The past week or so has been spent visiting the pretty
little towns that lie on South Africa’s “Garden Route” a stretch of coast that
runs from Storm’s River to Mossel Bay, east of Cape Town. The Garden Route is
gorgeous – lush green forests that meet dramatic coastlines- and is very
popular with local South Africans and tourists alike.
Wild Spirit
My first stop was just past Storm’s River in an area of the
Tsitsikamma National Forest called The Crags. I was staying on an old farm that
had been converted into a backpackers called “Wild Spirit.” The place was
beautiful, with large wooden decks, a cozy log cabin, spacious dorms, two
multi-level treehouses, and lots of animals roaming the property. I fell in
love with the place and its relaxed atmosphere. It definitely had a hippie
vibe, but in the end, it really felt so homey and nice. A little haven with a
spectacular mountain view.
I wanted to do some hiking in the area and when I enquired at the desk, I was urged to join an Israeli couple who were about to set off on a long hike to Nature’s Valley, a small beach town about 12km down the road. Mya and Armite were from Tel Aviv and had been traveling in South Africa for a few weeks. The lady at the hostel dropped us off at the trail head and told us to hitch our way back after the hike. I didn’t really like the idea, but with three of us I felt a bit better. We had gorgeous weather and a rather vague idea of where we were going. We set off through the woods and down the mountain towards Nature’s Valley. Mya and Armite were both so nice and very easy going. They liked to take their time and wanted to make several stops along the way. I wasn’t in any hurry, so I didn’t mind our leisurely pace throughout the day.
We scrambled through a wooded section down a mountain and then took a break at a large lagoon. We then spent some time on the banks of a tidal river that joined the lagoon to the sea. All of the families congregated in this area due to the fact that the water was shallow and warm and was a much safer swimming option than the beach (rip tides and great whites… yikes!). Armite and Mya took a swim; I just chilled on the banks. I think in my older age I am becoming allergic to water! I just don’t really like to swim all that much and am perfectly content with wading in the water. Afterwards, we took a lengthy walk along the beach towards the tiny village center. We had a really nice lunch at an outdoor restaurant and then made our way across the rocky coastline and back up the mountain. All in all, we hiked about 15km and the sun was beginning to set by the time we reached the original starting point.
The next task was to try and hitch a ride back to the hostel. We waited for a good half hour before ANY car went by and of course it didn’t stop. I suggested that we start walking towards the hostel because hitching wasn’t getting us anywhere. Fortunately, we were able to flag down a German couple who were staying at Wild Spirit and gave us a lift back to the place. We just made it back in time for a delicious homemade dinner at the hostel complete with musical entertainment. It was a great day.
It poured for the following two days and it was too miserable to do much outdoors. It was quite cool so we all gathered around a fire in the log cabin to hang out. I met two nice Dutch girls and a German couple studying in Cape Town. It was nice to have a day or two to unwind, but I was glad to move on to better weather!
Knysna
My next stop was in the lovely resort town called Knysna. It reminded me of Hilton Head. It lies on a large tidal lagoon surrounded by two cliffs known as the Eastern and Western Head. While I was there, I did several hikes along the coast and visited a nature reserve on the Western Head. I also ate fresh oysters and a lovely meal in a nice restaurant near the sea. I really enjoyed my time there!
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