Use normal travel precautions as in any unfamiliar place. Below are some tips to help keep you safe and healthy so that you can enjoy the beauty and bounty gardening can bring. Service technician, assistant manager, occupational health nurse and more on. Infact, the route seems to be full of uk pensioners poodling around in hire cars.
Otherwise, do so at a safe distance from the vehicle and roadway. Find information for mature and elderly drivers, including tips on driving safely, when to think about turning in the keys, and taking a mature driver safety course. Safety in cape town and garden route south africa forum. The stretch of road known as the garden route officially runs from. Train and rovos rail have very high levels of security and safety but can still be impacted by delays en route. Agulhas the southernmost tip of africa or explore inland route 62. Known as the garden route, the road trip gets its name from the garden route national park that it covers, and the diverse vegetation and wildlife, and abundance of lagoons, lakes, mountains, forests, and beaches along its winding roads. The most popular routes are selfdriving along the n1 or n2 before hitting the garden route proper. If you are a beginner or expert gardener, health and safety should always be a priority. Welcome to garden route high on the mustsee lists of most visitors to south africa is the garden route, and with good reason.
Hi, my husband and i would are planning a trip to cape town and would really like to tour the garden route. A study conducted by researchers at virginia tech reported that 20 percent of all accidents have sleepiness as a contributing factor source. Hire a car and tour the garden route at your own pace if youre including the eastern capes game reserves on your itinerary then youll join other guests on guided 4x4 game drives. The area is a real paradise for camping lovers, awesome campsites are one of the reasons we enjoyed the garden route selfdrive trip so much. Gardening can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get physical activity, beautify the community, and grow nutritious fruits and vegetables. No matter how skilled of a driver you are, its a good idea to reflect on the basics of traffic safety from time to time just to make sure that you are being careful enough to keep yourself and other drivers and pedestrians as safe as possible. Good access points to the garden route include cape town and george. Sorry to intrude on your question but i am specifically interested in safety related to leaving bags in the car.
Remember to keep to the left and pass on the right. If you want to go from the greatwhite shark breading ground up through the garden route and take in the intense and pure natural beauty of this country,then your in the right place,trip will take a good few hrs, but there are plenty of opportunities to. By learning the route beforehand, you avoid the distractions of looking at a. Transfers and tours on the garden route are conducted in modern mini buses or sedan cars, but with such easy roads, great scenery and dozens of places to stay, its a popular selfdrive destination. If a driver is tired enough to actually fall asleep while driving, the results are predictable.
Before you take on the major highways, take some time to practice and adjust to driving on the left. Vital information to help keep you and yours safe when you have an airbagequipped car. If you are planning to selfdrive, it is best to stick to these safety tips on driving in. This is a 7day garden route itinerary but its possible to shrink it to 3 or 4 days or stretch it for 10 days or even 2 weeks. We were nervous about the safety of the start of the n2 in cape town due to other posts but actually found it was fine high speed motorway for most of it, so no problems with pedestrianshawkers etc. Beautiful camping spots inside wilderness national park, at the riverbank, grassy area, great. The distance from mossel bay in the west to storms river in the east is just over 200km, yet the range of topography, vegetation, wildlife and outdoor. Garden route travel advice best tips for travelling to. Selfdriving the garden route cape town central forum.
Is it safe to drive the garden route in south africa. Garden route western cape 2020 all you need to know. The garden route officially starts in mossel bay and finishes in stormsrivier. This selfdrive route offers a wide array of activities, like going on wine tasting tours in the mountains, relaxing on the many beaches, and even cage diving with great white sharks. If anyone has any thoughts or concerns on the safety of doing this please share.
For something a bit tamer yet equally enjoyable, we visited the ostrich farms in oudtshoorn yes finally. Here are 12 fantastic places on the garden route that will need at. Safety and security south africa travel advice gov. Our 20192020 guide to best of garden route, south africa ebook. Health safety jobs now available in garden route, western cape. Todays journey takes you south, out of the arid karoo and on to the legendary garden route. In south africa, you will need to adjust to driving on the left side of the road. In most cases, this may not be an issue, but there are times when you must travel to a destination in an area in which you are unfamiliar.
This selfdrive route offers a wide array of activities, like going on. South africas garden route is fast becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in south africa, after cape town and kruger national park. To ensure your holiday goes as smoothly as possible, here are some safety dos and donts for driving the garden route. The garden route is dotted with game reserves that provide a perfect opportunity to see the big 5.
The price provided is a per person guideline based on two people sharing a room. Self drive tours take in the major tourist areas of garden route please bear in mind that all tours can be customized to suit your individual requirements and special interests. You can do boatbased whale watching tours on the garden route but if youre driving to or. Travel at your own pace presents a selection of self drive tours and selfdrive travel packages suited to the first time or seasoned visitor alike.
The garden route is probably one of the most popular destinations in south. We are in our early 50s and love walking and were intending to walk in the national parks around wilderness and tsitsikamma as well as around. The central part of the garden route is formed by the coastline of the indian ocean. Each year about 400,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries. The garden route is a long stretch of coastline in south africa that runs from. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the road safety signs of south africa. If youre expecting a horticultural holiday with a string of designer gardens to inspect, seed catalogues in hand, youre going to feel. Ultimate garden route itinerary written by locals stingy. If you want to enjoy short driving days, stay in beautiful places, do. Even on a relatively straight highway, a sleeping driver will eventually drift off the road. We were hoping to do a self drive from cape town to port elizabeth in january but have been put off by reports of muggings and other crimes against tourists. Our preference would be to rent a car and selfdrive, however we have some concerns about safety. My husband and i are considering to go by car from cape town to george and maybe knysna.
Finish the day at the unique tsala treetop lodge where guests sleep amid the forest canopy, experiencing romance, luxury and adventure. Practical information for the garden route holiday. The cape floral kingdom a world heritage site is the smallest of the six floral kingdoms in the world. Safety experts agree that under most circumstances if you are. Renowned among travelers across the world as one of the most beautiful selfdrive routes, the garden route encompasses diverse landscapes, toprated wine estates, national parks teeming with w ildlife, sumptuous seafood cuisine, pristine swimming beaches, and a number of thrilling experiences. The garden route selfdrive tour which focuses on the beautiful coastal region between mossel bay and port elizabeth. Following these ten rules ensures that your driving is safe and courteous to all who share the road with you. Check out these tips to reduce hazards when taking wide equipment onto the road. Turn on the lights and walk around the vehicle to ensure that all lights are in working order. Health safety jobs in garden route, western cape april. Travel safety along garden route garden route message. However, there are certain physical factors that deteriorate as we age and affect our proficiency behind the wheel. The ultimate garden route road trip itinerary the blonde abroad. This coastal drive whisks you past sweeping beaches, through small towns and across swathes of protected forests.
Travelling along an area with so many different environments, like driving the garden route, can call for some hectic packing. Lawn and garden safety tips written by doityourself staff. Staying safe when using ridehailing services consumer. Driving safety is like any other country in the world drive defensively and make sure youre in a wellmaintained vehicle. I could spend hours observing them waddle awkwardly, tip over, fall down, and get back up only. I sent my 66 year old parents off on their own in a hired car to enjoy the garden route. Garden route travel advice best tips for travelling to the garden.
I have done several self drive trips in the cape and garden route. The most important safety feature and the key to ensuring that you reach your destination safely is first and foremost a safe driver. One thing i would like to say though is that there is nothing to be nervous about cape town and the garden route, they are one of the main tourist areas. The route from cape town to hermanus is the first leg of south africas incredibly scenic and wellmaintained garden route, a coastal meander that is. Everything you need for driving the garden route on your road trip through south. Now that you know its safe, heres how to do it properly. Come and do the garden route in the unlikely event that you do break down someone is more likely to stop and help you than attack you. However, my family and i will be road tripping the garden route so will not be able to leave our stuff at a hotel so not everything will be able to fit in the trunk. You cant help but be seduced by garden routes numerous seaside towns, worldclass vineyards and stunning beaches. Theres a 300kilometer stretch of coastal road on the south west tip of south africa regarded as the most beautiful region in the country. There have even been reports of people being targeted on table mountain and car hi jacking. South africans drive on the left hand side of the road, and all signposts are written in english. We are a family of four two kids aged and 10, and were travelling to sa in september 2019. A comprehensive set of maps of the garden route, south africa.
A complete guide to south africas gorgeous garden route. Garden route road trip in south africa zen travellers. Many safety tips will tell you to sit behind the passenger seat, says beth warford, founder of and a personalsafety and selfdefense. Renting a car in south africa is easy and for the most part, driving there isnt too difficult. Safety issues driving the garden route in south africa. Refresh your defensive driving skills and knowledge of the rules of the road by going through a safe driving course, such as an aarp driver safetys classroom or online courses, both excellent ways to hone. Whether youre just getting ready to hit the road or have been driving for months.
Garden route 6 day self drive holiday on the go tours au. While our backyards and gardens are usually peaceful havens from the worlds hustle and bustle, their upkeep can lead to injury when proper safety precautions are not followed. I have heard that it is not a good idea to leave anything in your car, not even a charger. Get a sim card to always have access to your phones gps and emergency contact numbers. Plan five days at a minimum to take advantage of all that is on offer here. Before i share my garden route itinerary, here are some essential tips to help. We opted for a selfdrive safari at the addo national park and loved every moment of it. Make the call from inside your vehicle if you are safely out of traffic. If you have a cell phone, immediately use it to call for help. Sorry to disappoint, but the garden route tag is a misnomer.
Ultimate garden route itinerary written by locals stingy nomads. Driving in south africa is generally safe and enjoyable, and it is easy see the major highlights in a 2 or 3 week driving holiday. It is the indigenous vegetation fynbos, which puts the garden into the garden route. It is about as scary and dangerous as driving off into kansas or herefordshire. We made a rookie mistake by stopping along the highway on garden route to.
Includes a hybrid physical political map showing the major towns of the region, the largest game reserves and the national roads, relief map showing the terrain in the garden route and street level maps of george, knysna, mossel bay and plettenberg bay. It is law to wear a seat belt at all times, and using a mobile phone when driving is prohibited. Every town on the garden route eludes a unique charm so our advice to travelers is to explore as many of the towns along the garden route as. The best way to travel southafrica is by road, although many of the roads are third world,but mostall of the main roadsroutes are superb. Our safari holidays can depart any day of the year and offer a choice of accommodation. Multiple studies indicate using a cell phone while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk. To the north it is bordered by the little karoo, a semidesert region. As more and more pennsylvania drivers mature, they and their families face a whole new set of challenges when it comes to operating a motor vehicle. A selfdrive along the garden route and route 62 is a liberating and rewarding way to explore some of south africas most beautiful country. Guides are on hand to keep everyone safe and ensure the freeroaming ellies are always relaxed. But we want to be sure the route is safe for tourists. Speed limits change frequently, so make sure to keep an eye.
Garden route 6 day self drive holiday on the go tours. Use caution with night driving due to people or animals along roadways. Read our triedandtrusted garden route travel advice to find out about. We are thinking of renting a car and self drive along the garden route from cape town down to port elizabeth. A locals guide to driving the garden route cheapflights. Garden route selfdrive safety garden route message. The garden route in the western cape is one of south africas main tourist attractions and is generally thought to stretch from mossel bay to st francis along the indian ocean and also includes parts of the inland regions. Safety on garden route garden route forum tripadvisor. Look for any fluid leaks or things hanging from the vehicle. Whether youre looking for a quick safari in the kruger national park, a city break in cape town or selfdrive along south africas famed garden route, we have a selection of safari holidays to suit. Garden route safety concerns cape town central forum.
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