Heavily promoted and heavily scented, the Garden Route runs along a beautiful bit of coastline in southern Western Cape, from Still Bay in the west to just beyond Plettenberg Bay in the east. The narrow coastal plain is well forested and is mostly bordered by extensive lagoons which run behind a barrier of sand dunes and superb white beaches.
Inland, the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Ranges, which are between 1000m and 1700m high and crossed by some spectacular road passes, split the coast from the semidesert Karoo.
Backpackers are well catered for, with plenty of hostels in hot competition to make sure you have a good time and stay as long as possible.
The hostels also make it feasible for those on a budget to stay during the peak summer season, when prices at other places soar. Still, you'd be advised to book ahead whether you're staying in a hostel or an upmarket hotel. If you're looking for a base, the best bet is Knysna, closely followed by Plettenberg Bay.

The Garden Route has some of the most significant tracts of indigenous forest in the country including giant yellowwood trees and many wildflowers as well as commercial plantations of eucalypt and pine. The weather is kind year-round and noticeably wetter than elsewhere; the highest chance of rainfall and grey days is from August to October.
The area is a favourite for all water sports and. A wide range of activities is offered, from diving and sailing to bungee jumping and quadbiking. There are some tacky developments dotted along the route, but you can steer clear of the worst of it, and hostel accommodation isn't too hard to find. Some of the quieter places are Mossel Bay, Herold's Bay and Buffalo Bay.
George is the major transport hub for the area and is a pleasant enough town to park your pack while you get your bearings. If you're travelling between Cape Town and the Garden Route, there's a gruelling but spectacular alternative through the mountains of the Little Karoo or Klein Karoo.
This area is renowned for ostriches, which thrive in the dry and sunny climate; for wildflowers; and for the kloofs (ravines) and passes that cut through the mountains.

Although the Garden Route is unquestionably beautiful, it is also quite heavily (and sometimes tackily) developed. Prices jump by at least 30% from late January to May and more than doubles over national December, January and Easter holidays, when the crowdshere can become ridiculous. Remember, if you leave South Africa without having seen the Garden Route it isn't a disaster; if you leave having seen only the Garden Route, it might be.