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20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Garden Route

20 photos to inspire you to visit the garden route

Emily Moon River Lodge, Plettenberg Bay

Thesen Island, Knysna

forest in the garden route

Lemurs at Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary

Plettenberg Bay

Kayaking in the Wilderness

Jeffrey's Bay

jam

Plettenberg Bay

Birds of Eden Sanctuary in Nature's Valley

Emily Moon River Lodge

Jeffrey's Bay

Exploring Thesen Island in Knysna

Knysna Lofts

Wilderness

Plettenberg Bay

food in the garden routeemily moon bar

Hermanus

Knysna

The Garden Route in South Africa has been at the top of my bucket list since I moved to Cape Town two years ago. Located on the country’s East Coast, it’s famous around the world for its lush forests, rugged coastline, and incredible wildlife viewing.

During my first Garden Route road trip with my parents, we drove up from Cape Town and up to Jeffrey’s Bay. Along the way, we stopped in Hermanus, L’Agulhas (I got to stand at the southernmost tip of Africa!), and the Wilderness.

We went on a canoe and waterfall trip, hiked the Giant Kingfisher Waterfall Trail and stopped for lunch at the Timberlake Farm Village.

Next, my parents and I spent a few nights in Knysna on the beautiful Thesen Island. I had some of the best farm-to-table meals, rented a bike to explore the island and watched the sunset at East Knysna Heads.

The last part of our trip was a bit of a splurge. We spent the night at the luxurious Emily Moon River Lodge in Plettenberg Bay.

I highly recommend coming to the hotel’s onsite restaurant for lunch and dinner if you have time – the views are incredible!

We ended off our trip by camping at Wild Bush Camp in Nature’s Valley and spent two nights in Jeffrey’s Bay before driving back to Cape Town. It was an incredible trip, and the region definitely lived up to its name as one of the top road trips in South Africa!

I can’t wait to come back and explore more of the Garden Route!

Read More: The Ultimate Garden Route Road Trip Itinerary

Is the Garden Route in South Africa on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments below!

 

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    1. Aleem Khan

      thanks for sharing this article.

      April 29, 2019 at 12:43 pm · Reply
    2. Ashlea

      WOW! We’re planning a South Africa garden route trip, and now I must stay at Emily Moon River Lodge. That photo and the views look incredible!

      May 1, 2019 at 12:32 pm · Reply

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    What if you could travel the world… without paying for accommodation? Sounds too good to be true, right? ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Here’s the secret—@homeexchangecom. It’s a social network where you swap homes with fellow travelers, whether it’s an apartment or a house. While we stayed in a gorgeous, centrally located apartment in Manhattan to celebrate the holiday season, our guests enjoyed a sunny winter in Southern California while staying in our cozy home. It’s a win-win! No expensive hotel stays, no home sitters needed. Home exchange saves you thousands by giving you a free place to stay in someone else’s home. You can filter your search for homes with a pool or something pet-friendly or kid-friendly to find your perfect home away from home. We left a little welcome basket and some local travel tips for our guests to make it extra special for them. So whether it’s a modern apartment in the city or a beach house getaway, this travel hack can make your dream vacation a reality. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Bonus: When you sign up using the link in my bio, you’ll get free GuestPoints! These let you experience the magic of HomeExchange as a guest first—even before you host anyone in your home.

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    A fairytale stay 🏰 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I highly recommend staying a night or 2 at @themanor_house in The Cotswolds. It’s located in the tiny, picturesque village of Castle Combe—one of my favorite stops of our trip. We had the entire village to ourselves early in the morning and at sunset which was so magical! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #themanorhouse #cotswolds #castlecombe

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    I took a spontaneous trip with my friend to the countryside of England and it was everything I dreamed it would be!

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    Some amazing villages and towns not featured but also worth visiting include:

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    The most luxurious family-friendly stay at Four Seasons Boston @fsboston 🏢
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    If you’ve been following along, you know we recently took a trip through New England for leaf-peeing and sightseeing amidst the crisp, Autumn foliage.

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    This was truly such a luxurious end to our trip, I wish we could have extended it just so we could enjoy more time at this fantastic property.

    A huge thank you to @fsboston for hosting us on our dream trip to New England and concluding our stay with memories that will last a LIFETIME!
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    The most luxurious family-friendly stay at Four Seasons Boston @fsboston 🏢 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• If you’ve been following along, you know we recently took a trip through New England for leaf-peeing and sightseeing amidst the crisp, Autumn foliage. We concluded our 10-day roadtrip at the amazing Four Seasons property in the historic city of Boston, Massachusetts. Four Seasons is known for their luxury and incredible service, but they really kick things up a notch for families here: 🧸 The Mystery Toy Closet: As part of the VIK experience (aka Very Important Kid Experience), guests are given a large golden key that grants access to an AMAZING toy closet behind the front desk. Filled with trinkets like rubber ducks, slinkys, coloring books, and–Ollie’s favorite–wiggly frogs, this was SUCH an amazing and one-of-a-kind treat to experience. 🍭 The Vault: One of the newer features to the Four Seasons Boston: a small room on each guest floor filled with complimentary snacks, candy, and beverages to grab-and-go! 🛎️ Amenities: Once again, Four Seasons has outdone itself with its amazing service. This city retreat offers a complimentary coffee bar for guests (and hot chocolate for the little ones), 24-hour gym, a pool with a fantastic view, a world-class spa, and even a morning run club to get your Boston marathon fix in! 🦞 The Food: Whether it’s in-room dining you’re after, quaint tea service in-between sight-seeing, or you want to experience New England’s famous seafood, Four Seasons treats your tastebuds with exquisite table-side service at their restaurant, Coterie. This was truly such a luxurious end to our trip, I wish we could have extended it just so we could enjoy more time at this fantastic property. A huge thank you to @fsboston for hosting us on our dream trip to New England and concluding our stay with memories that will last a LIFETIME! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #fourseasons #boston #familytravel #newengland
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