As you might have guessed if you’ve read any of the other posts on South Africa, we drove a lot over the 2 weeks (correction – Josh drove, I navigated!). We covered over 2000km in our trusty Polo and loved every minute.
Driving is really easy and for the most part, the roads are in great condition. We went in late August/early September so the roads were a lot quieter than might be the case in peak season for routes such as the famous Garden Route along the N2.
I thought it was only right I gave the roads a bit of coverage because they were so scenic. Here were our must drives:
R62
This route might be a bit less well known and therefore less popular than the alternative Garden Route as is covers the Western to Eastern Cape inland. Don’t let that put you off, it’s stunning and the little Karoo offers a different landscape all together. There were stretches when we didn’t see another car for miles and miles! There’s lots of highlights on this route (see a post dedicated to this route here!)
Driving R62 – South Africa
R44
Even on a grey day (like ours) this is pretty spectacular. A longer route to Cape Town from Hermanus (or in our case from Hermanus to Franschhoek) but certainly worth it. The road runs around the coast towards False Bay. Stop at Betty’s Bay to see the penguins. This offers a great alternative to Boulder’s Bay, or do both!
N2
It had to make the list – the famous Garden Route is the most popular of all the routes in South Africa. It definitely lives up to its name with stunning (and very green) scenery as well as beautiful coastline. You will want to spend a number of days on this route seeing towns such as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, as well as the Tsitsikamma National Park. Top tip: Take a R102 off the N2 down to Nature’s Valley – it will extend your trip but it’s worth it for the scenery.
Chapman’s Peak Drive
This is the famous road along the Cape Peninsula starting at Hout Bay. It’s a toll road but worth the small cost. Stop in the designated spots to get some brilliant pictures back towards Cape Town. Continue to Simon’s Town for Boulder’s Beach and the penguins, as well as Kalk Bay for some great cafes and restaurants.
Chapman’s Peak Drive, South Africa
Franschhoek pass
Another grey day for us so probably not quite as wow as it could have been for us, but this road is not to be missed if the weather permits. There’s lots of bends as you come into Franschhoek valley with spectacular views across the vineyards (on a sunny day that is!).
Franschhoek South Africa