After being mesmerized and meditating about our place in the universe, we all had to pee due to the sound of the falls

We started exploring the garden route from East to West. We made our way from Port Elizabeth and Jeffrey’s Bay to the beautiful Tsitsikamma National Park. From there our route took us to the Whale Spotting capital of South Africa. However we did not just admire nature but also got our adrenaline flowing when doing the highest bungee jump in the world. Get inspired to add these amazing destinations to your to-do list in this post!

Why Tsitsikamma?

This National Park is known to be one of the most beautiful of the entire garden route, and that is saying something! All nature lovers will enjoy themselves here, but also the real adrenalin junkies will not be bored in this wonderful area.

• Go Tubing on Storms River
• Enjoy a horseback ride through the forest
• Jump the highest bungee in the world of Bloukrans Bridge
• Feel like a monkey in a Canopy Tour
• Quad bike through the most breathtaking landscapes
• Hike one of the many trails for half a day
• Go crazy and do the 6 day Otter Trail hike

Why Hermanus?

Hermanus is the Whale Spotting capital of the world. If you wanna see whales, you go there. Peak season is September-November but different kind of whales can be spotted all year round. If you’re lucky!

Getting there?

Tsitsikamma is easiest to get to from Port Elizabeth. Just follow the N2 towards Cape Town for about 2,5 hours. A bit further, right on the border between East and West Cape Provinces you can find Bloukrans Bridge. This is the home of Face Adrenalin, who runs the highest bungee jump in the world. If you’re coming from Cape Town expect at least a 7 hour drive.

There are buses that will get you to Tsitsikamma but from Cape Town you’ll be looking at a 10h ride. Greyhound runs this route. From PE they also run a route and so does a company called TransLux. Cheap public transportation will be hard. Let me know if you find a practical route!

Hermanus however is very near Cape Town, about two hours driving. There are many shuttles and excursions going from the city to go Whale Spotting so getting there even without a car should not be a problem. Again Greyhound runs a route from Cape Town to Whale Town.

A worthy alternative to Road Tripping your way around the country is the BazBus. A shuttle bus that runs from hostel to hostel and stop at many of the highlights along the route, or close to them. They run three routes: CP – PE, PE – Durban and Durban – Jo’burg.

Lodging/Eating

Lodging

Since it was almost perfectly half way Jeffrey’s Bay and Hermanus we spent the night in the cozy Mile Crunchers Backpackers in Mossel Bay. The owner was super friendly but the place was rather deserted. Although I’m sure that, when it’s full, the place must be fantastic.

The second night we arrived in Cape Town and spent the night in a Hostel I don’t remember the name of, and I don’t want to. The place was dirty, crammed, and the people hanging around shady. I’ll recommend WAY better hostels to stay in my posts on our Cape Town adventures. Including probably the best one we stayed at during our whole trip.

Eating

We saved up some money by cooking for ourselves in the hostels. So we did not explore a whole of restaurant along the way. But if you enjoy a good piece of meat, do treat yourself to the Cattle Baron at the edge of the ocean at Tsitsikamma. If you’re lucky enough to get a good table you can enjoy the breathtaking view while enjoying your meal!

Our Activities

After our party nights in PE and Jeffrey’s Bay we went straight to Face Adrenalin to jump. Pumped full of adrenalin, we drove to Tsitsikamma National Park to ride out our high in the untamed nature. We hike two shorter trails: the Storms River Mouth to the suspension bridge and the slightly longer Waterfall Trail.

In Hermanus we took a Whale cruise with the only charter that was able to book us on last minute. However if we would have had a choice we probably would have gone with Southern Right Charters. However you really do need to book up front. We did not spot any marine giants, but the experience was still very nice.

Our Experiences

Into the deep

Hung over again, we pick ourself and our luggage up and drag both of them to the car. We leave Jeffrey’s Bay early after a great night in Island Vibe. We continue our itinerary and drive again along the N2 towards Tsitsikamma. Our first destination is Bloukrans bridge. The home of the one and only highest bungee jump in the world. A 216m drop towards a river and rocks.

To get there we have to actually pass by the entrance to Tsitsikamma National Park, however we do not want to spend all day with the jump looming over us. I had already done it when I passed by two years before. So I patiently waiting until all three of the other members of our Road Trip Crew tumbled towards the debts. Only to see them bounce back up again greatly relieved the cord held, despite of the jokes the Face Adrenalin crew likes to make about it.

The Waves

Once we all ticked that box on our bucket list we returned to the matter at hand: the breathtaking landscapes of Tsitsikamma National Park. We drove into the park, paid our entrance fee and headed for the Storms River Rest Camp. We got our of the car and immediately ran towards the rocky shore. The sheer power of the waves smashing themselves into the rocks had us all in awe and silent for some minutes.

After some failed attempts at a selfie with one of the spectacular waves, we realized we were hungry and paid a visit to the Cattle Baron right next to the parking lot. After a delicious meal we started the first short hike to the Suspension Bridge over Storms River Mouth. Since the normal path did not seem adventurous enough we wandered off and ended up climbing up and down some rocks to reach our destination.

The Waterfall

We all sat down on the rocks and watched over the tiny bay where the river joined the ocean. The soothing sound of the waves rolling over the tiny pebble beach calmed our adventurous souls. So we took the normal path back to the camp. However by the time we got there the soothing effect had worn off. Despite the warning signs NOT to start the waterfall trail after 2 PM. We decided that did not apply to us and headed of around 3:30 PM anyway.

The hike was slightly harder and no clear path was always visible. It went from muddy trails, to huge rock beaches and grassy hills. The only constant was the sound of the ocean at our right hand side. We made it to the falls in about an hour. The spot was absolutely gorgeous, even though the waterfall was not as spectacular as it could have due to the continuing drought. After being mesmerized and meditating about our place in the universe, we all had to pee due to the sound of the falls.

Rest in Mossel Bay

We hiked back and reached the parking lot again and our trusty tiny Ford Figo. We still had about 3 hours of driving to do before we arrived at the cozy Mile Crunchers Hostel in Mossel Bay. It became clear very fast we were one of the only guests in the hostel. The owner was very kind but informed us the town was pretty much dead on a Monday night. Slightly relieved we went to bed early after some games of pool in the lounge.

Tiny Whales?

After again an early rise and a 4 hour drive we arrived at the tiny harbour of Hermanus. High season in Whale Town had ended already but we still only found one charter that could put us on the next boat out. Rumours were going around some big whales had been spotted and filled with hope we boarded the vessel. The trip ended up being mostly us and occasionally  the professional spotters staring into the empty waves of the bay. Some commotion was caused by a group of playful dolphins but in the end we had to be satisfied with those tiny whales.

Slightly disappointed we walked up to Harbour Rock Grill and drowned our sorrow with some beers and Savannas. Feeling a bit better we started our last stretch to our final destination: Cape Town. We arrived late at night in what seemed to be rather a bar than a hostel. The very smelly bartender led us upstairs however and showed us our room.

False Start

We decided not to let the rather shabby environment get us down and after cooking a basic spaghetti carbonara we headed into town. After a drink at the Fat Cactus, meeting up shortly with some friends from Belgium, we ended up in Mojito. This place was very packed but had live music and was very cosy. Eventually we decided to explore somewhat further and ended up in Capello, where the live marimba music drew us in. We watched some crazy dance off between a Hippy and a Rasta ordered some more Savannas.

When we eventually got back to the hostel the key we got did not open the front door. Slightly frustrated we called the owner who eventually called the ‘manager’. He came down to let us in, and went straight back to being incredibly drunk and hitting on some girl in a dirty corner. We decided to get the hell out of there in the morning and find ourselves a better hostel. Oh boy did we succeed! But more on that in the next post on our Cape Town escapades!