Hi there

I can't recommend specific places to stay, but can make some general comments:

Depending on how long you have, I would think about starting in Port Elizabeth and driving west to Cape Town. You don't get into the Garden Route proper until you hit Storms River and the Tsitsikama, but you do go through Jeffreys Bay, which is a nice holiday town.

If you can get accomodation in the tsitsikama at storms river, its well worth spending a night. I would also allow plenty of time to explore Knysna - lovely walks, boat out to the Heads, the Featherbed reserve etc.

Between Knysna and Mossel Bay are some of the most tucked away secrets of the area - Sedgefield is beautiful and quiet, Wilderness is also a good place to spend a night.

Mossel Bay itself is pretty, but has a bit of a big town feel after being in Sedgefield. Other towns west of Mossel Bay are a bit off the beaten track - eg Stillbaai.

From what I remember, there is not much else of the Garden Route after this, but between Mossel Bay and Cape Town there are a few other places worth visiting:

Hermanus is probably my favourite town on the Cape Coast, and I would say it is well worth stopping over. This is the one town I can recommend a B&B in, although I will have to find out the name and post again.

As for your other idea, of visiting a game park, I don't think there are any decent ones in that part of the country unfortunately (although I stand to be corrected, things might have changed over the last few years). Any decent game viewing would be in what was the Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga, East of Johannesburg.

Hope this is helpful
-- Mike