It already feels like we’re running out of time on the Garden Route part of our trip – we could probably have spent at least two or three weeks working our way along the coast! We had quite a few things that we wanted to do around Storms River (our next stopping point) so we had an early breakfast and got back on the road.
On our way out of Plettenberg Bay we stopped off at the Robberg Nature Reserve, which had been highly recommended by the owner at the Piesang Valley Lodge. It is a narrow piece land stretching out into the Indian Ocean that has a mixture of sandy and rocky terrain with plenty of vegetation and wildlife. There were a number of walking trails available – some of which went past a seal colony and right out to the tip of the outcrop – but time only allowed us to do the shorter walk.
By late morning we reached Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours where we’d booked some zip-lining in the forest. Our two hour tour included ten zip lines of varying lengths and speeds between the trees. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable – we learnt a lot about the various trees whilst standing on platforms 30m above the ground! They also included a complimentary lunch after the tour.
Tsitsikamma means “place of many waters” and the feature of the national park viagra for sale online there is the mouth of Storms River which runs from the surrounding mountains into the Indian Ocean. After a short drive, we started the walk through the forest towards the mouth of the river. The river and valley are very impressive in their own right, but there is also a suspension bridge crossing the river and a steep 1km path up to an excellent view point overlooking the whole area.
Our accommodation for tonight is a luxury chalet at The Fernery Lodge, just outside the Tsitsikamma National Park and at the end of a 6km dirt track. This is our most expensive night along the Garden Route, but is still only about £35 each. After a swim, cocktails in the indoor jacuzzi and some time in the sauna we made our way to the Cellar Restaurant for a very tasty four course dinner.
To finish off a busy but enjoyable day we had a glass of wine under the southern hemisphere stars on the deck of our chalet.
