Tripping on the Garden Route
Whether it’s your destination or you’re just passing through, there are countless spots along the Garden Route that are worth the stop. Choose Plettenberg Bay as your home base to explore the area.
Where to visit
Settled for few days in one of the many sunsoaked towns on the Garden Route – Knysna and Plettenberg Bay remain two of the most popular towns – don’t miss The Wild Oats Community Farmers’ Market in Sedgefield. But plan wisely, as the market is only open on a Saturday and closes at 12h00, so you must be strategic with your schedule. With that said, however, it’s definitely a must-visit.
The market boasts produce fresh from ovens and nearby farms and is popular with locals doing their weekly shop as well as visitors who simply pop by to explore. We recommend getting there early, grabbing breakfast from one of the many vendors and enjoying your meal under the trees. From there, you can meander through stall after stall of fresh fruit and veg, plants, clothing, art and more.
No visit to the region is complete without a trip to the sea. While there are many beaches and coastal spots to choose from, we recommend taking a drive to Nature’s Valley to soak in the sun on the white sands there. The sea is not safe for swimming because of the strong rip currents, but the beach is vast and the lagoon that winds its way into the ocean is often warm and calm.
For animal lovers, the Garden Route is home to various sanctuaries, such as the Garden Route Wolf Sanctuary, nestled between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, and Monkeyland in Plett – it is a “free-roaming primate sanctuary” so watch out for your sunglasses, caps and other small objects that monkeys love to play with.
Don’t miss Birds of Eden, a free-flight aviary just outside Plettenberg Bay. Here, the massive dome covering the 2.3ha indigenous forest is home to 220 different species of birds and more than 3,500 feathered individuals that can spread their wings freely, many of which have been rescued from lives in captivity.
You’ll discover more birds than you can count as you make your way through the trees along a 1.2km wooden walkway. Birds of Eden is also home to a few non-feathered inhabitants, and we spotted a giant bat and a blue duiker in the bush.
Once you’ve spent the day exploring the various farms and sanctuaries on the outskirts of Plett, Moss & Maple Farmstall is the perfect pit stop. Whether you sit down for a meal or browse the shop for a variety of homemade, local goods, it’s worth a visit.
Another padstal that deserves a visit is Thyme and Again, located just off the N2
opposite the turn-off to Keurbooms. This quaint shop offers homemade baked goods and local produce as well as a garden café.
Where to eat
Tucked away just off the N2 towards Buffelsbaai is the RiverDeck Restaurant. Nestled underneath palm and fig trees, you can pretend you’re somewhere far more exotic while sipping your cocktails on the water’s edge.
The food is plain and simple but good; what the menu lacks in variety it makes up for in rustic charm.
After lunch, hire a paddle boat and float down the river, exploring a part of the Garden Route you would otherwise have missed. Making your way around the bends of the Goukamma River is the perfect way to spend a slow, sunny Sunday afternoon.
In the heart of Plettenberg Bay is one of the town’s best-known dining spots — Nineteen 89. Here, the food, the milkshakes, the cocktails, the view over the town and the sea come together in a powerful symphony for the palate and the eyes.
Nineteen 89 was named the top restaurant in Plettenberg Bay by Restaurant Guru last year and, from our stop there, it lives up to the hype.
Passenger seat: Exploring the Garden Route makes one itch to bring Eden back into the city, and our car carried more plants back home with us than we’ll readily admit. While you can’t transport the Knysna forests to your living room, your trip will inspire you to get more greenery into your home.
On the ride, listen to: BBC Earth Podcast – Teenage Elephants Need a Father Figure. If you plan to visit an animal sanctuary, you can learn more about some of the creatures you are likely to encounter on your Garden Route adventures while listening to this podcast.