South Africa along the Garden Route with Kids

South Africa – The Garden Route with Kids

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Welcome to PART TWO of our 20-day road trip itinerary along The Garden Route with kids.

In this part along the Garden Route with kids, you will find hiking in Knysna forest, enjoying game drives at the Plettenberg Private Game Reserve & more

If this is your first time in South Africa then the The Garden Route with Kids is the place to start this adventure. You do not need any vaccinations nor is it in a malaria region.

We have split the 20 days road trip in to 4 parts. This is to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for.

Below you find PART 1, 3 and 4 simply click on the photo.

Part 1 * 5 Days  – Whale watching in Hermanus Gansbaai & more

Whale watching Hermanus
PART 1 :: 5 Days – South Africa Garden Route road trip with kids – Whale watching in Hermanus Gansbaai & more

Part 3 * 4 Days – Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth – Wild life encounter

South Africa with kids
PART 3 :: 4 Days – South Africa with kids – Wild life encounter at the Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth

Part 4 * 5 Days – Cape Town with kids

5 Days - Cape Town with kids
PART 4 :: 5 Days – Cape Town with kids

You may also read  FAQ & MORE before Travelling to South Africa


Is It Safe visiting the Garden Route?

Maybe this is something you are asking all the time, and I can ensure you the the Garden Route with Kids is a safe place to be and explore. Having said this, be sensible, no walking around at night and don’t just stop for any starters along the road.

How many days do you need to drive the Garden Route?

We’re a family that do not like to be stressed when on holiday. If you ask how many days you need to do the full Garden Route then my answer would probably be at least one month. We did 11 days from leaving Cape Town  to Knysna and spending 4 days in the area.

This whole Itinerary is done on a 20 day schedule, maybe you can pick and choose a bit if you only have limited time.

Arriving in Knysna – The Garden Route

Day 6 – 11

Driving distance from Gansbaai :: Drive along the scenic N2 for 410km / 4h30
Accommodation ::  
Luxury house A touch of Africa:: Midrange Apartment Pezula Gold Estate

Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are situated in the heart of the Garden Route and are the perfect towns to stay while exploring the surrounding areas.

We stayed in Knysna in an accommodation we loved and wanted to stay there. Most of our activities where nearer the Plettenberg Bay area. Therefore, if you find an accommodation in Plettenberg Bay then you might be a bit less in the car than we were.

The drive from Gansbaai to Knysna is a good 4h30. Stay on the N2 all the way passing by the picturesque little town of Swellendam.  The town is the third oldest town in the republic of South Africa and the largest young-berry growing area in the world.

If you need to stop regularly because of your young travel nomads, then this might be a good place. Plenty of restaurants and areas to run around.

Road Stops not to miss

Whether you stop in Swellendam or not, make sure you to stop at the “Map of Africa” view point for a picnic lunch.

We enjoyed the picnic in the open area across from the Map of Africa which offered the amazing view in the photo below. Not a bad picnic place along the garden route!

View point Map of Africa & Across the road Pic Nic area
View point Map of Africa & Across the road Pic Nic area :: Knysna :: South Africa

Jubilee Creek Walk and Picnic place

Day 7
When the weather is not brilliant along the Garden Route at the coast, go inland.

And this is what we did this day. The Jubilee Creek picnic site and walk is situated on the banks of Millwood Creek deep in the Goudveld forest in Knysna.

It is part of the SanPark group and comes with a small entry fee payable at the gate. The drive after the gate is on a gravel road – the only long gravel road on your trip – and goes on forever. But trust me, it is well worth the drive and the effort.

With picnic benches, barbeque facilities, bins and toilets, this is a clean and simply breathtakingly beautiful area. The kids enjoyed the stream and played in the water while we could relax a bit and admire this amazing place.

The 3.6 km round trip walking trail starts and ends at the picnic site. It will guide you through indigenous forest alongside the creek, passing some old gold-mine dug-outs until you reach a small rock pool and a waterfall.

Some river crossings add a bit of adventure and the finding of frogs add the wildlife part. You can swim in the pools so do not forget the swimming stuff if weather permits.

Jubilee Creek Walk in Knysna Forest
Jubilee Creek Walk in Knysna Forest :: Garden Route with kids

Tenikwa Wildlife Centre – The Garden Route

Day 8 Donation day
I got in touch with Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre well before our trip.

The reason was to find out a bit more about their work and what really lays behind it and makes them the biggest and most successful rehabilitation center in the Western Cape. Tenikwa invited us for an exclusive morning.

Their work is all about educating the young generation and passing it on in the hope of making a difference one day.
Our private guide explained about the different animals they have in their centre and made it a fun viewing experience.

Tenikwa offers a great family EcoKids package which involves the whole family in the education and the kids can have their certificate at the end.

Tenikwa is also part of that nearby kids creche which was in desperate need.

After a quick appeal in Switzerland I was supported by some amazing Swiss mums who donated clothes, and money so we could buy a lot more of the necessary items in South Africa, which was great.
We only visited the crèche for a short time to unload all the donations. The timing was not ideal as the little munchkins had their nap time and we did not want to disturb their routine too much.  It was a great experience and an eye opener.

Tenikwa Wildlife and rehabilitation center
Tenikwa Wildlife and rehabilitation center :: Garden route with Kids

Knysna Elephant Park & Robberg Nature Reserve

Day 9
We were not sure what to think of the experience and encounter at the Knysna Elephant Park.

Honestly without the kids we would not have visited the place as we would rather see elephants in one of the National Parks.

But when travelling with young kids other activities are becoming interesting and more enjoyable. The whole set up is great, very informative visitors center and nice people.

We purchased a bucket full of fruit and after a quick video safety briefing we all boarded a tractor train and went to meet the elephants.

I guess if this is your first encounter with these majestic, beautiful animals then you will be in awe.

The elephants know exactly what will happen. As soon as they see the tractor approaching they all gather behind a wooden fence and await the fruit – which we are permitted to feed to them.

Yes, it was great for the kids to be so close and to be able to actually feed them and have this whole experience of walking with the elephants out in the field.

However, it was all a bit too much for our son, as he suddenly was overwhelmed. The whole scenario is repeated every 30 min. You can stay out with the elephants as long as you like and it was quite nice to observe the whole scene from a small distance.

Do it but don’t think too much of it. The kids will love it for sure!

Knysna Elephant Park
Knysna Elephant Park :: Garden Route with Kids

Robberg Nature Reserve :: a MUST visit

In the afternoon it was time to take a little walk and just enjoy the nature. We drove down to Robberg Nature Reserve just 8km outside Plettenberg bay. The reserve is also a national monument and World Heritage Site and as it belongs to CapeNature there is an entry fee to be paid.

The reserve offers several different hikes in length. We chose the Gap hike which is a 3 km roundtrip and the shortest one there is.

I recommend starting it clockwise. You will arrive quickly at a picnic area which affords an amazing view along the coastline. Take a few minutes to observe as we spotted dolphins playing in the waves below us.

When you get to the part where the path splits you will find an amazing beach down on your right. Don’t miss it! We had a great time just running up and down the empty beach and getting chased by the powerful waves. A real memorable moment. We could not believe that no one else descended to this little paradise.

Join us on a walk & a run at the beach. Click on Video

Children sitting on a bench in South Africa National Park
Video in the Robberg Nature Reserve – South Africa

Game Drive at Plettenberg Private Game Reserve

Day 10 
There is one way to ensure you will see the wildlife, and this is by joining a game drive within a Private Game Reserve.

Whilst investigating which Game Reserve along the Garden Route to choose, we realised quickly that not all allow young kids on to the drive.

Or you pay for a private guide and vehicle which cost a small fortune. I found two reserves where kids are welcome.

The Garden Route Game Reserve (which was fully booked) and Plettenberg Private Game Reserve.

As we were not residing guests, we had the option of different day drives, which worked perfectly with the kids.

For more info read TOP TIPS to have a successful Safari Game Drive with Kids 

When you enter the Reserve you can already enjoy a small self-drive until you arrive at the Lodge. We saw some elephants, kudus and zebras, a perfect start to a great morning.

Game Drive

We arrived at 10H30 and let the kids enjoy the play area before the game drive.

The reserve operates vehicles for 10 and 20 passengers. As our group consisted of 11 persons including another family with a little boy we had the luxury of the 20 persons open sided lorry.

Plenty of space for the kids to actually move from one seat to another and not to be stuck for 2h30 in one seat.
The price (2018) was about 50.- Swiss francs per adult and ¼ of the price for kids under 4 years old, which is perfectly ok, if you think it costs 500.- per person to stay the night.

We had a great drive and our guide was very good. The kids needed a toilet break half way through and he was kind enough to place the vehicle safely so we could quickly exit.

Plenty of rhino and giraffes were amongst the sighings. Even got charged by a young elephant. Observed two sleepy lions, and finally saw a Cheetah.

By the water a hippo made a quick appearance amongst some geese. The crocodiles where rather hungry looking in their pond, whilst the wild dogs played in the shade under a tree. All rounded off by a beautiful Springbok, the African National Animal posing nicely for our cameras. What more could we have wished for.

Back at the lodge we enjoyed a nice lunch and the kids wanted to play some more in the play area. A very nice place and highly recommended if you want to see wildlife up close and go on a safari with kids.

Privat Plettenberg Bay Game Drive
Privat Plettenberg Bay Game Drive :: garden Route with Kids

Timberlake Adventure Park and Knysna Heads

Day 11
I had great expectations of the Timberlake Adventure Park. Their website promises a lot and makes this appear a paradise for young kids. Raving about their amazing play area built like a pirate-ship, the fairy wonderland and the duck ponds.

We wanted this to be the kids day and had planned to stay the day.

Unfortunately, it was rather disappointing and this is such a shame!

The play area had some broken bits where kids could easily get hurt, and the zipline was a metal chain with a metal bar to sit on with sharp edges. I guess you can picture the damage this could have caused.

The fairy garden was not as great either. The set-up was in a small enclosed and locked  part of the forest. The fairies, hobbits and dragons were covered by overgrown vegetation and leaves. A lot were broken. The good thing was that the kids enjoyed walking through and finding all the figures and playing with them.

Oh well, their coffee and muffins where delicious, and a lot of different art & craft shops added a bit to the quirky atmosphere. In the same area is also a tree top adventure park for older kids and adults. I am not able to comment on this part as we have not visited this section.

Timberland Fairy Park :: Garden route with Kids
Timberland Fairy Park :: Garden route with Kids

On the way to our accommodation, we stopped at the famous Knysna heads viewpoint and saw a shark in the deep water circling around the rocks.

This section of The Garden Route with kids has so much on offer so that you could easily spend two weeks or more just here.

Knysna Heads View point
Knysna Heads View point :: Garden Route with Kids

More activities in South Africa – Garden Route

Also in the area which you may be interested in (not visited by us)

    • Plett Puzzle Park, a life size 3-D Maze, a Forest Puzzle Walk through the natural forest and a fun Rope Maze for the kids
    • Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, the world’s first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary.
    • Birds of Eden, the world’s largest free flight aviary and bird sanctuary

Guided Tours Along the Garden Route

If you do not feel comfortable by going on this Garden route road trip along, then don’t worry. Join one of the many Guided groups whether it is for a Game drive, A whale watching tour or a wine tour. With get Your Guide you find many options suitable for many test.

 


South Africa Tips & FAQ

South Africa Itineraries & Road Trips

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Hi, my name is Corina, a mum of twins, a wife and founder of Packed Again – a Swiss Family Travel & Adventure Blog. We live in the most amazing mountain valley in Switzerland, the Valais.

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