South Africa's Garden Route

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Monkeyland - fantastic stop for the family.

Breakfast at Bitou River Lodge - really nice.

Bitou River Lodge came with dogs, cats and ponies.

Dolphins accompanied us on our whale watch.

A day in the life of a sea. 

It was difficult to leave the beauty and comfort of Camp's Bay, but our South African friends advised that a trip up the Garden Route would be worth the drive. The Garden Route is a popular and scenic stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. We left Cape Town and enjoyed the drive, getting to see both coastal and in-land parts of the country. We stopped in Kynsa on the way, then checked into the Bitou River Lodge - a lovely 6 room inn on the banks of the tranquil Bitou River. Equipped with dogs, cats, ponies, and easy access to Plettenberg, it had something for everyone. Cindy, the lovely host, helped us make arrangements for dinner at Enrico's, a eatery sitting on the beach with fantastic views and equally fantastic food, and whale watching the next day. A trip to Monkeyland, a refuge for pet monkeys abandoned by their human owners, was a hit with the entire family. The Brydes - a shy and little understood whale reaching 50 feet in length, cooperated as much as these shy whales do. Never fear - the Bottlenose dolphins were out for some fun with our boat and swam with us most of the way. The seals were out in force in both number and smell. Even better - we only got mildly seasick and didn't have to join the other passengers in feeding the fish our partially digested breakfast!We enjoyed viewing them and watching the complex social life on a seal colony. It was a fantastic adventure out of Cape Town and we relish the opportunity to experience this part of South Africa's paradise.