AFRICA GARDEN ROUTE DESTINATIONS


while southern right whales and great white sharks can be spotted in the Algoa Bay area.


w STAY: ROOM TO GROW Accommodation options can easily be tailored to budget, ranging from functional motels to luxury lodges. Of the latter, some are on small game reserves, where guided wildlife-viewing drives are on offer. The Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay is a good example. Free-roaming lions, hippos, springboks, cheetahs and zebras complement fab views of the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains, while the on-site Kwena Lodge offers open-plan suites with 180-degree views and deep-soaking baths. The buildings are neat twists on traditional huts, with verandas overlooking a waterhole. Prices start at around £265 a night. gondwanagr.co.za


In Oudtshoorn, the four-star


Turnberry Boutique Hotel is well-placed for walking to the town’s restaurants. The rooms hit that line between modern and heritage – there’s a whiff of vintage about the place, but not enough to creep into fuddy-duddy B&B territory. turnberryhotel.co.za Robberg Beach Lodge,


meanwhile, is five minutes’ drive from the centre of Plettenberg Bay. Bright rooms are spread across four villas, while sunbeds surround a small pool. The higher- level rooms and rooftop terrace have tremendous views over sprawling Robberg Beach, just a two-minute walk away. Rooms, including breakfast, start at £65. therobberg.co.za While some customers may


want a Garden Route trip tailor- made to their tastes, it’s such a popular route that several operators have off-the-shelf


ABOVE: Knysna Heads


itineraries already. 2By2 Holidays has a good example, with a two- week trip starting in Cape Town and the Winelands, adding nights in Oudtshoorn, Knysna and a private game reserve just outside Addo Elephant National Park. Prices start at £794 including game drives, not including international flights and car hire.


And you don’t have to self-


drive. Premier Holidays offers a three-night Garden Route Splendour escorted tour from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, staying at three-star venues in Knysna and Oudtshoorn, from £495, excluding flights, and from July to November, adding a whale- watching stop in Hermanus.


25 August 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 65


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80