The Garden Route with Kids: What We Loved, What Closed on Us, and What We'd Do Differently
Quick lunch with a view after the Marine Safari in route to Cape Town
The Garden Route with Kids: What We Loved, What Closed on Us, and What We'd Do Differently
By Morgan
Four days on one of the most beautiful drives in the world, a shark cage that wasn't quite what we pictured, a whale we almost missed, and a KFC dinner in a small coastal town because everything else had already closed. Here's the honest Garden Route guide.
The Garden Route was one of the parts of our South Africa trip we were most excited about, and in a lot of ways it delivered but there are things we wish we had known or done differently. The coastline is genuinely stunning, the small towns have real character, and having a private driver for four full days meant we could move at our own pace and see things we never would have found on our own. But we also left with a list of things we'd do differently, and this post is that list, written honestly so you can plan a better version of this trip than we did.
Lizell, our driver picked us up from the safari lodge and had us cold drinks, snacks, and the kids some car games to play in route to our first stop on the Garden Route.
Our Setup: Four Days with Lizell
Our private driver Lizell picked us up at Founder's Lodge by Mantis after our game reserve stay and was with us for four full days through the Garden Route and into Cape Town. Having a private driver for this stretch was one of the best decisions of the trip. The Garden Route is not the kind of road we want to navigate ourselves for the first time being there while also managing kids, luggage, and figuring out which businesses are actually open on a Sunday or Monday in a small coastal town. Lizell was wonderful, knowledgeable, and genuinely made the whole experience work. If you're planning this route, hire a private driver or if you know how to drive on the opposite side of the road, rent a car.
The Marine Big 5 Safari and Seeing a Shark Cage Dive in Gansbaai: Managing Expectations
Let's start with the experience that generated the most family discussion. We pulled up for the Marine Big 5 Safari and was hoping to see a dolphin, whale, seal, penguin, and shark. For the shark, the company pulls up on a shark cage dive operation which is also out of Gansbaai and the reality was pretty different from what the name implies. A few things worth knowing before you book this for your family if its something you are considering…
First, it is not a dive in the traditional sense unless you are scuba certified. For everyone else, you are neck-deep in a cage that sits at the surface of the water. The cage does not go under. You lean forward and look down into the water when a shark passes beneath you, which is genuinely interesting, but it is a different experience from what the word "dive" suggests. I personally would not book this experience for the price knowing what we know now and seeing it.
Second, the sharks we saw were small. We were not watching great whites circle the boat. The marine life was there, but it was not the dramatic encounter we had imagined. Also, it is important to note, this is wildlife. There is NEVER a guarantee of any sightings.
This was not a private boat ride, and the weather was a little rough for an early morning ride!
Third, and most importantly for anyone prone to seasickness: the water in that area can be rough, and on our day it was. Half the people on the boat were sick over the side. The conditions are genuinely unpredictable and there is no way to know what you're getting until you're out there.
Jed's verdict, which we think is the right one: skip it. The marine safari in Gansbaai is a one-and-done experience for most families, and not in the good way. There are better ways to spend a half day on the Garden Route, and if a real great white shark encounter is on your bucket list, research dedicated great white dive operations more carefully before booking anything and know that the orcas chased a lot of the Great Whites out of the bay here and they’ve moved down towards Jeffreys Bay and Plet Bay according to the local shark spotters.
De Kelders and the Garden Route Towns: What to Know
We spent two nights along the Garden Route with a stops in De Kelders, the area around Plettenberg Bay, and Jeffreys Bay. The scenery throughout was beautiful. De Kelders in particular sits above dramatic cliffs over the ocean and the views are the kind that make you stop mid-sentence. We had a beautiful villa here which was amazing and would be great for a longer stay during warmer months!
Benton loved this villa and the location was amazing! We were hoping to see whales off the balcony in De Kelders!
We did see one whale from De Kelders, which felt like a genuine gift. The area around De Kelders and Hermanus is one of the best land-based whale watching spots in the world, but timing matters enormously. The whale season in this region runs roughly July through November, peaking in September and October when southern right whales come into the bays to calve and nurse. We were there in late May, just before the season really kicks off, which is why we only caught one. If whale watching is a priority for your family, plan your Garden Route timing around that window.
Catching the sunset and whale tales in De Kelders
One thing the Garden Route towns will teach you quickly: businesses keep their own hours and those hours are not always what you'd expect. We arrived in De Kelders and made it to a grocery store fifteen minutes before it closed, just barely getting enough food for breakfast the next morning. Dinner that night was KFC because nearly everything else in town had already shut for the evening. This is not a complaint about the town, it's just the reality of small coastal communities in South Africa, especially in the off season. Build extra time into your evenings, check hours before you arrive anywhere, and have a backup plan for dinner.
What the Storms Closed
The Western Cape had taken some hard storms in the period before our visit and a number of attractions were closed because of storm damage. The ostrich farm and Cango Caves area near Oudtshoorn had closures we hadn't anticipated so we’re glad we didn’t end up booking those experiences or the morning meercat one that I really wanted to do, and the famous suspension bridge near Plettenberg Bay was also shut. These are two of the more popular stops on the classic Garden Route itinerary, so if they're on your list, check current conditions before you go. Storm damage in the region can close things for extended periods and the information online isn't always current.
Knysna Elephant Park: Worth a Morning
Knysna Elephant Park stop on the Garden Route
One stop that we had planned and did was at the Knysna Elephant Park. We spent a morning there and the kids got to walk directly beside the elephants and feed them fruit. The elephants at Knysna are orphaned animals that were rescued and are being rehabilitated, which gives the experience a different weight than a standard wildlife encounter. It is a one-and-done experience for us in the sense that we wouldn't need to go back, but it was nice and if its something you have not done before, it’s worth a try! If you have a morning free on the Garden Route, this may be a good use of it.
Rae was not a huge fan of feeding the elephants
The Coastal Towns and Camps Bay
Even in winter, people were surfing in the coastal towns all along this stretch of coastline, which gives the whole route an active, outdoor energy even in the off season. Coming into Cape Town, Camps Bay stopped us in our tracks. The beach is beautiful, the backdrop of the Twelve Apostles mountain range is dramatic, and the strip along the water has great energy. We didn't have enough time to explore it properly and it's high on our list for a return trip. If your Cape Town itinerary has any flexibility, build in a few hours at Camps Bay.
What We'd Do Differently
Two nights on the Garden Route was not enough. We knew it might be tight and it was. The route deserves at least four nights if you want to actually settle into the towns rather than just pass through them. Our recommendation would be to split your nights between two bases: two nights somewhere around Plettenberg Bay or Jeffreys Bay, and two nights near De Kelders or Hermanus. That gives you enough time to explore each area without feeling rushed, and enough buffer to deal with the reality that some things will be closed and some days the weather will make certain activities impossible.
If you're going specifically for whale watching, wait until September or October. The landscape is beautiful in May and June but the whale activity is not at its peak yet. And skip the shark cage dive in Gansbaai unless you've done a lot of research and have very specific expectations going in. There are better experiences waiting for you along this coastline.
In Hindsight: Would We Do the Garden Route Again in May?
This is the question we've talked about most since coming home. The honest answer is that if we were planning this exact trip again, knowing what we know now, we would seriously consider skipping the Garden Route in May and using those days differently.
The Garden Route is genuinely beautiful and we don't regret seeing it. But May is not its best season. The whale watching hadn't started yet, the storm damage had closed some of the most popular attractions, the small towns close early and have limited options in the off season, and two nights wasn't enough time to do it justice even if everything had been open. It felt like we got a partial version of something that deserves to be experienced fully.
If we were rebuilding our itinerary, those Garden Route days would go one of three places. The first option would be more time in Cape Town, which we loved and left wishing we had stayed longer. The second would be Mauritius as an add-on after South Africa, which would have given us the warm water and beach experience the Garden Route couldn't quite deliver in May. The third would be a second safari at a different reserve entirely, somewhere like Sabi Sands in the Greater Kruger area, which offers a different landscape and different wildlife density than Founder's Lodge and would have let us go deeper into the safari experience we came for.
There were SO many stopping points on the beaches on the Garden Route. It was surprisingly calm after the massive storms last week when Jeffrey’s Bay usually has barrel’s of waves rolling in.
None of that means skip the Garden Route forever. It means be honest about what the season allows and make the call that's right for your trip. If you're going in September or October with enough nights to do it properly, the Garden Route should absolutely be on your itinerary. If you're going in May with limited time, think carefully about whether it's the best use of your days. I would 100% choose to drive this over a week and have more time in locations on the route if time allows!
Things We Learned About South Africa That Nobody Told Us
Some of the most interesting parts of traveling somewhere new are the small things that catch you off guard, not in a bad way, just in a "oh, this is how it works here" way. South Africa had several of those moments and we think they're worth sharing so you're not caught off guard the way we were.
The parking attendants
In parking lots and areas around South Africa you will likely encounter men and women in reflective vests who help direct you into a space and watch your car while you're inside. This is not an official government program. These are community members, often from areas with very high unemployment, who have taken it upon themselves to offer a service in exchange for a tip. They are not harassing you or running a scam. When you return to your car, tip them in rand. It's a small amount of money for you and it matters a great deal to them. Once we understood what was happening it felt completely natural and we appreciated it every time.
The approach to plastic
South Africa has made a serious cultural shift away from single-use plastic and it is noticeable from day one. Drinks come in glass bottles or aluminum cans almost everywhere. Plastic water bottles are far less common than you'd expect. There is very little of the disposable plastic waste that you see normalized in the United States. It took a small adjustment but honestly we appreciated it, and it made us more aware of how much plastic we take for granted at home.
Ice is not assumed
Drinks come without ice unless you ask for it specifically. This is the norm rather than the exception. If you like a cold drink, just ask. Nobody will look at you strangely. It's simply not the default the way it is in America.
The grocery store experience
South African grocery stores operate differently from what American families are used to and in a genuinely good way. In the produce section, a staff member is stationed there specifically to weigh your items and print a price label before you head to checkout. It keeps the line moving efficiently and gives someone a job that in the United States would either be automated or left to the customer to figure out at a self-checkout kiosk. Throughout the store you'll notice more staffed positions in general, security at entrances, attended checkout lanes, people sorting recyclables. It is intentional. Employment matters deeply in South Africa and the infrastructure of daily life reflects that.
The USD to rand conversion
When we were there, 200 rand converted to just over 14 US dollars. Let that sink in for a moment. Food especially felt very affordable compared to what we spend at home. A meal that would cost your family 80 or 100 dollars in the United States might run a fraction of that in South Africa. Carry some rand in cash, tip generously by local standards, and don't be surprised when the bill comes and it feels almost too reasonable.
The people
This one is harder to put into a practical tip because it's more of a feeling. South Africa has an unemployment rate that is genuinely very high, and yet the people we encountered everywhere, at the lodge, along the Garden Route, in Cape Town, in parking lots, in grocery stores, were warm, hardworking, and proud of what they were doing. Things that have been automated away in the United States, luggage porters, fast track assistance, attended checkout lanes, security at shop entrances, still exist here and exist because they give people a way to earn a living. We came home with a lot of respect for that and a little more awareness of what we've lost by automating everything at home. Tip well, say thank you, and take a moment to actually talk to the people you encounter. It was one of the best parts of the whole trip.
Getting your check
Along the same lines, restaurants in South Africa will not bring your bill until you ask for it. This is not slow service. It is considered rude to rush a table, and the assumption is that you are there to enjoy your meal and your company for as long as you like. Ask for the bill when you're ready and not a moment before. It's a genuinely lovely way to dine and we wished we had brought that habit home with us.
Is the Garden Route Right for Your Family?
If you are visiting South Africa for the first time and your trip falls between September and November, the Garden Route deserves a real spot in your itinerary. Give it at least four nights, base yourself in two different towns, book a private driver, and time it for whale season. Done right, it is one of the most scenic and varied drives in the world and worth every day you spend on it.
If you are visiting in May or June, think carefully before committing those days to the Garden Route. The landscape is still beautiful but the whale season has not started, storm closures are more likely, the small towns close early, and you will need more time than you think to do it justice. You may be better served spending those days in Cape Town, adding on Mauritius for a warm weather ending to the trip, or using them for a second safari experience at a reserve like Sabi Sands where the wildlife density and landscape are completely different from the Limpopo region.
Spacious rooms in downtown Plet Bay
Either way, South Africa will surprise you. It surprised us in the best possible ways, and the Garden Route, even with everything that didn't go to plan, was part of a trip our family will talk about for a very long time.
