| The Garden Route refers to a stretch along the south coast of South Africa. The national road follows a scenic route along the southern coastline for a few hundred kilometres. To appreciate the area one must follow the old route because modern life and the need for speed have seen the advent of highways and toll roads in recent years so that the casual traveller misses a lot of the beauty. The Garden Route encompasses beaches, mountains, forests and lakes and offers plenty of scope for photographs. Be sure to bring an extra reel of film! Tsitsikamma National Park is the real garden on the Garden Route. It is the last remaining patch of indigenous forest that once covered the entire narrow corridor of flatland between the mountains and the sea (most of it was felled by the early dutch settlers to make furniture and boats). Here you can see more species of tree than in the whole of the northern hemisphere, broken by meadowy interludes of native fynbos, a carpeting of scrub and wild flowers that botanists classify as on of the earth's seven floral kingdoms (the Cape is the smallest but richest of these with 8500 species). Halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth situated in the heart of the Garden Route are the towns of Mossel Bay, George and Wilderness. Mossel Bay is a quaint unhurried town with long stretches of safe golden beaches, coastal cuisine and warm hospitality. George, gateway to Garden Route & Little Karoo is set against the magnificent backdrop of the rugged Outeniqua Mountains. Wilderness is situated between mountains and beaches with a chain of tranquil lakes adding to the charm. Wilderness has a 2,500 ha National Park with five rivers and five lakes, two estuaries and 18 kilometres of coastline. This is a favourite venue for photographers and rail enthusiasts who come to see the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe cross the bridge at the river mouth. Then there's Knysna which is situated on the edge of an extensive 18,000 hectare lagoon framed by the Heads, this town developed from a timber exporting port into a fashionable coastal retreat. The superb natural setting has attracted artists and entrepreneurs from far and wide and a stroll around town will reveal art galleries, coffee shops and outlets trading in indigenous souvenirs. Knysna is a unique birding destination because of its numerous habitats - water, marshes, fynbos, grasslands and forest species can all be seen in quite a small area. Knysna offers the widest range of accommodation, so that all tastes can be satisfied. From luxurious establishments, to family run B & B's and from resorts to backpacker lodges, there is accommodation for everyone in Knysna. Knysna is indeed a place of beauty. See the Map | 
