Garden Route

The Garden Route's only harbour town, about 110 km west of Knysna.

• Pinnacle Point Championship Golf Course: 18-hole, par-72, fynbos course with dramatic views of the Indian Ocean. Four holes play from cliff-top to cliff-top - right over the water. www.pinnaclepointestate.co.za
• Mossel Bay Golf Club: 18-hole, par 72, links-style course where you can see the sea from every tee. "We aspire to be the friendliest club in South Africa." www.mosselbaygolfclub.co.za
• Point of Human Origins: tours of the caves at Pinnacle Point that have revealed the earliest evidence for modern human behaviour www.humanorigin.co.za
• The Dias Museum Complex:  houses (for example) a replica of the caravel (ship) on which Bartolomeu Dias became the first European navigator to sail around the Cape of Good Hope www.diasmuseum.co.za
• Image: Bob Adams

Our regional capital. Still somewhat rural, but also urban and vibey. About 60 km west of Knysna

• George Golf Club: 18-hole, par-72 landscape course; one of the oldest and most picturesque golf clubs in South Africa www.georgegolfclub.co.za
• The Garden Route Botanical Garden (next to the Outeniqua Nature Reserve) focuses on plants native to the Southern Cape region. It's a great birding destination, and it provides and access point to many of the local forest MTB trails. www.botanicalgarden.org.za
• Beaches: Wilderness Beach and Victoria Bay are two of the Garden Route's most famous seaside attractions - but they're also very rarely crowded. 
• Shopping - George is the shopping capital of the Garden Route. Visit the Garden Route Mall www.gardenroutemall.co.za - which has 7 cinemas - and the Eden Meander Lifestyle Centre Facebook.com/edenmeander
• Image: Bernard du Pont 

Plettenberg Bay - Plett, to fans and locals - is a beach holiday town about 30 km east of Knysna

• The Plett Wine Route: Yep, really! Our local wine route - with no less than 16 estates - some of which make really good bubbly. www.plettwinelands.com
• Cycling & MTB: Cairnbrogie Mountain Bike Trail Park. www.cairnbrogie.co.za
• Goose Valley Golf Course: 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Gary Player. Features natural fynbos, indigenous trees. www.goosevalleygolfclub.com
• Adventureland: this awesome water-park is a must for any kid of any age on any warm and sunny day. www.adventurelandplett.co.za
• Image: Ossewa 

Forested area east of Plettenberg Bay, and about 50 km from Knysna.

• The Barnyard Theatre: country-style theatre and functions venue. Watch the web site for details of shows, music, and performances. www.barnyardplett.co.za
• Monkeyland: multi-species primate sanctuary. Guided tours; easy walking. www.monkeyland.co.za
• Birds of Eden: take a stroll through the world's biggest free-flight bird sanctuary www.birdsofeden.co.za

Forestry and adventure go hand-in hand in the Bloukrans (72 km from Elephant Hide) and Tsitsikamma area (about 100 km).

• Bloukrans Bungy: at more than 200 metres, this is the world's highest commercial bungi bridge. Face Adrenalin also offers bridge walking tours. www.faceadrenalin.com
• Storms River Mouth in the Garden Route National Park: Enjoy a number of short (2 to 6 km) walking trails, and snorkel in Africa's oldest Marine Protected Area. www.tsitsikamma.info
• Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours: zipline adventures in the company of knowledgeable forest guides. www.stormsriver.com
• Image: Ossewa