For us, travel is all about the destination rather than the accommodation. We focus on the activities and exploring the location and things to do in an area rather than what bed we sleep in. However, there are certain places with such unique accommodation that the bed becomes the destination all in itself.
We put together this list of weird and wonderful places to stay in the Garden Route with a delightfully quirky road trip in mind – starting at Port Elizabeth and ending in Cape Town. It would take 12-14 days to experience one of the most beautiful parts of the world in the most unique and memorable way and combining all these peculiar places to stay into one trip would be quite frankly phenomenal.
Perched on a hill right next door to Addo Elephant National Park, there are three large American Indian teepees, their pointed peaks just visible above the thick bush. Each teepee sleeps four people with a double bed, sleeper couch and a little self-catering kitchenette. Here you can light up a fire and enjoy a braai in your teepee’s boma with a sublime view over the sweet grassy plains of Addo’s Nyathi section, teeming with elephants, buffalo, warthogs, baboons, all sorts of antelope and even a few local lions.
Besides chilling around your teepee, cooling off in the little dip pool and braaiing, you can also walk through the private reserve and get up close and personal with the resident antelope and giraffes. Addo’s main section is a short drive away, perfect for a morning or afternoon game drive.
Facts & Figures – TiPi Bushcamp
Next stop, Bergrivier, just West of the town of Port Elizabeth. This farm has been in the Williams family for four generations and offers glamping in genuine vintage ox-wagons. There are two wagons, each parked in a wooden cabin with en-suite bathroom and second bedroom. The wagons are fitted with a double bed and surround a central lapa with kitchen, dining room and outdoor shower complete with a donkey boiler. It is extremely rustic but very charming, and beats setting up your own tent hands down.
The farm itself is lovely and offers a few mountain biking and hiking trails, including one up to a little waterfall. Bergrivier is the perfect place to escape the rat race and enjoy some quality time in the middle of nowhere.
Facts & Figures – Bergrivier
If you have a 4×4 you can drive from Bergrivier right through the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve to Makkedaat. If not, you’ll have to drive around via Uniondale. Either way you are in for a treat. Makkedaat Caves consist of a number of natural caves and rocky overhangs in the Baviaanskloof’s distinct rugged red rocky cliffs that have been enclosed with timber and fitted with beds.
The area is wildly beautiful and there are trails for hiking, mountain biking and 4x4ing. There is something primitively satisfying about falling asleep under raw rock and waking to watch the sun rise right in front of you from the comfort of your bed.
Facts & Figures – Makkedaat
Just up the bumpy gravel road from Makkedaat is an adult sized treehouse built around the sprawling branches of a Karee tree. Although the terrain is very similar to that of Makkedaat, the experience of lying in bed falling asleep in a treehouse while watching the stars through a window above your bed made it impossible to leave off our quirky road trip.
Add to that an open air bathroom, outdoor braai, indoor fireplace and the complete sound of silence and your city stress will melt away.
Facts & Figures – Speekhout
Leave the Baviaanskloof via Uniondale to the spectacular Prince Alfred Pass, one of South Africa’s most breathtaking mountain passes. Pop in at the infamous Angie’s G Spot for a look-see and bite to eat along the way. The pass will lead you into the Diepwalle section of the Knysna Forest, where you will find a magical tented camp, perched on wooden decks deep in the ancient forest.
Each tented deck has a dome tent with two comfy beds, a built in braai and a little kitchenette with a fridge and electrical power, elevating the camping experience from rough to comfy. The hiking trails through the forest are surreal – absolutely blissful, steeped in history and surrounded by nature in its purest form.
Facts & Figures – Diepwalle
From Diepwalle, enjoy a drive through the Gouna section of the forest until you reach the Knysna lagoon. Drive to Thesen Island, where you will check in to your floating hotel room. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to drive a boat, your stay will begin with a crash course on navigation and how to work all the equipment on the boat. Once you have earned your temporary skipper’s license, you get to sail off into the sunset, captain of your holiday.
Cruise around the lagoon, swim in the estuary, suntan on the deck, nap on the comfy double bed and try and catch your own dinner. Pure magic!
Facts & Figures – Knysna Houseboats
The drive from Knysna to Mossel Bay via Wilderness is absolutely beautiful with lots of things to see and do along the way. We absolutely loved abseiling at the Kaaimans River, navigating the giant maze at Redberry farm and exploring George’s botanical gardens. The perfect pitstop on the way to Cape Town is Santos Express, a train lodge right on Mossel Bay’s most beautiful beach. We were absolutely delighted with the colourful train, all seven cabooses parked on the railway line only 30 metres from the sea.
Sleeping in a train cabin to the sound of breaking waves is really romantic and the Royal Suites with their wood clad rooms, Victorian en-suite bathrooms and private sea decks are an incredible experience.
Facts & Figures – Santos Express
From Mossel Bay, head straight for Cape Town, stopping off at the Old Jail in Riversdale for tea & scones and a fascinating bit of history along the way. Where better to end off your weird and wonderful road trip than in South Africa’s only rooftop trailer park?
The Grand Daddy trailer park consists of seven shiny Airstream trailers, parked right on top of one of Cape Town’s first hotels on Long Street. Ride up to the top in the oldest operational vintage elevator in the city to the quirkiest caravan park we have ever seen.
The trailers were shipped in from the USA and individually decorated to collectively represent a typically South African road trip. Each is an absolute work of art, and the experience of rooftop glamping in the Mother City makes the rather large price tag worth every cent.
Facts & Figures – Grand Daddy
We would love to hear your suggestions for wacky, out of the ordinary, peculiar and quirky places to stay in and around South Africa. Please leave some inspiration in the comments section below.
Yours in Travel
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