Grab your car keys, GPS, picnic basket and cooler box! Today we are going on a wellness road trip! Oh, and don’t forget your wallet because you are going to need it for the activities that lie ahead. Where are we going? To Stormsrivier! And how are we getting there? Through the one and only Garden Route!
Before we go, let me fill you in a bit about the Garden Route in case you are unfamiliar with it.
The glorious Garden Route is a 300-kilometre South African coastal road that stretches from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape provinces. The road was named ‘Garden Route’ because of its luxuriant outlining coastal forests so your eyes are in for a treat.
We will start our wellness road trip in Mossel Bay, a small harbour town in the Western Cape famous for the St. Blaize lighthouse and Santos Beach. Mossel Bay is considered by many as the adventure capital of Garden Route because of all the things that you can do there.
You can go hiking, take a sailing trip, or even go dolphin and whale watching. The list of adventurous activities is endless but this is only our starting point so we should not spend too much time here. The most you can do at this point is to go on one of Mossel Bay’s historical walks. During the walk, a guide will tell you ghost stories and reveal to you some of Mossel Bay’s darkest secrets.
Accommodation in Mossel Bay – Booking.com
Pit Stop #1 – Knysna
After a 106-kilometre drive and approximately an hour and a half later, we will reach our first pit stop. The lovely town of Knysna. Filled with striking mountains, indigenous forests and placid lakes, Knysna is a delicate destination for natural beauty. This is the perfect place for you to relax and reenergize before heading back on the road.
There are many wellness activities to do at Knysna. Some of the best ones include hiking the Otter trails, touring the countryside, and sailing the shores. Knysna is also a great place to do yoga and meditate because of its peaceful and beautiful nature. However, our focus for this stop is to relax as we still have some distance to go. Many wellness centres in Knysna offer various relaxing spa treatments so pick your favourite, pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy the beautiful scenery that Knysna has to offer. Be sure to check out Knysna Heads and the Knysna Elephant Park before you leave the town.
Accommodation in Knysna – Booking.com
Pit Stop #2 – Plettenberg Bay
A 33-kilometre drive and approximately 30 minutes after leaving Knysna, we will reach our second pit stop – the posh Plettenberg Bay! Home to the sandy Lookout Beach and Central Beach, Plettenberg Bay is known and loved for its surf breaks. So, if you are a surfer, you might want to bring your surfboard along.
There are several wellness activities that you can do at Plettenberg. Apart from surfing, you can take a stroll around the beaches and refresh your mind. You can even take a hike through Robberg Nature Reserve and experience some of South Africa’s finest wildlife.
Accommodation in Plettenberg Bay – Booking.com
Our Destination – Stormsrivier
After having a great time in nature at Plettenberg Bay, we will drive another 63 kilometres until we reach our final destination – Stormsrivier. This is where we are going to have the most fun!
There are a lot of fun wellness activities that you can do at Stormsrivier. You can let your inner Tarzan out while swinging from the treetops through the forest on a Tsitsikamma canopy tour. After your canopy tour, you can go kayaking in the Storms River itself and even dive in. As a cherry on top of your wellness cake, why not go bungee jumping from the top of the Bloukrans Bridge? You can also go abseiling, ziplining, wall climbing and quad biking! The adventure at Stormsrivier is virtually limitless.
You will have so much fun at Stormsrivier that you might even consider spending a day or two there. That is perfectly fine! Many beautiful lodges are ready to accommodate you. Some of the lodges that are near the wellness activities include Storms River Guest Lodge and Stormsriver Village.
The Way Back
We have come to the end of our wellness road trip! By now you should have a better understanding of the Garden Route coastal road and some of the main attractions and activities that you can experience along the way. If you will be going back using the Garden Route, why not take some time to visit the places that you missed? If you are looking more for adventures in South Africa, check out these 5 hot-air balloon rides for Valentine’s Day. Have a good one!