All about: Garden Route, South Africa

South Africa is a land of incredible beauty and contrast with a wide variety of scenery, flora and fauna to enjoy. One of the many tourist attractions is the garden route, a 200 kilometer long stretch of coastline in the Cape province which includes everything, from giant trees, ostrich farms to the famous Cango Caves.

How to get there and where to stay.

The South Africa garden route starts at Witsrand and meanders through incredible scenery to the Tsitsikamma Forest. Flights into Cape Town, South Africa are available from all over the world. From there, you can either hire a car, get a map of the garden route and travel at your own pace, or alternatively, you can take one of the garden route tours. As safety in South Africa may be an issue, the second option is probably the best for first time visitors to the area. There are a number of tour operators available. Where to stay Depending on whether you have chosen your own route, or are travelling as part of a tour will determine on where you will be staying. Garden route accommodation can vary from luxury hotels to game lodges in the wildlife parks and everything in-between. A tour operator will be able to tell you where the best garden route hotels are.

What to see and do

There are a large number of attractions along the route. Here are just a few to whet your appetite. Albertinia The town lies at the foot of the Langeberg mountains and on the edge of the Klein Karoo, a semi-arid desert region. It is the home of the Aloe plants, with two Aloe factories and it also produces most of the red and yellow pigment used in manufacturing in South Africa. The Klein Karoo wine route ends here, so you can taste some of South Africa's best wines and brandy. George Set in a fertile area between the Indian ocean, rivers and forests, this area was known by the indigenous Khoi people as the 'land of milk and honey'. George is now the administrative capital of the Southern Cape and has a variety of cultures and ten golf courses to offer to visitors. Knysna An incredible natural paradise with the largest section of closed canopy forest in Southern Africa, Knysna is home to the only forest elephants in South Africa, rare birds, dolphins and whales. Tsitsikamma National Park This area, which is truly a Garden of Eden, is home to a flora and fauna which is unique in the world. Last word The Cape garden route is one of the most spectacular of South Africa's many tourist attractions and is a must-see for anyone heading to the Cape Province.