Garden Route Attractions
The Garden Route stretches from Mosselbay in the Western Province to Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The Garden Route’s rainfall is the highest in South Africa and it has a mediterranean climate – hot summers and mild winters.
Interesting places
- Garden Route National Park - This park is an amalgamation of the Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks, the Knysna National Lake Area and a few other pieces of land that the state owns. This is one of the most recent additions to South African National Parks and covers about 1,210 km2
- Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary - This is the world’s largest free flight bird sanctuary – 2 hectares – and contains more than 3000 birds from nearly 200 different species.
- Boosmansbos Wilderness Area - Boosmansbos Wilderness Area, which means 'angry man's forest', contains hiking trails and bird watching areas. The area, which borders the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, has mountain fynbos and valley forest.
- Featherbed Nature Reserve - This is a private 150 hectare nature reserve in Knysna that visitors can only reach by ferry.
- Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary - The world’s first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary is in Plettenberg Bay. The sanctuary contains various primate species: lemur, white handed gibbon, capuchin, owl monkey.
Special events
- Pick 'n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival - The oyster festival started in 1983 and mostly revolves around oysters; however, the cycling races, Oyster Mardi Gras and the Waitron Race have all contributed to a fun July.
- Knysna Cycle Tour - The Knysa cycle tour has been around since the mid-80s and comprises three discrete events: mountain bike events, road race events, and children’s events.
- Klein Karoo National Arts Festival - The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival is better known by its Afrikaans name – Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees or its acronym KKNK. The first festival had taken place in 1994 and since then Grahamstown transforms into a tourist mecca during the 10-day festival.
- Whisky, Whales and Jazz Festival - Plettenberg is the host of yet another festival.
- Pink Loerie Mardi Gras - The Pink Loeri Mardi Gras, based on similar events overseas, started in 2001 and has become the most popular gay festival in Africa.
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