Taking South Africa's Garden Route
South Africa isn't just about Sun City and Kruger National Park. Here's why the 'Garden Route' should also be on your list.
It was the complete silence, not the menacing 'grin' that unnerved me. As the fierce-looking raggedtooth shark glided past, I realised how ridiculously easy it would be for this fish to turn me into hors d'oeuvres. Ok, I'm flattering myself; main course. With six hours to kill before a meeting in Durban, I dropped by Ushaka Marine World, a short bus ride from my hotel. Sadly, I was too late to catch the dolphin show. However, Blessing, one of the attendants, said he would organise a one-off dive in the shark tank. That's Lesson One about South Africa. The people here respond beautifully to even a hint of a smile.
Once in the tank, I started bobbing up and down for air. "Should've worn a dive suit," I thought as the cold water cramped up my lungs. But then it happened. The first shark floated past. And then a second. Soon, I was swimming amid at least a dozen ragged-tooths, white-tips and giant sand sharks. They drifted by, soundlessly, sensing out this intruder into their world. It was the most awe-inspiring ten minutes that ever passed me by.
Three days later, done with my meetings, I hit the fabled Garden Route. Here, South Africa would take my breath away once again. This time, we were barreling along a rocky mountain path on a giant Mercedes tractor trailer. Once at the peak of the Featherbed Nature reserve in Knysna (pronounced Nye-ees-na), Gary, our guide who was full of hilarious anecdotes, escorted us to a lookout point. The scene was breathtaking. To our right, were the stunning Knysna Heads; a narrow strip of water that breached the mountains allowing the Indian ocean in. To our left was Knysna itself, perched along the shores of a crystal-clear, green-blue lagoon. The sun was out. The sky was the deepest blue I've ever seen and a stiff breeze was blowing off the ocean, rustling the trees. The 2.2 km hike down from the peak was utter serenity.
And that's the second lesson about South Africa. Allow it to grab you. The day before, we'd visited an Ostrich farm at Oudsthoorn (pronounced Ode-shoo-rin). A hundred years ago, it was one of Africa's richest cities. That's when European aristocrats paid more to stick a pound of ostrich feathers in their hats than they paid for a pound of gold. Geraldine, our jovial guide (see a pattern?), took us around the farm, rattling of ostrich stats as we went. "A female who loses her partner will never mate again," she told us. "A male will move on; just like humans." For some reason, the girls in our group found this very funny.
Our next stop was more than a million years in the making. The stunning Cango caves were discovered by a local farmer in 1780. He entered them suspended on a rope, armed with nothing but a candle. For some perspective, imagine walking around an indoor stadium the size of a football field in total darkness. Daunting? Now imagine doing this in an era when most folks believed that monsters and demons were real.
The "easy" tour takes an hour to get you through 1.5 kilometres of beautiful limestone formations. Most are named for their shapes. A large, single column formed by the joining of a stalactite and stalagmite is called Cleopatra's needle. A massive bank of conjoined stalagmites is called the Church Organ. One is shaped like an eagle taking flight. Another looks like a leopard stalking its prey. The strange shapes of these limestone formations are enhanced by creative lighting that's switched on when you enter each of the five chambers.
Sadly, we didn't have time for the 1.5 hour-long "adventure" tour. I'd recommend it, but not if you're claustrophobic. You're crawling along your belly in some parts and the narrowest is just 30 centimetres across. Someone got stuck there in 2007. It took ten hours to free her.
Our drive to Plettenberg, our final destination, featured three stops on the way. The first, the 212-metre-high Bloukrans bridge, marked the border between the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. It was also where two brave girls from our group decided to put their trust in a bit of elastic cord and leap off the aforementioned bridge. The reason I avoided joining them was not because the Bloukrans is the highest bridge bungy in the world.
I avoided it because an elderly Sikh gentlemen, also part of our group, had jumped the Bloukrans a few years earlier. He said it took him three days to recover. I didn't have that kind of time. Ok, I'll admit, that's a really bad excuse. But I genuinely wanted to enjoy the next two hours we'd be spending in the canopy of Tsitsikama national park. And a bungy jump seemed like the best way to frazzle my nerves. Side note: the brave girls reported no lasting side effects, although mild euphoria was observed for hours after.
And that brings me to stop two. What's better than walking through a forest with buzzards, orioles, boomslangs, baboons, vervets, duikers and puff adders? Gliding past them on a zipline, ofcourse. After a safety briefing, Tsitsikama's resident experts Chester and Chevago, began hooking us up to the ziplines. The harnesses were designed by a woman, they told us. I learned the full meaning of this once I put my full weight on the straps cutting across my thighs. Clearly the designer was not a man. Nor, it seemed, had she tested the harness on men.
Once again, though, the experience quickly turned to pure joy as we zipped from tree to tree. Sometimes we'd spot giant ferns on the forest floor, a species that has been around since before the dinosaurs. Chester and Chevago also kept up a steady stream of information about the animals, birds and trees we passed on the way. It was the perfect mix of adventure and learning. Again, a wonderful two hours in the quiet of the African forest.
Our last stop that day was truly special. Mandy and Len Freeman have been running the Tenikwa cheetah sanctuary for the past 11 years to rehabilitate wild cats. The highlight was undoubtedly our time inside the cheetah enclosure. The two cats walked up to us instantly, purring loudly when they spotted Mandy. Every David Attenborough film I've watched came back to me that instant. Here I was, walking with one of Africa's most beautiful animals.
We also spent time with a family of playful Servals, one of whom took a friendly nibble at my big toe, thinking it was a large grub. Thankfully, my shoe got in the way of its teeth. Mandy and Len rehabilitate several other cats such as leopards, caracals, black footed cats, and African wild cats. As an indicator of their dedication and passion, a tour that should have taken one hour stretched to an hour and half. Mandy's enthusiasm and concern for her cats rubbed off on everyone. It was hard to say goodbye to these gorgeous creatures and I confess to having a tear in my eye as I thanked Mandy for opening up her world to us.
That night, we stopped over in Plettenberg, one of the Garden Route's many scenic seaside towns. If you're lucky - sadly, we weren't - you can even spot Southern Right whales swimming in the bay each winter.
As if the stunning sunset and starencrusted night sky weren't enough, we were treated to an equally gorgeous sunrise the next morning. As a lone surfer waded out to catch the morning tide, I could help but recollect the many moments that made South Africa take my breath away. I would return for more.
Once in the tank, I started bobbing up and down for air. "Should've worn a dive suit," I thought as the cold water cramped up my lungs. But then it happened. The first shark floated past. And then a second. Soon, I was swimming amid at least a dozen ragged-tooths, white-tips and giant sand sharks. They drifted by, soundlessly, sensing out this intruder into their world. It was the most awe-inspiring ten minutes that ever passed me by.
Three days later, done with my meetings, I hit the fabled Garden Route. Here, South Africa would take my breath away once again. This time, we were barreling along a rocky mountain path on a giant Mercedes tractor trailer. Once at the peak of the Featherbed Nature reserve in Knysna (pronounced Nye-ees-na), Gary, our guide who was full of hilarious anecdotes, escorted us to a lookout point. The scene was breathtaking. To our right, were the stunning Knysna Heads; a narrow strip of water that breached the mountains allowing the Indian ocean in. To our left was Knysna itself, perched along the shores of a crystal-clear, green-blue lagoon. The sun was out. The sky was the deepest blue I've ever seen and a stiff breeze was blowing off the ocean, rustling the trees. The 2.2 km hike down from the peak was utter serenity.
| BT MORE RECOMMENDS Getting There Jet Airways operates between Mumbai and Johannesburg. South African Airways and Air India fly out of New Delhi. Indirect flights are operated by Ethiopian Airlines, Etihaad, Kenyan Airlines and Emirates. Once in Johannesburg, catch a flight to George. From there, hire a taxi or van for your drive. Where to Stay Fancourt hotel at George is a five-star hotel with three golf courses specially designed by the legendary Gary Player. Turbine Hotel in Knysna; a relatively new boutique, five-star property right on the water, was converted from an old wood-chip burning power plant. The Plettenberg Hotel in Plettenberg is a Relais & Chateaux property with unparalleled views of the beautiful beach and bay. Shopping African curios can be found in most of the towns and tourist attractions. Specialist shopping (e.g. diamonds), should be reserved for the bigger cities. Do avoid handicrafts made from animal skins, bones and horns. |
Our next stop was more than a million years in the making. The stunning Cango caves were discovered by a local farmer in 1780. He entered them suspended on a rope, armed with nothing but a candle. For some perspective, imagine walking around an indoor stadium the size of a football field in total darkness. Daunting? Now imagine doing this in an era when most folks believed that monsters and demons were real.
The "easy" tour takes an hour to get you through 1.5 kilometres of beautiful limestone formations. Most are named for their shapes. A large, single column formed by the joining of a stalactite and stalagmite is called Cleopatra's needle. A massive bank of conjoined stalagmites is called the Church Organ. One is shaped like an eagle taking flight. Another looks like a leopard stalking its prey. The strange shapes of these limestone formations are enhanced by creative lighting that's switched on when you enter each of the five chambers.
Sadly, we didn't have time for the 1.5 hour-long "adventure" tour. I'd recommend it, but not if you're claustrophobic. You're crawling along your belly in some parts and the narrowest is just 30 centimetres across. Someone got stuck there in 2007. It took ten hours to free her.
Our drive to Plettenberg, our final destination, featured three stops on the way. The first, the 212-metre-high Bloukrans bridge, marked the border between the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. It was also where two brave girls from our group decided to put their trust in a bit of elastic cord and leap off the aforementioned bridge. The reason I avoided joining them was not because the Bloukrans is the highest bridge bungy in the world.
I avoided it because an elderly Sikh gentlemen, also part of our group, had jumped the Bloukrans a few years earlier. He said it took him three days to recover. I didn't have that kind of time. Ok, I'll admit, that's a really bad excuse. But I genuinely wanted to enjoy the next two hours we'd be spending in the canopy of Tsitsikama national park. And a bungy jump seemed like the best way to frazzle my nerves. Side note: the brave girls reported no lasting side effects, although mild euphoria was observed for hours after.
And that brings me to stop two. What's better than walking through a forest with buzzards, orioles, boomslangs, baboons, vervets, duikers and puff adders? Gliding past them on a zipline, ofcourse. After a safety briefing, Tsitsikama's resident experts Chester and Chevago, began hooking us up to the ziplines. The harnesses were designed by a woman, they told us. I learned the full meaning of this once I put my full weight on the straps cutting across my thighs. Clearly the designer was not a man. Nor, it seemed, had she tested the harness on men.
| BT MORE RECOMMENDS Shark Diving, Ushaka Marine World A ten minute dive costs ZAR 150. Entry ticket is ZAR 100 extra. The entry ticket gives access to all other park features, except animal encounter activities. Ushakamarineworld.co.za Tenikwa Cheetah Sanctuary Meet Africa's beautiful and playful wild cats . A tour inside the wild cat enclosures costs ZAR 160. Walks with cheetahs cost ZAR 500. Tenikwa.com Tsitsikama Forest Canopy Tour Zipline through the forest canopy for an unmatched view of African flora and Fauna. ZAR 450 for a two-hour tour. Stormsriver.com Featherbed Nature Reserve A quiet walk through pristine fynbos forests and woodlands. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Indian ocean and Knysna lagoon. ZAR 420 for the excursion and lunch. Knysnafeatherbed.com |
Our last stop that day was truly special. Mandy and Len Freeman have been running the Tenikwa cheetah sanctuary for the past 11 years to rehabilitate wild cats. The highlight was undoubtedly our time inside the cheetah enclosure. The two cats walked up to us instantly, purring loudly when they spotted Mandy. Every David Attenborough film I've watched came back to me that instant. Here I was, walking with one of Africa's most beautiful animals.
We also spent time with a family of playful Servals, one of whom took a friendly nibble at my big toe, thinking it was a large grub. Thankfully, my shoe got in the way of its teeth. Mandy and Len rehabilitate several other cats such as leopards, caracals, black footed cats, and African wild cats. As an indicator of their dedication and passion, a tour that should have taken one hour stretched to an hour and half. Mandy's enthusiasm and concern for her cats rubbed off on everyone. It was hard to say goodbye to these gorgeous creatures and I confess to having a tear in my eye as I thanked Mandy for opening up her world to us.
That night, we stopped over in Plettenberg, one of the Garden Route's many scenic seaside towns. If you're lucky - sadly, we weren't - you can even spot Southern Right whales swimming in the bay each winter.
As if the stunning sunset and starencrusted night sky weren't enough, we were treated to an equally gorgeous sunrise the next morning. As a lone surfer waded out to catch the morning tide, I could help but recollect the many moments that made South Africa take my breath away. I would return for more.
