Originally Posted by
CFFrost
Instead, we'll do the garden route (which I'm sure will have some pretty spectacular flowers and other botanicals along the way), spend two nights in either Knysna or George (Knysna preferred), then spend our last two nights at Kwandwe and hope to catch four game drives in that time. I'll likely book those two nights this week. This way, there are no "additional" flights - and just a leisurely drive along the garden route, which is an attraction unto itself.
Is West Coast NP / Paternoster possible as a day trip? We have ten nights in Cape Town proper (not including the garden route / port elizabeth / Kwandwe) so we may have time to do it as a day trip if we don't have anything else planned that day. Those wild flowers really do look phenomenal.
Thanks to everyone for all your advice. It really is incredible how this community can help improve a trip with advice from those that have been there before.
Definitely Knysna and not George for a 2 day stop. George has nothing to offer. Knysna is good. September is quiet time, should be no problem to find good accommodation! Between Cape Town and George, the drive is OK, but not spectacular. The pretty bit is from George onwards, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay etc. towards PE.
Paternoster is about and hour and a half from Cape Town. If you combine it with the West Coast nature reserve (which is sort of South of Langebaan, about 45 minutes from Cape Town), its quite doable for a day trip. The flowers can be fantastic in September but they can also be disappointing. Depends on the quantity and timing of the winter rains. It has to be a sunny day. And they 'look into the sun', so they are best viewed with the sun behind you, remember that when driving!
And one final bit of advice (if it has not been given already): do Table Mountain at the first available opportunity. You'd be surprised how often the Cable Way does not run because of high winds and other weather related problems!