After having spent a few days in Knysna, our journey along the amazing Garden Route continues towards St. Francis and Port Elizabeth.
We stop at the Tsitsikamma National Park – a long coastal strip between Nature’s Valley and the mouth of the Storms River. In the park the visitor finds an almost untouched natural and spectacular scenery. There are several trails; for example, the Otter Trail starts at the Storms River camp and the South African National Parks has laid out several short trails for day visitors.
The Suspension Bridge and Lookout Trail is an easy stroll. On the other side of the bridge there is a short but very steep climb to a lookout point from which you have a spectacular view.
The next stop of our trip is in St. Francis Bay, which is a paradise for watersports enthusiasts: It boasts white sandy beaches and ideal conditions for surfing.
But St. Francis Bay is also very fascinating because of the numerous canals. Lots of superb de luxe holiday homes are built along these canals from where one can get to the Kromme River by boat.
About 10 kilometres south of St. Francis Bay lies Cape St. Francis with its impressive lighthouse. There you can have beautiful walks or just admire the breathtaking sunset.
Oh … and by the way, don’t miss the delicious fish restaurant Chokka Block in Port St. Francis. Chokka Block is the restaurant with the reputation of the best calamari in the village and fresh fish straight from the fisher boats! Try the Kingklip, a firm white fish typical to South Africa. Yummy!
St. Francis is also very well known for the world class golf course designed by Jack Niklaus. The course is characterised by undulating terrain, greens and variation in length and direction. Needless to say, that it is quite challenging to play, but you get rewarded by the fantastic scenery!
A few days later our journey continued and we arrived in Port Elizabeth where we stayed at The Windermere – a very charming boutique hotel.
Port Elizabeth is South Africa’s second oldest city and also the commercial capital of the Eastern Cape. Port Elizabeth has many historical attractions. It was The Red Location Museum though, which left a lasting impression on us. It is well worth a visit if you are interested in the history of apartheid and the struggle for freedom. The museum has scooped several prestigious awards.
