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Genuinely Garden Route & Winelands

Tsitsikamma National Park (www.sanparks.org) is Africa’s oldest and largest marine reserve, with 50 miles of coastline, dense indigenous forests of mighty trees, miniature antelope, honey badgers and leopards, cross-crossed by tumbling rivers. It sums up what makes the Garden Route so spectacular: diversity on a massive scale. Where else can you drive for miles with lush wilderness to your left and dazzling blue ocean to your right; watch monkeys in the morning and dolphins at midday; have oysters for lunch and ostrich for dinner; or watch great white sharks on a sunset beach ride?

Don't go home without

… doing a day safari. At the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve (+27 (0)44 535 0000; www.rhinobasecamp.co.za), you can do a few hours’ game drive to gawp at rhinos and giraffe in open-sided jeeps or on horseback. Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (+27 (0)44 696 6055) near George and Mossel Bay offers 4x4 game drives, bush walks and helicopter tours – you can even picnic with elephants.

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Garden Route & Winelands hotels

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Garden Route & Winelands