Garden Route

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Garden Route

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16 Day Self Drive Bush & Garden Route
1 Night at Radisson Hotel OR Tambo, Johannesburg
2 Nights at Mhondoro Game Lodge, Welgevonden Game Reserve
Flight From Johannesburg to Gqeberha Included
1 Night at Mantis No5 Boutique Art Hotel, Gqeberha
2 Nights at Barrington's Small Hotel, Plettenberg Bay
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$ 320 USD
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$ 320 USD
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14 Day Self Drive Luxury Garden Route
1 Night at Mantis No5 Boutique Art Hotel, Gqeberha
2 Nights at The Plettenberg Hotel, Plettenberg Bay
1 Night at Rosenhof Country House, Oudtshoorn
2 Nights at Tilney Manor, Sanbona Game Reserve
2 Nights at Forest Lodge, Grootbos Private Nature reserve
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$ 540 USD
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$ 540 USD
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4-Day Grootbos Forest Lodge Experience
3 Nights at Grootbos Forest Lodge, Gaansbaai
Return Transfer Included
All meals and water, soft drinks, tea and coffee, minibar included
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$ 660 USD
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$ 660 USD
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10 Day Kwandwe, Garden Route and Cape Town
3 nights at the 5-Star Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
2 nights at the 5-Star Turbine Boutique Hotel in Knysna
1 night at the 5-Star Rosenhof Hotel in Oudtshoorn
3 nights at the 5-Star Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town
Big Five sightings in their natural habitat
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$ 530 USD
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$ 530 USD
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12 Day Garden Route, Cape Town & Eastern Cape Safari
Roundtrip airport transfer
All flights during the tour
All accommodation
All activities
Rental car
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$ 480 USD
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$ 480 USD
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15 Day Cape, Winelands, Whales & Garden Route Adventure
3 nights at More Quarters Hotel with breakfast
2 nights at Mont Rochelle Hotel with breakfast
2 nights at the Marine Hotel with breakfast
3 nights at Gondwana Game Reserve with all meals and two game drives per day
3 nights at Tsala Treetop Lodge with breakfast
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$ 300 USD
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$ 300 USD
Per person per night
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4-Day Malaria-Free Big 5 Botlierskop Safari
3 Nights at Botlierskop Tented Lodge
All meals & beverages
Game drives
Return Road Transfers From George to Lodge
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$ 480 USD
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$ 480 USD
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Broader region

Why

The Garden Route stretches 300 kilometers along the south-western coast of Southern Africa. Accessible from three major airports, the garden route is easily combined with the vibrant city of Cape Town and a Big Five safari experience in Port Elizabeth. Most commonly explored as a self-drive, this beautifully scenic route consists of several major attractions including ostrich farms, pristine coastlines, natural forests, wildflowers, lagoons, hiking trails, whale watching, top golf courses, and an array of adrenalin activities.

When

The Garden Route is a popular tourist destination all year round.

Peak season is regarded to be in the summer between mid-December and early January.  Due to the long December school holidays, the coastlines do tend to get very busy.

February to April are the ideal summer months for travelers planning a beach vacation, however, it is important to note that unlike Cape Town, the Garden Route can experience rain at any time of the year.  

The winter wet season is predominantly from June through August. This is ideal for travelers with an interest in whale watching, as the season generally runs from June to October. Hiking is great in winter as well as the famous Knysna Festival which runs for 10 days in the month of July.

Where

The Garden Route is a 300 kilometer stretch of the south-western coast of Southern Africa. Accessible from three major airports, the garden route is easily combined with the vibrant city of Cape Town, a safari in Port Elizabeth or with the commercial hub of the Garden Route known as George.

Most commonly explored as a self-drive, this beautifully scenic route consists of several major attractions.

Mossel Bay is a coastal village situated between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. This popular holiday town is surrounded by a sunbathed peninsula and the refreshing waters of the Indian Ocean. It is a busy summer destination as well as an ideal winter retreat, offering travelers an array of activities that include shark cage diving, hiking trails, abseiling, whale watching, and golfing.

Oudtshoorn is home to one of the world’s great natural wonders; the limestone Cango Caves. Oudtshoorn is also well known for its ostrich farms. Amidst the 400 ostrich farms surrounding the town, three have distinguished themselves worthy to be named " show farms". Become exposed to this exotic bird species, the largest in the world. Gaze with the awe at slithering crocodiles from all over the world. Imagine more than 400 crocodiles and alligators in their prehistoric unattractiveness.

George is the sixth oldest town in South Africa and is the Capital of the Southern Cape. The town is very centrally situated: halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and is the center of the Garden Route - ideal from where to explore the areas many variants and diverse scenic wonders.

Wilderness is an all year round destination renowned for its warm hospitality and natural beauty. It is a great spot for water sports enthusiasts, who flock there regularly. There is 2500 hectare National Park with five rivers, five lakes, two estuaries and 18 kilometers of coastline. Wilderness sports many types of wildlife, in particular birds, making it the ideal location for bird-watchers. The many other types of recreation include hiking, dolphin and whale-watching, hang-gliding, paragliding, horse riding, mountain biking, scenic drives, Wilderness Lakes Art Route, day tours, ferry cruises, angling, boating and other water sports.

Sedgefield is a resort town located between Knysna and George and is the ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts and bird watchers. There are many hiking trails and bird hides established for just that pleasure. You can also marvel at the beautiful and colorful wildflowers and fynbos. To the west lies Swartvlei, forming a safe estuary for bathing. The estuary provides for good fishing for the enthusiastic angler and near Gerickes Point there are beautiful rock formations and a popular spot for spearfishing.

Knysna is renowned for its oysters and the Heads; which is the most striking geological feature along the entire southern African coastline. They flank a deep but potentially treacherous channel through which the sea pours in to flood the wide and breathtakingly pretty lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River. Knysna has many attractions in the surrounding area including the Knysna Forest and Featherbed Nature Reserve.

Plettenberg Bay is a sporting paradise and boasts fabulous trails for hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, and canoeists. The highlight of the area is undoubtedly the rivers, beaches and the bay with its ideal conditions for all facets of watersports, including sailing in the safe waters of the Bay, superb rock and surf fishing and scuba diving spots. Other popular attractions include the Plettenberg Elephant Park and Monkeyland.

Stormsriver / Tsitsikamma is the Khoi-San word for a place of many waters. The Tsitsikamma National Park is internationally recognized for its forests which harbor and conserve the giant Outeniqua yellowwood. Tsitsikamma is also Africa's oldest and largest marine reserve, playing a vital role in the preservation and conservation of marine fauna and flora. The region has many wonderfully scenic hiking trails including the world-renowned Otter Trail which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Other activities include canopy tours, whale watching, and bungee jumping.

4.9
out of 5 based on
Mar 18, 2024
Extremely responsive and knowledgeable
Extremely responsive and knowledgeable. Absolutely recommend
Rolando B
,
US
Mar 18, 2024
Heleen Coetzee
I was amazed at Heleens personal touch and effort in seeing to my accomodation request and booking - her efficiency and coomunication with me keeping me updated all the while. i will definately be using her services again as soon as i am able to!
karen brower
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ZA
Mar 18, 2024
Excellent Service from Safari.com
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Kimmo Heldan
,
ZA
Mar 18, 2024
Dolan was prompt and fast in responding…
Dolan was prompt and fast in responding to my booking request and we appreciate it. Excited and looking forward to the trip!
Rachel Marie
,
SG
Mar 17, 2024
Adventure of a Lifetime
As elderly, world travelers our best adventure ever was last year’s safari trip to Sabi Sabi & Cape Town South Africa planned by Dolan Sequera. Great experience working with Dolan. Immediate responses from my many, many questions. He arranged all lodging, inter airlines, and ground transportation! It was such a perfect experience that we are returning with our family this year and of course, Dolan has handled all our plans as well as our daughter’s. We couldn’t be happier with this company. Dolan is the best and we highly recommend him!
Barbara
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US
Mar 17, 2024
Quick replies to all my questions…
Quick replies to all my questions (unlike other enquiries I’ve made elsewhere about accommodation for the same holiday) & everything done & dusted very easily. Nice use of WhatsApp to get quick answers & email for the detail & the payment, very effective. More accommodation bookings should be like this. Very satisfied.👍🏻
Jonesy
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GB
Mar 17, 2024
Dolan has made the safari booking…
Dolan has made the safari booking process super easy and answered and questions we had immediately. We would not have been able to complete the booking and gotten the trip we wanted without Dolan’s help. We are super excited for our trip.
Liz
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ZA
Mar 17, 2024
Great service Dolan
My wife and have always loved making our own bookings when travelling to the Kruger, however, when we couldn’t find any available place, we decided to contact Safari.com. This is how we met Dolan. Dolan exceeded our expectations by going beyond the call of duty. Our experience was memorable and he had become our go-to person when planning to visit the Kruger. We hope to some day meet you, thank you for the lovely service.
Consumer
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ZA
Mar 17, 2024
Dolan the magician!!
Dolan! Dolan! Dolan! If I could his name from the top of a mountain, I would. My husband and I love travelling to the Kruger, and Dolan has always been there to ensure we get the most awesome experience. Dolan has taken the stress out of doing bookings on our own, trying to secure places. When we think of Kruger, Dolan immediately comes to mind. We have made 5 bookings so far, and already planning our next trip, which will once more be a magical experience. Iris and Trevor
Iris Ngobeni
,
ZA
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