The Garden Route and beyond, South Africa
Description of The Garden Route and beyond, South Africa
The Garden Route, which traverses the south coast of South Africa from Cape Town to Addo, is arguably one of the most splendid road trips you can do anywhere on the planet. Whilst it can in theory be driven in a day (under 12 hours, as it's around 1 000km long), in reality the massive variety of biome, the number of experiences and places along the route mean that an absolute minimum is really five days.
So we've deliberately kept the pace of this journey sedate to allow you to fully experience the unique identity of each place along the route: the Garden Route is often touted as a 'drive along the N2' (that's the name of the main highway that connects the larger towns) and whilst this is to an extent true, getting off the highway and getting to the more remote locations makes this into a truly magical trip.
This trip is 100% ethical; every supplier has made a commitment - and has been independently audited in the fulfillment of that commitment - to placing people and planet first in every aspect of their business practice. Rest assured then that everything you will see and do on this trip makes a positive impact on the places and people you visit, not the opposite. This is a self-drive route but we can just as easily make this into a guided and chauffered route if you like. Contact us for a price.
Price information
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Reviews
2 Reviews of The Garden Route and beyond, South Africa
Reviewed on 28 Jul 2025 by Stephanie Dolben
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The safari and stay at Woodbury Tented Lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve. It was an incredible experience to have as a family
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take sufficient cash with you and work out in advance how much you will need each day for tipping.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic!
Reviewed on 05 Feb 2025 by Annie Francis
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The entire trip was memorable. And if we had to chose one thing we did it would be the safari at Amakhala
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The tour operator is just amazing to work with and we had a fabulously organised holiday. Work with them and they work with you which is the best you could ask for.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
On a scale of 1-10 you mean? Well we would say off the chart!
Responsible Travel
Planet
Carbon ReductionWe’ve deliberately chosen activities which have the lowest possible carbon footprint such as tree top canopy tours, horse rides and hiking in nature reserves. All tour operators on this journey have been interviewed about their environmental pledges and have made commitments to waste reduction and carbon neutrality.
Environment and Wildlife
This trip has been carefully designed to minimize environmental impact and maximize benefits to local people in a meaningful way. All the accommodation on this trip is fully accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa with the exception of The Elephant House which operates by Fair Trade principles. This international accrediting body requires establishments to go through a rigorous 12-month audit of every aspect of their business cycle, including water and waste management and ethical procurement of supplies. As such, you can be assured that waste and water is managed to the highest international standards and supplies such as food and linen are ethically sourced from local companies.
People
Local EconomyThis trip has been carefully designed to maximize benefits to local people in a meaningful way.
Each guided day uses different guides who are specialists in their particular fields. Some are full-time tour guides, others are professionals in their fields who offer tours outside of their regular work. All the guides are paid 100% of the price you pay for the tour so their time and effort is directly rewarded by you.
All dining suggestions on this trip are either owned by historically disadvantaged individuals and/or have a written commitment to sustainable and ethical procurement of their food.
All the accommodation on this trip is fully accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa. This international accrediting body requires establishments to go through a rigorous 12-month audit of every aspect of their business cycle including HR policy. As such, you can be assured that all staff at your accommodation venues are paid a decent, living wage (not a minimum wage) and hold detailed, negotiated contracts in line with international best practice.
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