- Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay is halfway between Cape Town and PE, this coastal town marks the official beginning (or end) of the Garden Route. There’s a wide choice of backpacker hostels, beaches and adventure activities.
- Little Brak
A real beach holiday spot.
- George
George is very close to Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay and Victoria Bay, it’s a convenient backpacker stop over point. George airport is a convenient way of arriving to explore the Garden Route.The Outeniqua Tjoe - Choo train comes puffing into the station once a week.
- Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn was home to rich feather barons until the turn of the century. The collapse of the feather industry meant the area had to find other attractions in order to survive. And boy, has it done a good job of that! You need daaaaays to “do” Oudtshoorn.
- De Rust
An interesting little one horse town.
- Victoria Bay
Victoria Bay is renowned as one of the world’s best surfing beaches and the waves here are often spectacular.
- Sedgefield
Straddling the N2 and in its turn surrounded by wetlands and sandwiched between the sea and the mountain, this is paraglider's paradise.
- Buffels Bay
This little coastal village lies just outside of Knysna and is a great place to relax and get closer to nature.
- Knysna
This backpackers haven is the centre of the Garden Route. The town of Knysna sprawls around the Knysna lagoon whose entrance is guarded by two rocky cliffs called The Heads. Knysna is the hub of the Garden Route and this once sleepy village is now a bustling town.
- Uniondale
Peaceful winding roads and lovely country side. The alternative inland route along the coast…
- Nature's Valley
Situated at the end of the Groot River pass, Nature’s Valley is surrounded by mountain, lagoon, sea and forest.
- Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is a backpackers paradise. It was named “Baia Formosa” (Beautiful Bay) by early Portuguese explorers. Plettenberg Bay is now one of the Garden Route’s major destinations, primarily because the Portuguese weren’t far wrong.
- Bloukrans
The main attractions here are the Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest bungy jump and the beautiful surroundings
- Stormsriver
The major drawcard here is Mother Nature. And she’s a real Mother, but not the one you know. Wild, tempestuous, untamed, violent, calm, soothing, shouting, majestic and awe-inspiring if you can look past the hand of man.
Wilderness
Wilderness nestles in the green coastal hills, framed by the Touws River lagoon on one side and miles of superb beach on the other. The beautiful Wilderness National Park protects the unique eco-system that makes up the surroundings.
This is Wilderness
Lying in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, Wilderness is blessed with a natural bounty of rivers and lakes, miles of beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to explore. Home to dolphins, humpback whales and Southern Right whales on holiday, the area has a treasure trove of outdoor pursuits, from awesome kloofing to canoeing, hiking, abseiling and paragliding.
Lying in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, Wilderness is blessed with a natural bounty of rivers and lakes, miles of beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to explore. Home to dolphins, humpback whales and Southern Right whales on holiday, the area has a treasure trove of outdoor pursuits, from awesome kloofing to canoeing, hiking, abseiling and paragliding.
Honeymoons and love-birds
Surrounded by the Wilderness National Park, this small seaside town is actually a pretty civilised place. ‘Pretty’ being the operative word. Explore the wetlands and the forests and see how many of the 250 bird species you can spot. Then bounce off to the beach which stretches from here to infinity and catch a few lungfuls of fresh sea air to take home with you.
Set in the heart of the Garden Route in an area of immense scenic beauty that was once the domain of Khoisan hunter-gatherers, the small seaside town of Wilderness is surrounded by natural splendour and charm.
With miles of golden beaches stretching into the misty distance, rolling hills covered in majestic forests and abundant rivers, lakes and waterfalls, it’s well worth spending time here. If only to recharge your batteries while you wander…
Places to Stay
- Asante Caravans and Camping
Give your inner gypsy a caravan to play in.And meet Billy the bull and his menagerie.
- Beach House Backpackers
Situated in a milkwood forest on large grounds, the Beach House has an incredible view of the coastline and Dolphin’s Point.
- Fairy Knowe Backpackers
Fairy Knowe is a Wilderness backpackers which is set on an old rambling farm with masses of space, horses, dogs and birds, overlooking the wetlands.
- Phumla Private Bush Camp
Hire yourself a private bush camp.
- The Wild Farm Backpackers
A backpackers overlooking Wilderness.
What to do
- Eden Adventures
Go adventuring in the Wilderness - abseil, kloof or canoe.
Feeling lucky?(randomly selected service providers from all regions)
This new lodge is the Strand's only backpacker.
(Gordon's Bay and Strand,Wine Region)
Set on a huge property with lovely gardens and overlooking the mystical Hogsback Peaks, this is a wonderful backpacker.
(Hogsback,Eastern Cape Inland and the Karoo)
Car hire around Inhambane! Cool beans.
(Inhambane and Tofo,Mozambique)
A safe way to get around Jo'burgs night time hotspots.
(Johannesburg,Johannesburg)
Kick back and relax after a day out exploring Lesotho.
(Ficksburg,Free State)
This Johannesburg backpackers is close to Malls and the CBD. They offer a free airport pick-up.
(Johannesburg,Johannesburg)
Check out of the rat Race and cill-out in Parys
(Parys,Free State)
This Coffee Bay backpackers is perfectly set for any mood!
(Coffee Bay,Wild Coast)
One of the original backpackers in Livingstone.
(Livingstone,Zimbabwe and Zambia)
Great bridgeand bungy jumping at the Gouritz River.
(Mossel Bay,Garden Route)
