Joburg, Garden Route, Cape Town by road, and self catering

by Jibbo Vrancken
(Abu Dhabi UAE)

My name is Jibbo, I have lived in South Africa about 8 years ago.

This year, we (myself, husband and our two kids) will like to come back and visit this lovely country!

We want to start our trip from Jo'burg to Cape Town via the Garden Route, of course with the hired car from Europcar, which is not a problem because we have been a good customer!

However what we like to know is where to stay e.g. a nice family bed and breakfast place, the attractions on the way to cape town and we will like to stay few days or a week in beautiful Cape Town.

Our idea is to find cottage with self catering... please can you kindly advice us.
Looking forward to be hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Jibbo.

Alison's reply

Hi Jibbo,
I am so glad you are coming back to SA to visit!

I am not sure how young your children are, but to drive from Joburg to the top of the Garden Route (By which I mean Plettenberg Bay area) is more than 1000km. If you drive that route I recommend you spend at least one night, perhaps two on the road. If one night, Graaff Reinet is a good stopover, which is around 800km from Jhb.

If you don't have time for that, maybe fly from Jhb to Port Elizabeth and hire the car to drive from there?

P.E. to Cape Town is 800km by road, and you can spend 2 to 3 nights on the way.

Here are our favourite Garden Route places to stay.

You can take three or four days to do the Garden Route - stay at Storms River or Nature's Valley, and visit Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. Then make your way down to Knysna and visit the Featherbed reserve. Finally on to Cape Town, either straight down the N2, or (for a change of scene) the R62 through Oudtshoorn and the little Karoo.

In Cape Town, a self catering cottage in Simonstown would be my family's idea of heaven.

You could do day trips from there to anywhere in the Peninsula.

Or if you liked you could spend just 5 days there and spend the last 2 in the Winelands at a cottage on a wine farm.

If you are here between June and October you will see many whales from Simonstown, and may also enjoy going to Seal Island. My children loved that.

I hope this helps...