Frequently Asked Questions
Safety & Security
The Garden Route (Western Cape Province) is arguably the safest region in all of South Africa to drive. In our view, safety is more of a problem in some areas of major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban. Garden Route towns are quite safe. Practise common sense and don’t leave valuables in the car unattended.
In general we would advise against it. GPS is not always reliable in the city 🚙. As for the countryside, if you drive at night you’ll miss out on most of the beautiful scenery. It’s particularly dark between towns in the Garden Route and people sometimes cross the road at night making it more dangerous.
Logistics & Planning
While you can technically drive the entire Garden Route in a day, we recommend at least 3 to 5 days to truly experience the highlights: Wilderness adventure activities and lakes; Knysna estuary, heads, whale-watching, and night life; Plettenberg Bay beaches, trails, and sparkling wine estates; Tsitsikamma trails and forest adventures.. and so much more.
It really depends on how long you plan to stay and which adventures you want to experience. We cover most of these answers in our extensive travel guide.
South Africa has very good banking infrastructure and the Western Cape, in particular, is highly digital. Most shops and restaurants accept Visa and Mastercard. American Express, however, is not widely accepted. It still helps to have some cash (South African Rand) on hand for craft markets, local communities and tipping.
Boundaries differ according to who you speak to. However most of the Garden Route is in the Western Cape with a small section overlapping in the Eastern Cape. The route stretches roughly 300km (± 186mi) from Mossel Bay in the west to the Tsitsikamma National Park in the east.
Pro-Tip: Looking for a funky map 🗺️ of these stops? Check out our ultimate Garden Route map in the travel guide.
Tour Info
We encourage active participation in all of our tours, however, only the Hiking & Biking tour requires a moderate level of fitness. The Lighthouses of the Cape tour offers optional tower climbs and coastal walks. The Whale & Wine Experience offers an optional nature reserve walk. Otherwise, they are suitable for all fitness levels.
Southern Cape Adventures specialises in private small group tours (1 – 6 people), primarily in the Garden Route. By keeping them small, we reduce strain on the guides, reduce risk, and provide more personalised attention for each guest.
Yes! They are currently not included in our primary tours but we would love to build you a custom tour with these majestic animals. In the meantime we are working to include them in future itineraries.
Yes! Our Garden Route Whales & Wines experience, in particular, focuses on the specialised sparkling wines of Plettenberg Bay. We also prioritise the best restaurants in the Garden Route. If you have a particular request, we will definitely try to make that happen too.
Activities & Nature
Whale season officially runs from June to November when the majestic Southern Right Whales migrate from the Antarctic back to the South African coastline to breed and raise their young. Southern Cape Adventures specifically has a Whale and Wine Garden Route Experience that takes advantage of this.
No, this is a common misconception. Initially coined the Cape of Storms, the Portuguese renamed it the Cape of Good Hope. The catchy name stuck and people continued to spread the idea that this was the southernmost point of Africa. Cape Agulhas is, in fact, the most southern point, some 150km (± 93mi) to the southeast.
General
South Africa is a semi-arid (low rainfall) country but the Garden Route is one of the few areas that receives much higher annual rainfall. The contrast makes it feel like this section is the natural “garden” of the south. It’s home to some of the few indigenous forests in 🇿🇦 with nearly 300 species of birdlife.
I initially registered the company as Garden Route Adventures. However, I later learned that all website domain names were taken. During my intense tour guiding qualification I designed a 3-day lighthouse adventure that travels between Cape Town and Cape Agulhas. That tour is now included in our lineup and so it made more sense to expand the area where we operate.
We aim to be. The “eco-friendly” definition is often thrown around without much thought. This is an ongoing process for us and something we value with constructive conversation. You can find more details on our sustainable tourism page.