The southernmost edge of Africa offers some of the best whale watching in the world plus a coastal terrain of lakes, mountains, forests and golden beaches.
Hermanus offers the best land-based whale watching in the world from June to October
Drive the famous Garden Route, past deserted sandy beaches, sheltered lagoons, bush and mountain passes and indigenous forests
Hike along the coast to view the Knysna Heads, rock sentinels at the entrance to the Knysna lagoon, or follow the rugged circuit round the Robberg Peninsula
Sample some of South Africa’s finest seafood at the upscale restaurants of Plettenberg Bay, or at Knysna’s event-packed oyster festival
Escape the crowds at wild and rugged Wilderness or at beautiful Buffalo Bay
From June to October the clifftops around Hermanus offer the best land-based whale watching in the world, as southern right whales come to raise their calves in the Cape’s coastal waters. Peak calving season is July and August, while the Hermanus Whale Festival runs each year in mid to late September. At some Hermanus hotels, you can even spot whales from your bedroom window.
The Garden Route is perhaps the most internationally renowned destination in South Africa, after Cape Town and Kruger National Park, and with good reason. Within a few hundred kilometres, the range of topography, vegetation and wildlife is breathtaking. Roughly encompassing the coastline from Mossel Bay in the west to just beyond Plettenberg Bay in the east, it caters to everyone from families and foodies to thrill seekers and nature lovers.
Both Wilderness and Buffalo Bay are beautiful stops near the start of the route, offering long golden beaches, bird-rich estuaries and sheltered lagoons. The charming town of Knysna is a great place to base yourself, complete with cliff-fringed harbour, serene lagoon, indigenous forests and acclaimed July oyster festival. Further east still is Plettenberg Bay, a resort town through and through, with white-sand beaches, a mountain backdrop and many excellent restaurants. Just south of Plett is one of the region’s best hikes, an 11-kilometre circuit around the rugged coastline of the Robberg Nature Reserve.
An immaculately restored national monument dating back to 1777, set in the popular resort town of Plettenberg Bay.
The Plettenberg sits on a rocky headland, overlooking the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and the majestic Outeniqua Mountains.
A highly exclusive boutique hotel on the cliffs of Hermanus, where from June to December, whales can be spotted from the terrace, pool and dining room.
Perched on the cliffs overlooking Walker Bay, The Marine is the Grande Dame of Hermanus hotels, offering the best bed-based whale watching in town.
A luxury eco-reserve set in rolling fynbos-clad hills overlooking Walker Bay on the way to the Garden Route.
A romantic retreat, set amid the treetops of an age-old indigenous forest.