Expert tips for a Garden Route road trip

South Africans planning a festive-season road trip are being encouraged to slow down and turn the journey itself into the holiday. 

Iga Motylska, a Travel Journalist, National Tourist Guide and the Founder of Eagerjourneys.com, says self-driving trips, particularly along the Garden Route in the Western Cape, allow travellers to experience the country’s natural beauty, history and hidden stops beyond the main highways.

Stretching roughly 230 kilometres from Mossel Bay to Storms River, Motylska notes that the Garden Route can be driven in three hours.

"I highly recommend that if you have the time to do so, to take at least three to seven days to hit the major spots.

"There are so many different places along the way that people can stop."

Highlights include Wilderness’s lakes and estuaries, Knysna’s oyster culture and rare seahorses, Plettenberg Bay’s blue-flag beaches, and the scenic Seven Passes Route between George and Knysna.

For travellers interested in history and geology, stops such as the Robberg Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Stone Age artefacts, and the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn - offer a deeper look into South Africa’s ancient past. 

Motylska says a self-drive holiday gives families the freedom to personalise their travel and discover lesser-known gems at their own pace.

To listen to Iga Motylska in conversation with 702's Relebogile Mabotja, click the audio below: