How To Get There:

We drove from Franschhoek to Mossel Bay which took just under 4 hours. The first part of the route along the Franschhoek was very scenic and all in all it was a very easy drive. From Mossel Bay we drove all the way up to Amakhala Game Reserve on the N2, the roads are great and nice and straightforward.

Where To Stay:

Mossel Bay

We stayed in an Airbnb in Mossel Bay for our first night on the Garden Route. It was a very nice loft style apartment with great sea views.

Plettenberg Bay

For our other 2 nights on the Garden Route we stayed in another Airbnb in Plettenberg Bay. This was another great find and had a lovely little private courtyard to chill in after a day on the beach which was about a 10 minute walk.

Woodbury Tented Lodge (Amakhala)

This was one of the top places we stayed in the whole of South Africa, the safari was an absolute highlight. Our guide was incredible and we saw so many animals and the entire experience at Woodbury was amazing. The tents even had air con and were very comfortable. 10/10

Where To Eat/Drink:

The Blue Shed (Mossel Bay)

Delicious iced coffee in a very quirky cafe. 8/10

Carola Ann’s (Mossel Bay)

Just down the road from our Airbnb this was one of my favourite restaurants on the Garden Route. Delicious mezze meals and wine. 9/10

East Head Cafe (Kynsna)

This was recommended by our Airbnb host as we stopped to visit the Kynsna Heads on our way to Plettenberg Bay. There were wonderful ocean views and the food was pretty good (although not the best we’ve had). 7/10

The Fat Fish (Plettenberg)

Sea views and great sushi. A really good find and liked the menu in the style of a newspaper. 8/10

What To Do:

Mossel Bay Lighthouse & Coastal Walk (Mossel Bay)

When we visited Mossel Bay the weather wasn’t the best but there was a lovely coastal walk which took you up to the lighthouse on the top of the cliff. We spotted lots of dassy and Doone apparently saw dolphins (questionable). 7/10

Kynsna Heads (Kynsna)

A beautiful place to stop on the Garden Route. The views were some of our favourite so far. You could drive up to the top to get to the view point and there was also a walk to another view a little lower down the cliff. 9/10

Sea Kayaking (Plettenberg Bay)

We booked on to this spontaneously the day before and we’re so glad we did. Unfortunately we didn’t get as close as we would have liked to the dolphins but instead we had the unique experience of kayaking amongst lots of baby hammerhead sharks which was unexpected. 7/10 (just because it was slightly chaotic at the beginning and we didn’t see dolphins so think it could have been even better if so.)

Robberg Peninsula (Plettenberg Bay)

Robberg Peninsula is absolutely stunning. We went here for sunset on our first evening and there were plenty of great spots to watch the sunset and bring a drink, it was one of the best sunsets we’d seen in South Africa for sure. The next day we went back again to do one of the hikes (there are three options of varying lengths) and we saw the seal colony. The entrance fee to the reserve is 65 ZAR per person. 10/10

Safari (Amakhala Game Reserve)

Just after Port Elizabeth about an hours drive away is Amakhala Game Reserve and we spent 2 nights at Woodbury Tented Lodge on safari. 2 game drives per day were included as well as all food (and there was a lot of food) and drinks. It was a magical experience and even though the days were long (4:30am starts) it was well worth it. We were lucky enough to spot so many different animals including lions, elephants, cheetah, rhinos, hippo, giraffes, antelope, jackal, and even a lynx! One of our absolute highlights. 10/10