This past weekend, in true Capetonian fashion, we decided to take a trip up the eastern coast of South Africa. We must confess, we weren’t the first to think of this master plan. This tried-and-true journey takes you up and around beautiful mountain ranges, through quaint towns, and along some of the most stunning beaches in South Africa. The trip isn’t all about the scenery though. Along the way you can make pit stops to get you one step closer to completing your Cape Town bucket list.
Wildlife:
The garden route offers a variety of opportunities to interact with animals that are typically only found in the bush. There are many wildlife ranches and reserves. At some you can only observe the animals from the confines of your safari Jeep, but at others you get to interact with the animals. You can pet cheetahs, get a little taste of Duke and hang with Lemurs, channel your inner Britney circa 2004 by wrapping a snake around your shoulders, and even ride and feed ostriches.
Adventure:
The world’s highest bungee jump, off of the Bloukrans Bridge, is conveniently located along the drive. The bridge is 216 meters high (that’s over 700 feet). That may sound unbelievably high; trust us, it is. Once you commit to walking across a wobbly walkway to the jumping site, the live DJ music, and expertise of the workers makes you forget that you are about to throw your body off of a tiny ledge perched over a rocky river. Although unsure of our level of bravery when we woke up that morning, we both put our big girl pants on and took a leap of faith (literally).
In addition to all of the amazing activities that you can do when pulling off the garden route, the actual drive boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the South African countryside. This trip was the perfect conclusion to an incredible four months in Cape Town.
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