The Garden Route is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Africa. It is located in the South Western region of the country and is geographically named the South Western District. It’s also called the Garden Route because it is situated in the ‘Garden’ of the country surrounded by dense forest and indigenous flora which is only found in this part of the world.

Possessing a natural beauty which is not uncommon with South African towns; Knysna and George are the 2 most famous towns along the garden route with an abundance of tourist attractions. One very subjective point is that of local’s perception that much of the inherent beauty has been lost due to developments keeping up with the influx of tourism. The region retains its beauty despite the man made improvements.

Flight time from Cape Town to George is less than an hour and feels like a few minutes. Taking the national N2 road, the journey is a pleasant five to six hours. By sea, the trip would take twice as long but almost twice as pleasing.

In recent years the region has become very famous for hosting the world’s largest or longest mountain biking event called the Cape Epic. The off road cycling event lasts for five days and takes riders through numerous stages along the garden route region. Another very famous or iconic point in region is that it hosts or is the location of the longest bungee jump in the world on the Storms River Bridge near Knysna.

Beacon Isle is a very popular tourist destination in Plettenberg Bay near George. Besides the natural occurring beauty in the surrounding forests; the area also boasts some of the most delicious beaches in the country ripe for sun bathing, swimming and surfing. A few hours from Knysna is Jeffries Bay which is an international mecca for surfers such as Kelly Slater and Taj Burrows.

Another attraction are the amazing game parks where visitors come to see the big five. Often, elephants which are indigenous to the area walk freely and during history have been brought back or reduced in number. This region is also the location of the Otter hiking trail where there is a long waiting list for hikers.

For an experience not to be forgotten visit the amazing Garden Route Tour. Check out www.kingdom.co.za for the best deals on Cape Town tours.