South Africa’s famous Garden Route is renowned for its stunning scenery, with road trippers treated to mile upon mile of breathtaking coastline.
The full version extends more than 500 miles from Cape Town in the west to Port Elizabeth (renamed Gqeberha in 2021) in the east, and holds a rich bounty of delights: mountain ranges, wildlife, winelands, fascinating towns full of culture and history, and a host of outdoor activities.
It is among the great road trips of the world, up there with America’s Pacific Coast Highway and Australia’s Great Ocean Road.
As someone who loves driving and is lucky enough to have enjoyed many trips to this beautiful country, having married a South African, I couldn’t have been more excited when we decided to spend the first week of January travelling a large chunk of the route.
But as a father of two young boys, I couldn’t help but wonder: is this going to work as a family holiday?
Travelling with children can certainly be challenging. There can’t be many youngsters able to sit for long periods of time in a car without a. having a meltdown, b. fighting with their sibling c. being sick, or more likely, some combination of the three.
Packing the boot on the morning of our trip, having already flown to South Africa, I tried to cast such apprehensions from my mind. Lifelong memories would be made over the coming days, I was just praying they’d be unforgettable for all the right reasons.
Day 1: Cape Town to Stanford
We set off from my mother-in-law’s in Durbanville, a pleasant hillside suburb of Cape Town which has stunning views of the Stellenbosch mountains. From there, it would be a relatively easy two-hour drive to our first stop on the trip, the Blue Gum Country Estate.
We stopped off about 45 minutes into the drive to meet friends at Blaauwklippen, one of an array of beautiful wine farms along the R44 that goes through Stellenbosch. The boys had plenty of fun playing in the adventure playground, helpfully shaded from the hot summer sun by a forest of trees, while we kicked back with a coffee on the manicured lawn.
It’s the sort of outdoor family-friendly set up has proliferated in South Africa in recent years, giving parents plenty of opportunity to relax while the children are able to entertain themselves.
The road trip kicked in as we reached the coast of False Bay, a huge body of water that stretches from Cape Point to the Hottentot Holland Mountains. It is lined with stunning beaches, including the famous Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town that is home to a protected colony of African penguins.
The drive took us along cliff-hugging roads and past laid-back coastal villages until we reached our first to our first stay on the trip. A working wine farm, the Blue Gum Country Estate is nestled in the valley that overlooks the leafy banks of the Klein River.
We stayed in one of the property’s Mountain View rooms, each of which has its own “braaing” area where you can grill dinner. It is the perfect place to connect with nature, with signposted hiking trails taking you up into the mountains. While enjoying a glass of wine on the stoop, we spotted a small tortoise in the grass in what would be the first of many memorable interactions with wildlife.
Day 2: Hermanus
I started the day taking my son Finlay for an early-morning walk with through the vineyard, bumping into our tortoise friend before hiking a short distance into the foothills above the farm, where we sat on a rock in amongst the native finbos and drank in the view.
That was followed by a quick dip in the pool before heading to Hermanus, 45 minutes away, for a day on the beach. The seaside town is studded with spectacular beaches and is a great place to spot Southern Right whales in the Atlantic during South Africa’s winter and spring.
We headed to Voeklip Beach, which has great waves for surfing and body boarding as well as life guards on duty. The boys had an amazing time being thrown around in the surf in otherwise very shallow water.
On the way back we stopped at Stanford — a delightful little market town — to pick up dinner which we ate under the stars back at the Blue Gum.
Day 3 and 4: Knysna
Back on the road again with a quick stop for breakfast, we headed east on a four-hour, 240-mile drive the beautiful coastal town of Knysna. The route takes you further inland with mountain ranges flanking verdant valleys, to Swellendam.
It is third oldest town in South Africa, having been founded in 1743 by the Dutch East India Company nearly a hundred years after it settled in the ‘Cape of Good Hope’, and is surrounded by natural beauty with the Bontebok National Park and the Langeberg mountains on its doorstep.
From Swellendam, it is another two and a half hours to Knysna, with the quaintly-named Riversdale worthy of a stop to see the country’s second-largest collection of works by the famous British landscape painter Thomas Bowler. The town also boasts South Africa’s only Ukrainian Museum of Culture, thanks to a historical twinning arrangement with the city of Voznesensk.
The children were just starting to complain about being “bored” when, as if by magic, a family of baboons appeared on the roadside, creating a buzz of excitement in the car that lasted pretty much all the way to Knysna — as the boys kept their eyes peeled for more primates.
It was late afternoon when we pulled up to The Turbine Hotel & Spa, our stay for the next two nights.
This boutique hotel on Knysna’s Theysen Islands was created out of a power station that was built in 1939 and operated through to 2001.
A three-year renovation saw it transformed into a luxury designer property that overlooks a canal. Needing to cool down after the long drive, we relaxed in the terrace pool while watching paddleboarders, kayakers and small boats slowly sail past.
The 24-room hotel retains machinery from its power-generating days that has been lovingly restored.
Along with its fascinating history, the Turbine Hotel is renowned locally for its gastronomy. Menus are bursting with delicious, locally sourced delights: steamed Saldanha Bay black mussels in a fragrant coconut, bo-kaap seafood curry featuring a secret spice and tomato curry recipe, and roast fillet of smoked springbok are among the delicious plates served up.
A boat trip across the Knysna lagoon should be high up on any visitor’s list of things to do. It will take you past the iconic “heads” - two large headlands that flank the intersection of the estuary and the Indian Ocean.
Outdoor livers will also enjoy a walk in Knysna Forest, which was famously once home to a large herd of African bush elephants. Hunting and habitat loss led to their decimation, although one female elephant is believed to remain.
If you’re seeking a close encounter with the world’s biggest land beast, a visit to Knysna Elephant Park is an absolute must. A half hour drive from the town, the sanctuary is home to five females. The “big mamma” is Sally, who was born in 1989 and came to the park in 1994. The youngest is Thato, who arrived as a three-month-old calf in 2008 after her parents were killed by hunters.
Armed with a bucketful of squash, carrots and other yummy treats, you can hand feed the elephants while also having the opportunity to walk among them as they graze - always under the watchful eye of patient and extremely knowledgeable guides. An experience I don’t think any of us will forget.
Day 5 and 6: Swartberg Private Game Lodge and back to Cape Town
The Garden Route officially extends another 60 miles or so beyond Knysna to Storms River - past Plettenberg Bay, reputedly home to the world’s biggest bridge bungee jump (no thanks), and gorgeous Nature’s Valley.
But with a flight back to freezing cold London looming, it was time for us to head back towards Cape Town. We decided to break up the 290-mile drive through the spectacular semi-desert Klein (small) Karoo with as night’s stay at the Swartberg Private Game Lodge.
The lodge is about as remote as it comes on a Garden Route trip, situated at the foot of the Swartberg mountains about 20 miles along a dirt track road off the R62 west from Oudtshoorn, the regional capital famous for its ostriches and nearby Kango Caves.
The scenery is truly epic, although it would be fair to say it was appreciated more by the adults in the front than the youngsters in the back who were desperate to get out our little VW hire car after trundling along the rough road for an hour.
We were warmly greeted by our genial host, Willem, who took us to our luxurious suite looking out over the mountains. There are five in total, named Zebra, Kudu, Giraffe, Nyala and Gemsbuck, and each are tastefully decorated to portray the beauty of each animal.
Every suite has a private porch with views over the valley and a veranda facing the Swartberg Mountain and the carefully manicured aloe garden.
Guests are treated to a game drive through the 2,000-hectare property. The boys could barely contain their excitement as we caught an early glimpse of a family of giraffes among the acacia trees.
The 90-minute drive offered plenty of other amazing wildlife sightings: a herd of wildebeest charging across a river, springbok prancing through the long grass, spiral-horned kudus and cape zebras, to name but a few.
That night, as we shared wildlife-spotting notes with other guests over a delicious meal of ostrich steak and red wine jus with mashed potato, we were treated to one more unexpected highlight when a few wildebeest wandered through the grounds of the lodge just yards from the entrance.
The following morning, we were taken on a second drive through the neighbouring Swartberg Game Reserve, which is part of the same huge estate. We caught sightings of buffalo, the deadliest of Africa’s Big Five, and walked among herds of giraffes. Seeing these gentle giants up close was yet another truly amazing moment on this special trip.
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We headed off in the morning for the long drive back to Cape Town, stopping for a late lunch in the pretty town of Worcester on the edge of the Klein Karoo, before tackling the final leg through the Du Toitskloof Mountains — arguably the most epic of all the ranges in the Western Cape. We emerged from the craggy peaks once again into the more lush, green plain towards Cape Town, marked out from many miles away by the iconic outline of Table Mountain.
The flight
Like most long-haul destinations, flying to South Africa became considerably more expensive after the pandemic. Direct flights that could be had for around £650 before Covid struck in 2020 shot up to £1,000 or more. It all becomes very pricey indeed when you have to pay full fare for children.
But a much more affordable option is now available thanks to Norse Atlantic, which started services between London Gatwick and Cape Town in October 2024. The carrier offers affordable flights in exchange for fewer bells and whistles — drinks and meals are extras. You even have to pay for in-flight entertainment earphones.
But any inconvenience from such a stripped-back service turned out to be negligible. We simply prepped plenty of sandwiches and snacks to keep us going, while the earphones only cost $2.
The benefit for this family of four was huge: having taken advantage of a ticket sale, we bagged our flights for around £2,000 less than they would have cost with another direct carrier.
The outbound flight was through the night, so the kids slept most of the way. And the return day flight was largely fine, with the boys content to watch movies most of the time.
“It’s going to be great,” my wife told assured me as we packed the boot of our hire car. “South Africa is amazing for kids.”
Returning to her mum’s place on the outskirts of Cape Town one unforgettable week later, I knew she was right. Not just for kids, but for parents too. Lekker? Absolutely brilliant, more like.
The details
Norse Atlantic flights from London Gatwick to Cape Town start at around £450return. flynorse.com
A Mountain View room at Blue Gum Country Estate costs R3,400 (about £150), sleeping up to five people. bluegum.co.za
The Turbine Hotel in Knysna has standard rooms from R2560 (about £110) per person, sharing, with breakfast included. turbinehotel.co.za
Swartberg Private Game Lodge has family luxury suites for R4,250 (£183) a night, which includes a game drive and breakfast. The restaurants serves a set menu at R380 pp and for children between R120 - R150pp. swartbergprivategamelodge.co.za
