If you are travelling from Cape Town towards the Garden Route, the journey is every bit as important as the destination.
One of the highlights of our private Garden Route tour is Clarence Drive, the spectacular coastal road linking Gordon’s Bay with Rooi-Els and continuing towards Betty’s Bay.
Winding along the mountains above False Bay, Clarence Drive offers incredible views of the ocean, rugged coastline and surrounding mountains. There are numerous viewpoints along the way where we can stop, take photographs and simply enjoy the scenery.
I have driven Clarence Drive countless times, but it never gets old. For me, it is one of the highlights of the entire Garden Route journey.
The coastline is also home to an abundance of marine life. During whale season, whales can sometimes be seen from the road, while dolphins and other marine life may also be spotted offshore.
And then there are the sharks.
The waters around False Bay are famous for their great white sharks, and from certain viewpoints along Clarence Drive, it is possible to look down into the clear coastal waters. I have personally seen a great white shark from the road, which is something I will never forget.
Clarence Drive has even featured in motoring programmes such as Top Gear, thanks to its combination of sweeping bends, spectacular scenery and ocean views.
As we continue towards the Garden Route, we can also visit Betty’s Bay, home to the Stony Point African penguin colony. This makes the journey from Cape Town a memorable experience in its own right, rather than simply a long drive between two destinations.
This is what I love about private touring. We don’t simply rush from Cape Town to the Garden Route using the quickest possible route. We take the scenic route, stop when there is something worth seeing and make the journey part of the adventure.
Clarence Drive isn’t an optional extra on our Garden Route tour. It’s part of the experience.
If you are planning a private Garden Route tour from Cape Town, I’d be happy to show you why this road remains one of my favourite parts of the journey.
