Bucket list post Covid-19: Get your adventure on in the Garden Route

Bucket list post Covid-19: Get your adventure on in the Garden Route

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The Garden Route remains a favourite South African attraction. It remains a top spot for adventure lovers who want to immerse themselves in nature.

Here are some ideas to make your trip spectacular:

Whale watching in Plett

Take some time to enjoy these gentle giants. Watch from land or by boat as the Southern Right and Humpbacks breach, loll and slap the water with the grace of an Olympic gymnast.

The best base to go whale watching is none other than Plettenberg Bay. If you’re lucky, you won’t need to leave the shore, picking your spot along Robberg and Keurboom beaches to watch them frolic about in the bay.

Take to the water with Ocean Blue Adventures, with several daily boat departure times on offer, or paddle out in a sea kayak, perhaps to add a view of the breeding colony of Cape fur seals to the mix.

Zipline in the Tsitsikamma forest

Zip, soar and swing above the trees when you visit the Garden Route. You can choose from an array of zip-lining and canopy tours to monkey bridges and Tarzan swings as you journey along with this adventure playground. Buckle up for a wild ride at Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour and sit suspended 30 metres above the forest floor before cable sliding from tree to tree through the spectacular Tsitsikamma indigenous forest.

Head to Acrobranch Garden Route testing your agility on one of its obstacle courses – Swinging Tarzan being a favourite. Then, venture to Plett for the rush of a river adventure with Africanyon as you tube, abseil and kloof your way through an exhilarating few hours.

Go mountain biking

Load up your bike for a mountain biking adventure along the Garden Route. Whether you choose to put the pedal to the metal on your own or to embark on an organised bicycle tour, you’ll be thrilled with the variety of trails on offer. None of the routes is quite as spectacular than the one that traverses Montagu Pass.

This 33km route links Herold and George, climbing to an altitude of 780m. Fit and raring to stretch those lockdown legs? You could choose to cycle the route to Oudtshoorn, 118km of pure adrenalin. In the mood for something a little more sedate? Take the family for a scenic ride on Fancourt Estate’s mountain bike trail in George, or embark on one of the Estate’s outdoor trails of varying lengths to accommodate all fitness levels and ages. Bikes are available for guests to rent at the Leisure Centre.

Out and about on foot

The Garden Route offers an array of hiking and trail running treasures for various levels of fitness. Favourites to add to your list if you’re staying in George, include the Groeneweide, Pass-to-Pass and Tierkop hiking trails. A little further afield, in Wilderness, is the Pied Kingfisher trail and Perdekop hiking trail between Plett and Knysna.

If you happen to find yourself in Plett, try Robberg Hiking Trail. Three circular routes are ranging in length from a 30-minute stroll to a four-hour hike, all delivering spectacular views.

Wander underground chambers and tunnels

A visit to the Cango Caves is a visit to a national treasure. Even if you’re a tiny bit claustrophobic, you’ll still enjoy the 60-minute Heritage Tour through the first six largest and spectacular underground halls.

For those of you who want to wriggle through tight spaces, the aptly named 90-minute Adventure Tour will take you through exciting passages and narrow tunnels as you delve into the depths of this ancient limestone cave system underneath Oudtshoorn.

For water babies

From kayaking to kite surfing, the Garden Route’s rugged coastline provides many opportunities for all kinds of water sports. Kayak or laze on a lilo up Storms River Gorge, board a RIB adventure power boat from Buffalo Bay to Noetzie Castle or head to Sedgefield and kitesurf in Myoli Bay. Pick your level of adrenalin on the water. The Garden Route serves up everything between the sedate and scary!

Dune adventure

Keep your feet on dry land and embark on a dune adventure in Brenton-On-Sea. You’ll learn how to sandboard down the dunes with the whole family, stretching your core to the limit. This one’s suitable for anyone over the age of five, even beginners. And when you’re not tumbling or sliding down the dunes, there’s the added benefit of the beautiful coastal backdrop. Keep aside a few hours for this epic experience.

Tip:

The perfect Garden Route base, George is an hour and a half’s drive to Plettenberg Bay, with Wilderness, Sedgefield, Brenton-On-Sea and Knysna all in between.And with Oudtshoorn less than an hour away over the spectacular Outeniqua Mountain Pass, road-trippers won’t need to go far to satisfy their thirst for adventure.

Article from https://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/western-cape/bucket-list-post-covid-19-get-your-adventure-on-in-the-garden-route-47613446
written by Travel Reporter