While doing our road trip along the Garden Route I reviewed two hotels. They were both wonderful places to stay and I can’t say enough good things about both of them to anyone that will listen. So, I’m going to tell you too. Along with some other fun things we did along the way, between the hotel stops.
The first hotel I reviewed was Tsala Treetop Lodge. It’s a quiet, serene place to stay away from the city. Plus, my own private pool. Woohoo! Ok, I had to share with my friend, but still. This is the second time in my life I’ve had my own pool. I thought the first time was a once in a lifetime thing, but I was happy to be wrong, on that point, at least. Tsala is a great place to unplug and connect with nature or your travel companions (even though there’s wifi and TV—you don’t need it). To me, this was a great rest stop after two weeks of being on the road or in the air. The suites are set up so that the lines between outside and in are blurred. It’s truly a great nature escape and a good spot to stay and explore the nature that surrounds the area. You can read more about the hotel in my review, plus there’s a link to book your stay! If I’ve convinced you enough that Africa is now on your bucket list.
Bridge adventures on the Garden Route
Things to explore near Tsala include the tallest bungee jumping bridge in the world, Bloukrans Bridge. Even if you aren’t going to jump you can still go out on the bridge. If that’s too scary or it’s raining, like when we visited, you can watch from the viewing area (indoors or out). It’s really cool to see people jumping. I was wishing we had more time and I had a better back so that I too, could jump.
The other cool bridge to see in the area is the Paul Sauer Bridge, also known as Storms River bridge. I almost caused my friend to veer off the road as I shouted when we drove over. “Holy crap that’s beautiful!” Good news, there’s a rest area near by, with a walk way under the bridge. There’s also a sidewalk on the bridge so you can walk out on it and observe the beauty of the gorge. Stick your toes off the edge, take photos, you know, the crazy things I do. Tsitsikamma National Park is just down the river from Storms River Bridge with fun hikes, suspension foot bridges, a waterfall and beach access. You could even stay there on the beach if you wanted to. Alas, we did not stay, we had our night in the trees.
If you haven’t seen any elephants on safari check out the elephant park near by Tsala. Or maybe you have, so you go anyway because you love elephants. We passed on that this time around since we had our fair share in the Mara.
I know what you are thinking, “Holy crap, that’s Storms River? That’s beautiful!” But there’s so much more beauty to be had in South Africa. This barely scratches the surface. I couldn’t take enough photos to capture the beauty to be had in Africa.
The edge of the Earth
Before you get to Cape Town, make sure you detour to the southern most point in Africa, where the Indian and the Pacific Ocean meet. It’s a fun place to stop, complete with a lighthouse, rocky shore, boardwalk and commemorative plaque. We gazed at the water, snapped some goofy photos and then hoped back in the car so we could get to Cape Town before it was too late.
Arriving at our last stop in Africa
Coming into Cape Town we had quite the welcome. An absolutely stunning sunset on the mountains. We had to stop driving a couple times just to capture it’s changing beauty.
The other hotel I reviewed was close to one of the best beaches in Cape Town. You can walk there from the hotel. The hotel is on a quiet street with great views of the water. The service is stellar and there’s a great breakfast, spa, pool and work out room too! You can read more about it on the review site, plus there’s a link to book your stay or share it with your friends! I highly recommend it as a place to stay if you like personal service.
Up next: Cape Town and my travel mishaps.
Previous African adventures: my dream safari, wandering through Stone Town in Zanzibar, detouring through Lesotho, five star service and Garden Route adventures.
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