The Garden Route: Port Elizabeth to Cape Town

The Garden Route: This lovely stretch extends along the south east coast of South Africa and its name stems from the diverse vegetation found throuought the route. Getting There: As a group we decided that driving from Kruger National Park to Cape Town would simply be too long a drive.  We decided to drive about 1.5 hours to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. You will find South African Airlines domestic connections through  Airlink airlines.  From here you can fly directly to Johannesburg expect about a 1 hour flight time.  Baggage can be connected directly through to port Elizabeth.  We flew South African Airlines from JNB to port Elizabeth about 1 hour and 20 minutes ( remember every point matters so star alliance members do not forget to register you frequent flier numbers).  Once in port Elizabeth there are an abundant number of car rental agencies directly upon exiting the aiport, we do advise that you book your cars very early as they do sell out.  Leg 1: Port Elizabeth to the Tsitsikamma National park:This amazing drive will take you through some breathtaking vistas its truly a beatiful drive. Where we stayed:We decided to stay at the Fernery Lodge and Chalets http://www.forestferns.co.za/Fernery/index.html This four star residence rests at the base of the Tsitsikamma mountains. It provides quintessential calm. For those of you looking to practice your mindfulness this is the place. We opted for a beautiful combine chalet which had its own private pool, two full bedrooms each with their own living rooms, and an amazing kitchen with common dining area.  The bathrooms are  fully renovated each with a shower and a bathtub. The premises has plenty of hiking trails and some of the most amazing views of the Indian Ocean.  There is also an wonderful Restaraunt on premises which promises a view that is truly picturesque.  Our only regret with this stay was that it was only one night! Leg 2: Tsitsikamma to Mossel Bay with a stop in Knysna for lunch and the views. This route is also filled with amazing vegetation, green lush lands and peaks of ocean at every turn.  We directed our routing to the East Head Cafe which is located atop a cliff that provides the most  amazing views.  We can highly recommend the fish and chips it is a must must must.  Be patient and wait for a table outside. Leg 3: Knysna to Mossel Bay: Mossel bay is a harbour town of 130,000 it is an essential farming region of the country. If open look for a small market area known as old nick village which will be on your right hand side. Stop for breakfast, a coffee  at roost cafe and some shopping. Look for some wonderful fabrics at Mungo you will not leave empty handed.  Where we stayed: Once arriving in Mossel Bay we stayed at the pinnacle point mansion which we found on airbnb:    http://abnb.me/EVmg/uCp4CeSkGzThis amazing residence could easily fit at least 12-15 people and is nestled along the cliff side of the Pinnacle point golf  club.  The residence has 4 bedrooms on the main level each with their own ensuite bathroom and queen sized beds. The views from the living room and 2 of the bedrooms are just incredible. At times you can even try to do a little wale spotting.  The lower level has a kitchen fit to host a major event, an entertainment area with projection screen and a bunk room for all the kids!  A bar located downstairs could easily host an event for over 100 guests.  An infinity pool needed some cleaning but boasted amazing views.  Overall the residency was perfect for our one night stay, its more suitable for a larger group. It does have its share of wear and tear from frequent renting but still is a value for price that cannot be beaten.  We also enjoyed the casino on site and the country club for breakfast.  While  we are not big golfers this truly looks like a golfers paradise.  Leg 4: Mossel Bay to Gansbaai: Likely the least scenic of our drives except the final 30 kilometers. Gansbaii is a fishing town that is known for its abundant number of great white sharks and amazing whale watching. Where we stayed: We checked in to a lovely bed and breakfast the Bellamente: http://www.bellamente.co.za/Our host Rita and her husband were wonderful.  They were welcoming, kind and very informative not only regarding gansbaii but also our upcoming arrival in capetown.  Approximately 3 blocks from this guest house is a semi private beach with a grassy area to soak up the sun and hiking trails through the rock terrain.  We spent a couple of hours getting our vitamin D and  some time exploring. For dinner we were directed to Thyme at Rosemary's located just a few minutes by car from the guesthouse the escargot and oxtail were divine. Reservations are a must and Rita will be more than happy to make them for you. Dinner was wonderful, with a very eclectic decor that worked well with the ambiance.  Leg 4: Gansbaai to Franschhoek ( wine country). The Afrikaans meaning of Franschhoek is " French corner" and you will find a heavy French influence on both the local farms, vineyards and restaraunts. It also happens to be one of the oldest towns in the Republic of South Africa. The drive into Franschhoek is breathtaking and in my opinion trumps even the vistas of our very own Napa. We did make one pit stop along the way at Wildekrans wine estate. Try to make it there early as you can have a wonderful breakfast served just along the vineyard and try some of their award winning Pinotage Barrel Selection voted one of the top wines in South Africa. The entry into the town of Franschhoek is breathtaking to say the least so have your cameras at the ready and drive slow so that you can stop at some of the lookouts for a photo. Where we stayed: we were lucky to find the most welcoming airbnb nestled away in the town a 3 minute drive to some of the most famous vineyards and a 10 minute walk into the town. The Grand Plaisir is run by Marlicia and truly feels like the home you always wanted. There are three bedrooms with three ensuite bathrooms, very large living room cozy dining room and a lovely pool which hosts a poolside brick oven!  http://abnb.me/EVmg/Ntkon2ZzJzWhat we did: this is the perfect town to just go with that flow relax and wander from vineyard to vineyard. We made reservations at La Petit Ferme months in advance for dinner and while the appetizers and dessert were amazing the main courses left much to be desired. I would have loved to try lunch there. Additionally the town is truly quaint and deserves a walk through. Check out Cafe Des Artes for a delicious breakfast. Leg 5: Franschhoek to Cape Town The last leg of this drive was short about 50 minutes. We opted to return our car at the airport and easily got an Uber from there directly to camps bay our new home away from home for the next 5 days.