Thursday, 22 December 2011

THE GARDEN ROUTE...

Dramatic river cut gorges, beautiful beaches, rocky headlands and deep tangled forests are the quintessential Garden Route images. Stretching from anywhere between Stillbaai and Mossel Bay in the west, to Stormsrevier in Port Elizabeth (PE) in the east, it's a gorgeous stretch of coastal paradise strung out along the N2.

The Garden Route offers some of the best boat based whale watching in the world, flower lovers and birders will also have a field day traipsing off through the forest or the fynbos, and there are numerous national parks and nature reserves. Steam buffs will love the narrow gauge Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe.

For the more culturally inclined, there are township tours, museums, lovely old buildings, funky craft shops, markets, art gallaries and loads of live music venues. And, of course, a flotilla of great restaurants - many of which specialise in seafood - in each town. The Garden Route is a golfers dream destination - you could play a different course every day for a week and still have few left over.

But what the Garden Route is more suitable for is relaxation - and even that's been somewhat institutionalised with almost every second hotel housing a wellness centre or spa. Not that that's a problem, mind. After a hard day on the beach you'll probably need a chocolate mud bath, colour therapy or hot stone massage,