28/05/2024
Delicious Destination!
Plettenberg Bay
Walkers Beach & The Bungalow
Plettenberg Bay is located along South Africaās Garden Route and is one of South Africaās most loved towns. Known for its natural beauty, outdoor activities and relaxed atmosphere. To my mind Plett is the epicentre of Garden Route awesomeness! Here are some reasons to visit:
Stunning Beaches
Plettenberg Bay is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in South Africa. Robberg Beach, Lookout Beach and Keurbooms Beach are some examples of where you can relax, swim, surf, and enjoy the coastal scenery.
Outdoor Activities
The area offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking in Robberg Nature Reserve, whale watching, dolphin encounters, kayaking and zip-lining through the treetops. Plett is also a great destination for water sports enthusiasts. Surfing, paddle boarding, snorkelling and Iāve heard scuba diving (?) too.
If you can tackle just one outdoor activity, whilst visiting, hiking Robberg Nature Reserve is my recommendation. The nature reserve is a must visit for nature lovers, offering breathtaking views of the coastline.
Caffeine, Wining and Dining
Good coffee, excellent pubs / bars and good food are an essential part of travel. I like to find places with a unique setting, views and or a good vibe, that is authentic to the area. Plettenberg Bay has a vibrant food scene with a variety of restaurants, cafes and wine estates where you can sample delicious local cuisine and wines. Zinziās (Tsala), Barringtonās, Cornuti Stella Luna, The Restaurant & Sandbar (The Plettenberg) and The Lookout Deck are some of my favs. Iāve heard Emily Moon has a great bar and that Enricoās, in Keurbooms are great too.
Shopping
Watch that credit card as you will be tempted! Exploring the town's boutiques, art galleries and craft markets you will find unique souvenirs and gifts to take home.
Scenic Drives
Take a drive in and around Plett. The Garden Route is one of the most scenic routes in the world and Plett has picturesque coastal towns and landscapes within its surrounds.
Relaxation and Wellness
Plett is a popular destination for wellness retreats, spas and yoga centers where you can unwind, rejuvenate and connect with nature in a tranquil setting. Iāve not immersed myself in this aspect but believe that there are some special offerings, in and around town.
Accommodation
Plett offers a great range of places to rest your head at night. From world class luxury destinations to affordable family stays. If youāve been following me you will know that Iāve worked in the luxury hospitality space, for 18 years and have had the privilege of experiencing the best of the best. At the same time, my passion, being small towns, means that I love finding hidden gems, many of them affordable. Whilst pondering on the price some of our most exclusive hotels and lodges, I implore you to consider how many people they employ and the standards that they maintain. More so, many of these hospitality offerings are very involved in upliftment projects, so much so that one is astounded to learn of the depth of these efforts. I plan on sharing more about that very soon, on The Safari Guys FB page.
Tsala Treetop Lodge, Hunters Country House, The Plettenberg Hotel and Walkers Beach are some of the more exclusive offerings whilst Beacon Isle is a South African family favourite. The Bungalow and Old Rectory have excellent locations whilst Barringtonās and The Robberg Beach Lodge offer accommodation at competitive pricing ā¦ itās worth considering a low season visit, should you wish to get more for less spend.
These are just a few of the many ingredients that make Plettenberg Bay a delicious destination.
Important note
As a surfer (not a talented one) and a person who loves swimming, I know that the ocean is home to great joys and great dangers. Many of us will know of the tragic shark attacks that occurred over the past few years, in Plett. Action has been taken and I believe there are spotters and drones employed to keep bathers safe. Look at the top of the Beacon Island Hotel, next time youāre in town.
As always, please feel free to correct any errors that I may have made, above, or add more details. The reasons that I take the time to share this information is because Iām passionate about travel, itās my industry and mostly because I want to spread good news about our country. We are a land full of natural beauty and even more so, a country full of beautiful souls ā¦ never forget that and donāt feel afraid to shout about our good news. A new reason, for me sharing, is that some have commented that they cannot travel, for various reasons. Health, age, live far away, finances etc ā¦ this is also written for the armchair travellers šæš¦š©µšæš¦
Iāll include the below text, on all of my Cape 2 Kenton posts, for context:
Visiting Small Town South Africa goes hand in hand with road tripping, you canāt have one without the other and most of us, who love dorpies, love a great road trip too!
I recently embarked on a 3000km journey throughout large sections of the Weatern & Eastern Cape ā¦ my son Cole, was my wingman & Iām looking forward to sharing that Journey with you, starting today.
Some background
How is it that I get to gallivant so frequently? I am involved in both the print publication industry (Embassy Direct is a diplomatic publication) and the luxury travel market (The Safari Guys). My role in each often entails travelling to many of Southerm Africaās finest lodges and most sought after destinations. Whilst I love what I do, all who know me well, know that my passion is small town South Africa & road tripping our beautiful country šæš¦
Luxury Lodges & Hotels
From time to time people express their shock at the rates that some of our most exclusive hotels and lodges command but Iād like to remind all that many of these properties are amongst the worldās best! South Africa is a country that desperately needs to create more jobs and the hospitality industry is a place where a good attitude and friendly disposition can get one employed. The luxury travel industry is a major employer, in our country. I mention this to avoid getting into negative debates related to one of our lands best news stories - these lodges attract folks from around the world. My wish is to shine more light on this good news, to create a better understanding of the industry and of course, to encourage not only South Africans but internationals, to visit our Dorpies!!!!
Back to my recent journey. Itās my firm belief that one of the very best road trips one can embark on, in SA, is from Cape Town to Kenton on Sea ā¦ as such we (The Safari Guys) run itineraries called āCape 2 Kentonā on the route and one of the reasons for my trip was to look at new lodges / hotels, along the way
Below is a breakdown of what I will be sharing over the next few weeks. If you add all the kilometres together youāll get about 2500km but will explorationās around each stop, I came in at 3000km!
Trip Overview
Approximate distances and times, without stops, of which I try to make as many as possible.
Cannon Rocks - Plettenberg Bay
360km / 4 hours
Walkers Beach & The Bungalow
Plettenberg Bay - Wilderness
81km
The Old Post Office Lodge
Wilderness - Franschhoek (including Hoekwil)
425km
La Fontaine
Franschhoek - Camps Bay
81km
POD Camps Bay
Camps Bay - Durbanville
35km
Protea Hotel
Durbanville - West Coast National Park (via Darling)
100km
Kraalbaai Houseboats
West Coast National Park - Langebaan
40km
The Farmhouse Hotel
Langebaan - Cape Town
140km
The One & Only Cape Town and The Victoria & Alfred Hotel
Cape Town - Hermanus (via Clarence Drive)
121km
The Marine Hermanus & One Marine Drive
Hermanus - Arniston (via Elim)
121km
Arniston Spa Hotel
Arniston - Van Wyksdorp
250km
Watermill Farm Cottages
Van Wyksdorp - Cradock
600km
Die Tuishuise and Victoria Manor Cradock
Cradock - Cannon Rocks (via Bedford)
245km
This first picture Iām sharing is of the scene that bid us farewell, when leaving our home village, of Cannon Rocks, in the Eastern Cape.
Look out for the next instalment, between my other posts
by Ron Mackenzie, our Chief Wandering Officer
Experience Walkers Beach for less this winter season, with rates from R2,691 per room per night.
On top of that, you can book for 3 nights and get a complimentary 4th night!
Contact [email protected] for more information.
