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There's only one better trip in South Africa than a quick half-day drive along the Garden Route: a slow leisurely one. The relatively brief 142 mile (227km) journey between Mossel Bay and Storms River packs in mountains, rivers, gorges, bays, forests, bays and some of the best sandy beaches in the world. The best way to enjoy the area is to wander off the main road and explore the coastal towns and national parks, or to head for the hills.
At the foot of Africa lies the lush forested belt of the Garden Route - one of the world's most beautiful journeys. On one side it is bounded by a series of mountain ranges; on the other, the Indian Ocean comes crashing in. For most people the route is a section of the longer journey between the harbour cities of Cape Town.
Heading east from Cape Town the N2 follows the route (taken by European settlers as they expanded into South Africa).
The highway takes you past a series of long-established towns with elegant Cape Dutch buildings, wide streets and some churches. The highway then veers inland trough Swellendam, Heidelberg and Albertinia until, 242 miles (388km) later, it again meets the ocean at Mossel Bay - the starting point for the Garden Route.
The summer holiday months (December and January) bring many South Africans to the dozens of unspoilt coastal resorts along the Garden Route. They come for the blend of mountains, forests, lakes and lagoons, but most of all for the sandy beaches that rival any in the world.
Along the Garden Route, Dutch, French and later English settlers established woodcutting settlements, ports, trading stations and mining towns
Mossel Bay and the Outeniqua Mountains mark the beginning of the Garden Route. In the Khoi language Quteniqua means "a man laden with honey", because the Garden Route was truly a land of milk and honey.
JAWS COUNTRY
Shark lovers and fans of the movie can come face to face with white sharks - at Mossel Bay. This so called "close encounter of the death defying kind" involves a trip out to sea, where a bloody hunk of meat is attached to a float.
Leaving Mossel Bay, the N2 bypasses a number of small and pleasant coastal resorts - Hartenbos, Little Brak River, Great Brak River, Gelntana and Herolds Bay - all of which come to life for a couple of holiday months a year.
Thirty five miles (45km) later is George, which bills itself as the capital of the Garden Route. The novelist Anthony Trollope was moved to describe it as "the prettiest village on the face of the earth". For travellers, one of the best things about the town is the sheer number of ways you can leave it. Flying is perhaps the least romantic, but most of the other options are along gorgeous routes.
A steam train aimed at tourists, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoi runs east to Knysna and crosses some memorable countryside. At certain points the tracks span wide lagoons, perched on columns in the water. The tree-and-a-quarter-hour journey takes in views of beaches, lakes and forests.
KNYSNA
Knysna's extensive lagoon used to serve as an ideal harbour. In the 1940s uncontrolled wood cutting was stopped and Knysna, relaxed comfortably into its current role as a thriving holiday resort.
Like the elephants, the Knysna forest too has been saved from destruction. The wanton felling that wiped out nearly a third of the Garden Route forests has now been replaced by conservationist policies ensuring they will remain the largest indigenous forests in the sub-continent. There are over 60 species of hardwood here, and none is harder than the ironwood.
Twenty miles (32km) on is Plettenberg Bay, known to the locals as "Plet". Some people call it the South African Riviera. The town is unquestionably southern Africa's premier luxury resort. Large amounts of Johannesburg wealth have turned up in Plet, an extensive development of second houses, multi star hotels, shops, restaurants and discos. Plettenberg Bay is perhaps the best place along the southern coast for whales . The mountain-encircled bay provides the undisturbed peace they need to court and calve.
Spring (September to November in the southern hemisphere) is the best time to see the whales, but May to July are also good months. There are a number of lookouts at Plettenberg Bay. Settle down with a drink at the Beacon Island Hotel, where picture windows overlook the water. On the opposite of the bays the Keurboomstrand. Just beyond the K.strand the N2 touches the edge of the Tsitsikamma National park. The coast is at some points rocky and wild, and at others fringed with sandy beaches. The rich plant life includes ferns, orchids, proteas and lilies. There live 200 bird species, antelopes, badgers, baboons and monkeys, leopards and other exciting animals.
Just 6 miles (10km) beyond is the garden Route's edge - a spectacular gorge carved into the landscape by the Storms River. The best way to mark the end of southern Africa's most beautiful journey is from the restaurant of the Tzitzikama Total Village. A wooden deck juts out towards the chasm, providing dizzying views into its depths and of the 190 metres bridge that carries the N2.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
. The Garden Route is popular and finding accommodation may be a problem during the peak season (November to March)
. Scheduled flights connect Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban with George, making it an ideal base. Hire cars are available at Mossel Bay, George and Plettenberg Bay
. Complete packages, including flights from Britain, can be arranged through Southern Africa Travel
. If you just want a Garden Route mini-package then contact SARtravel - alternatively, Abercrombie and Kent, both in London
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