason we went to Knysna was to experience the ‘amazing’ Garden Route. The Garden Route was not as great as we all expected, but Knysna itself was much better than the drive. Knysna has great beaches that you can access when it’s warmer. Otherwise, there is not much to do in Knysna other than water activities. Although I must say the drive to Knysna could’ve been much better, it gave us some time to relax than walking and driving around the whole time. Going to Knysna was a great family-bonding experience.
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