Garden Route Attractions

Tsitsikamma National Park

Tsitsikamma is the word of the indigenous Khoi-San people meaning ‘place of many waters’, which accurately describes the naturally beautiful thin 50-mile (80km) stretch of coastline that makes up the Tsitsikamma National Park, Africa’s oldest and largest marine reserve. The park boasts many attractions, including a giant Outeniqua yellowwood tree that is hundreds of years old. The region is criss-crossed by hiking trails, including the world-renowned Otter Trail, starting at Storm’s River and running along 25 miles (41km) of spectacular coastline to Nature’s Valley. A number of private operators, notably Storms River Adventures, offer numerous adventure activities in the area such as black-water rafting and abseiling, mountain bike tours and fishing trips. A particularly exciting diversion is to undertake a ‘canopy tour’ of the forest, gliding across the treetops on steel cables strung between platforms.

Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma; Telephone: 042 281 1607; Opening time: Daily 7am to 7pm; Admission: R80 (foreign adult), R40 (foreign child) per day; South African residents pay R25 per day