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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Africa
- South Africa
- Garden Route
Garden Route
The stretch of southern coastline between the town of Heidelberg
and the Tsitsikamma National Park makes up South Africa's
well-travelled 'Garden Route', scattered with popular resort towns.
The coastal plain is backed by spectacular mountain ranges,
offering scenic lakes, indigenous forests, golden beaches and
secluded bays.
The main town on the route is George, which is a bustling
commercial centre with some good hotels making it a good central
point from which to explore the coastal region. From George it is
also a short drive inland over the Outeniqua Mountains to
Oudtshoorn, site of the world-renowned Cango Caves and home to
several ostrich farms that welcome visitors to enjoy their
entertaining and educational tours. Other popular holiday towns on
the Garden Route include Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay.
Attractions along the Garden Route encompass a wide variety from
historic sites to scenic vistas, and beaches to nature reserves.
There are ample opportunities to interact with nature, and you may
spot whales, dolphins, seals, baboons, and nearly 300 species of
bird. To make the most of the area one needs to stray from the
national N2 highway and explore the towns, villages and resorts en
route. A fun way of enjoying the scenery is to ride on the
Outeniqua Choo-Choo vintage steam train between George and Knysna.
There are also great recreational opportunities to enthrall active
holidaymakers, from bungee jumping and water sports, to hiking
trails and canopy tours.
Information & Facts
Climate
The Garden Route has a maritime Mediterranean climate with hot
summers and mild, winters with chilly nights. The area experiences
the most rainfall in South Africa, but this mostly falls at night;
the western half of the Garden Route has most rainfall in the
winter months, while towards the east rain tends to fall
predominantly during summer. Average temperatures from December to
March are about 75-86ºF (24-30ºC), while winters average 64ºF
(18ºC).
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken.
Money
South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into
100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and
the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily
limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards
are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is
required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs,
as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and
some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops,
but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will
exchange them.
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