Getaway Guide to the Garden Route, by Brent Naude-Moseley and Steve Moseley.

Getaway Guide to the Garden Route, by Brent Naude-Moseley and Steve Moseley. ISBN 9781919938530 / ISBN 978-1-919938-53-0

Brent Naude-Moseley and Steve Moseley authored this handy and useful Getaway Guide to South Africa's famous region Garden Route.

Brent Naude-Moseley  Steve Moseley  

The Garden Route has been a favourite, almost mystical, destination with locals and visitors from overseas for decades. It is a narrow zone wedged between the Indian Ocean and Cape Folded Mountains that run parallel and close to the coastline, and is a place of great natural beauty. Despite substantial economic growth in recent years, especially around the bigger towns, the area remains South Africa's Garden of Eden, and comprises gloriously long beaches, lush and mysterious forests, rugged coastlines, amber rivers and tranquil lagoons all lorded over by hazy purple mountain ranges. For the purposes of this book, we have covered the area from Gouritsmond, west of Mossel Bay, to Storms River, east of Plettenberg Bay. People will argue over it for ever, but this is and always has been commonly accepted as the extent of the region. The temperate climate makes it idyllic to visit at almost any time of the year; and, although the beaches are promoted as the main attraction, the forests are equally important. In fact, they are the garden of the Garden Route. Thanks to the varied habitats of forest, fynbos, coastlines, and wetlands, there is a plethora of wildlife, birdlife, and marine life for the nature lover; plus a vast number of activities (adrenalin, adventure, relaxation, or not) and attractions for the visitor. The innumerable accommodation establishments offer everything from 5-star luxury to basic camping facilities; in recent years, the Garden Route has become something of a gourmet route that will satisfy even the most discerning epicure. There is so much on offer that this book could not possibly be comprehensive, so we have not tried to make it such: we've taken personal experience, cross-referenced it with trusted advice, and added input from local and overseas visitors to the area, and feel the result is an excellent indication of what the Garden Route has to offer across most areas of interest and depth of pockets. Bear in mind that change in the tourism industry is constant. New places open, existing places close their doors, reputations fluctuate, and management and staff change, so it's possible descriptions in the book may differ to the reality at the time of your visit. Nothing changes quite as fast as prices: we have given actual current (i.e. 2010) rates for each place that charges a fee, on the understanding that this is the best way to compare places and value-for-money options. From these rates it is easy to compare future prices (and see if anyone is trying to rip you off in the meantime), and extrapolate future prices - at least until the next edition of Getaway Guide to the Garden Route by us, Brent Naude-Moseley and Steve Moseley. One last note: please tread lightly - this is a very ecologically sensitive area that is being negatively affected by the sheer numbers of people exploring it each year, or chosing to settle here.

This is an excerpt from the guide: Getaway Guide to the Garden Route, by Brent Naude-Moseley and Steve Moseley.

Title: Getaway Guide to the Garden Route
Authors: Brent Naude-Moseley, Steve Moseley
Type: Regional Travel Guide
Imprint: Sunbird Publishers
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Johannesburg, South Africa 2010
ISBN 9781919938530 / ISBN 978-1-919938-53-0
Softcover, 15x21 cm, 224 pages, throughout colour photos and maps