WHAT TO SEE IN TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK

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Day 9: Nature's Valley - What to see in Tsitsikamma National Park

Today we will dedicate the day to know the places to see in Tsitsikamma National Park, one of the places to see in the Garden Route most recommended, which will be the end point of this first stage of the trip to South Africa in 25 days.

Breakfast at Mandalay Guesthouse, our accommodation in Plettenberg Bay tonight starts at 8 in the morning so today we take the day with some more tranquility, taking advantage to work these first hours of the day and when the time comes, go down to breakfast room where we charge energy before making our way to one of the most recommended places to go on the Garden Route in South Africa, which is not another of Nature's Valley, where we will stop to enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches of the country.

30 kilometers from Plettenberg Bay we arrive at Nature's Valley when it is 9 am after doing this first route of the day under a scorching sun that seems to indicate that the temperatures of this time of the year are beginning to be much more noticeable than it does A week when we started South Africa for free.

Nature's Valley

In an incredible environment, after traveling a road surrounded by forest, you will find the small town of Nature's Valley known for having one of the most beautiful beaches in the country in which a small natural lagoon that gives way to a perfect kilometer beach is highlighted. Stop and walk for hours, enjoying a privileged environment.

Lake in Nature's Valley

Nature's Valley Beach

Although there are numerous trails that can be done in the area, we recommend you enjoy the beach as a point to stretch your legs before reaching Tsitsikamma National Park.
In case you have enough time, from here a 5-day trekking leaves until you reach Tsitsikamma, which we have read through the mountain and is one of the most beautiful trails in the country.

Nature's Valley

It is 10 in the morning, 1 hour after arriving, that we spend a walk on the beach, enjoying one of the most incredible environments in South Africa, we put the road to Tsitsikamma National Park, 40 kilometers from here where we arrived at 10:30 in the morning, willing to spend the day in one of the most beautiful places in the country.

Tsitsikamma National Park

With 70 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide, Tsitsikamma National Park is one of the places that you cannot miss on the Garden Route in South Africa, which stands out for having an impressive coastline, where you can make several trails, in addition of the possibility of staying inside the park, in cabins with incredible views of the coast.

What to do in Tsitsikamma National Park

If there is something you cannot miss in Tsitsikamma National Park, it is its trails. Taking into account that we understand that you will be a day or full or several hours, we recommend the following that we believe, they are the most representative as well as the most beautiful, at the landscape level.

Mouth Trail: This trail of no more than an hour, easy level, is the best known of Tsitsikamma since it is the one that includes the famous suspension bridges. The trail departs from Sandy Bay, right next to the restaurant, where you can leave the car in the free parking to start the tour through some wooden walkways that enter the forest and after several meters reach the suspension bridge of 77 meters across the Storms River.

Mouth Trail in Tsitsikamma National Park

Keep in mind that the difficulty of the trail is easy, although there are some areas with stairs, which can be made more tired depending on your physical condition. We recommend you to go around the two hanging walkways that are on the left and that will lead you back to the restaurant of the park, where you can take the opportunity to eat, just as we did.
Although the quality is really not much, being the only place in the park, there are not many other options unless you take something in the car and have a picnic in the area.

Suspension bridge on Mouth Trail in Tsitsikamma National Park

Mouth Trail in Tsitsikamma National Park

Waterfall Trail: This trail of about 6 kilometers and 3 hours approximately is another of Tsitsikamma's best known treks along the Mouth Trail. The trail starts in the parking area, right next to the accommodation known as oceanettes, wooden houses with views of the coast that are a real wonder and runs parallel to the coast, with incredible views, sometimes dotted with whales and dolphins that are very close and are a real gift for the eyes.

Waterfall Trail in Tsitsikamma

In addition to the basic recommendations, it is advisable not to start it beyond 13-13: 30h, so if it happens to you as we arrive later, you can always choose to do the first part, without reaching the end, to less, get an idea and enjoy one of the most beautiful views of this area of the coast of South Africa.

Waterfall Trail in Tsitsikamma

Sandy Beach: Right next to the restaurant there is a small beach that you can take advantage of to take a bath and relax after one of the walks.

More practical information to prepare your trip to South Africa
- 10 essential places to see in South Africa
- The best tips for traveling to South Africa

Tips for visiting Tsitsikamma

The ticket price is R218 per person, but it is included in the Wild Card.
Keep in mind that inside the park there is an accommodation area, where there is also laundry and a restaurant. In case you want to do a long walk or not eat at the restaurant, you must bring your supplies.
Although the trails do not have much difficulty, it is worth doing them with closed shoes, wear warm clothes if the weather is not good and a hat, sunglasses and protector if the day is sunny.
On the two trails we were commenting on, you have the possibility to see whales and dolphins very close to the coast. Do not forget the binoculars and the objective for nature that you are using on the trip.

Waterfall Trail parking in Tsitsikamma

If you have a full day for a visit to Tsitsikamma (from 10am to 5pm) we would recommend you to do the Waterfall Trail first, which is 3 hours, eat at the restaurant and then do the Mouth Trail.
We did it the other way around and although it was great and we had very good light we arrived at the Mouth Trail after 2 in the afternoon, so we could not make it complete.

What to see in Tsitsikamma National Park

We leave you the location of the two trails and the restaurant in Tsitsikamma.

There are a few minutes to 5 in the afternoon when we leave Tsitsikamma Natural Park, which has exceeded all our expectations, heading towards what will be our accommodation in Storm River tonight, the Andelomi Forest Lodge.
But just when we are on the road we realize that we are less than 900 meters from another of the recommended trails in this area that is the Big Tree, so we decided to extend the day a little more, making this extra stop, that we do not It takes more than 20 minutes, in which after traveling a very easy path through a forest and walkways, you reach a large tree, famous in this area of South Africa.

Big tree

After the full day today, we check in our accommodation to rest a couple of hours and then approach to dinner at Tsitrus Cafe, a small place highly recommended in the area, where we ask for a special dish of the house, pizza, water and glass of wine for R250 that charge us with energy for tomorrow, face the last day of this first stage of the trip.

Dinner at Tsitrus Cafe

We leave you a map with the locations of the route today, which we travel by rental car in South Africa, through Nature's Valley, Tsitsikamma Natural Park, Big Tree and Storms River.

Day 10: Storms River - Jeffreys Bay - Flight from Port Elizabeth to Durban - Ballito