10 reasons for SA 60-plussers to visit Tsitsikamma

Tsitsikamma, the Garden of the Garden Route,
simply has to go on to your bucket list.
A night just won’t cut it, we highly recommend a few nights to give yourself the opportunity to enjoy all the offerings. 

 

 

Tsitsikamma is a Khoi word which means “place of abundant or sparkling water”. And the meaning certainly delivers.  This region sits on a 200 m high plateau stretching from the Bloukrans River in the west to the Tsitsikamma River in the east.  The imposing Tsitsikamma Mountains border the north, and the Indian Ocean is to the south.  The area is covered by large tracts of indigenous forest, commercial plantations and fynbos.  Deep river gorges cleft the plateau as they make their way down to the sea.

 

 

A mild all-year-round climate allows you to enjoy all of the outdoor activities that take your fancy. The Tsitsikamma region is bursting with things to do, or if you’re looking to do a lot of nothing, that can be arranged too! 

 

 

A stay at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn where you will be welcomed to Village Life! The Tsitsikamma Village Inn is an historic hotel, offering scenic accommodation in Storms River and tucked away in the lush Tsitsikamma Forest. Most of the rooms are situated around a typical Village green and the buildings reflect many of the different building styles that were found in the Cape Colony during the 1800s.  And to boot, you are offered a pensioner deal!

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE: Tsitsikamma Village Inn

 

 

The Tsitsikamma Micro Brewery where “Not all beers are created equal”! The one of a kind micro-brewery  brews up uniquely local brews available on tap.  From grain to glass, only the purest intentions go into making their beer. The beer is brewed according to the 1487 German Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law): using only barley, hops and water. The ingredients are carefully selected and the water is from Tsitsikamma’s very own well – giving you that original Tsitsikamma brewery taste.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE: Tsitsikamma Micro Brewery

 

 

Marilyn Monroe! Yes, sort of!  Small town, big surprise! Well actually it’s Marilyn’s retro 60’s diner 😊.  Proudly sporting the all American burger and cold milkshakes, the diner invites you to a throwback of a dining experience.  Enjoy jukebox classics, stunning classic cars and a bike collection.  Celebrate the sensational 60s era of none other than the one and only Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley!

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE: Marilyn’s Diner

 

 

The Tsitsikamma Hotel’s Hunters Pub was a hunting lodge that was built in 1841 to accommodate hunters that walked into the area to hunt game in the surrounding forests. In 1860, Thomas Bain constructed the road from Plettenberg Bay to Kareedouw through the Tsitsikamma. This 184 km road took 4 years to complete with the help of 200 convicts. Just past the Tsitsikamma Village Inn is the original pass.  At the time, the pass was so narrow, it was only open to traffic in one direction each day. Travellers waiting for their turn used to outspan in the Hotel’s ground.

 

 

Storms River Village aka Adventure Capital of South Africa. There are a number of great adventure-type activities operated from or close to the village. Options include the Tsitsikamma treetop canopy tour, Woodcutters journey, black water tubing, mountain bike hire, segway trips, kayak and kloofing, scuba and snorkeling, abseiling, Tsitsikamma zipline tours, Tsitsikamma boat cruise, bungy jumping (highest in the world!), hiking and walking.

 

If hiking is your thing, you are spoilt for choice with the Tsitsikamma hiking trails. Explore the beautiful, indigenous forests in Storms River on one of the many hiking trails in the area.  The trails vary in distance and terrain and are suitable for every level of hiker.  Trails extend out to the Storms River Mouth, Sandy Bay and some include a part of the famous Otter Trail.

 

 

Depending on your likes and dislikes, there are a myriad more activities in the area such as The Bitou Art Gallery, the Storms River Centre Arts and Crafts, the Tsitsikamma Wolf Sanctuary, you can birdwatch and mountain bike. The famous Storms River Suspension Bridge spans the river mouth.

 

And last, but certainly not least, a trip to this neck of the woods is incomplete without a visit to the Big Tree. The big yellowwood giant is estimated to be almost 1000 years old, stands 36.6 metres high and has a circumference of almost 9 metres.

 

Article by You’ve Earned It/YEI