Knysna

Explore the picturesque Garden Route, a world-renowned destination, on a journey from Cape Town to the Addo Elephant National Park. Discover the beauty and diversity of South Africa's landscapes, from rugged coastlines to verdant forests, and encounter a variety of wildlife along the way, including elephants at the national park.

For first time visitors, there is no better introduction to South Africa than the Garden Route. South Africa is one of the most incredible countries in the world, and it truly has it all! ✨ NOTE: This is written for use as both a 14 and 7 day guide - you can adjust the stops as needed, and there are routes for both durations. Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect from this guide: 🏔️Culture, hiking and some unusual ethical wildlife encounters in Cape Town! 🍷Enjoy the beautiful winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek 🐾Come face to face with meerkats waking up 🛍️Support local businesses with some boutique craft shopping 🏖️Explore some of South Africa's most beautiful beaches 🦛Have a chance at spotting hippos bathing 🦁Try to spot Africa's BIG FIVE on safari - truly a once in a lifetime experience! I specialise in responsible, sustainable and ethical travel experiences, so this itinerary focuses on: 🐘 Ethical, hands off wildlife encounters, putting the animals' needs 🏡 Local accommodation. In this guide, where possible, I have recommended locally-owned or boutique accommodation. Every hotel on this itinerary is somewhere I have personally stayed in and would recommend. I have visited South Africa 4 times and each time stayed for periods of 2 months or more. I have driven the Garden Route multiple times and stayed in a lot of different accommodation, so in this guide, I'm bringing you the best of the best! I always try to offer an upscale, mid-range and budget option. Make sure you save for your trip, and let me know if you find anything missing!