Travel article: Garden Route-Jeffreys Bay & Plettenberg Bay

A long day on the road was necessary to reach the south of South Africa with a record on Google maps with no turns in 380 kms!

We leave the green mountains of Lesotho, its quiet lifestyle reflected in its motto "Khotso, Pula, Nala" (Peace, Rain, Prosperity) and especially its sinuous roads with holes for long straight lines crossing South African private estates then we got to the coast, much cooler. Thank you adventure podcasts to help us spend time ;)

First stop on the Garden Route, Jeffreys Bay. This seaside resort is known for its legendary waves and its many tubes that host international competitions. For us it is especially the beach where Mike Fanning was attacked by a white shark during a surf competition. By punching the shark, he managed to escape! Watch the video on YouTube, scary suspense when it escapes the cameras, hidden by the wave for 30 seconds.

He came out safe and sound!

It does not prevent surfers of all ages from coming in numbers to brave the waves. The "Shark bite kits" present on the beach are probably enough to reassure them? ! Not us.

We start the discovery of the seaside town with Supertubes Beach, beach for the pros. The waves are not huge but we enjoy watching the surfers. No sharks.

Then we reach Point Beach walking on the beach, no one on the horizon, an infinite beach of white sand, we feel in Australia.

We are however cooled  down when two kids run after us to sell weed. We never saw a bag so big ... South Africa and its inequalities ... a very rich seaside resort and a kilometer further, a huge township ...

Then to complete this day surf, little brunch at Tastys. We repeat ourselves but we really feel in Australia.

We continue our way on the Garden Route to reach Plettenberg Bay. Same city planning as Jeffreys beach: a very rich seaside resort and less than a kilometer away a township ...

3 days of quiet time and hiking twice the 12 kms of Robberg Nature Reserve, a peninsula at the end of the end of Africa. So good that we go twice!

Beautiful beaches, cliffs, orange rocks that contrast the blue of the sea, rough sea. We are looking for white sharks, nothing on the horizon again (but we spotted many dolphins!). On the other hand we see and especially smell many seals.  It smells so bad.

To have lunch nothing better than LM, Mozambique restaurant to test the famous peri peri chicken. A delight but so spicy ;)

End of this break on the Garden Road where we discovered a new facet of this great country that is the rainbow nation.

Next stop: Cape Town!

Some recommendations:

# we were there in May, low season and we had very good deals for housing. Large apartment in Jeffreys bay, Madyolin for 24 euros per night.

# Nothando Backpackers, very clean and big rooms and kitchens for 26 euros per night.

# do not miss the Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay. 50 rands per person We walked around, 12 kms. Easy.

#  Jeffreys beach: our favorite beaches, Jeffreys Beach and Point Beach. Beware of sharks.

# brunch at Jeffreys Bay at Tastys. Super burgers and eggs Benedictes. Reasonable price.

# in Plettenberg Bay, Mozambican Restaurant: Lm. Very good Peri Peri Chicken.