Cheap Car Rental Plettenberg Bay

Once a harbor town used mainly for trade with timber, Plettenberg Bay now is one of the most lavish towns on the Garden Route in South Africa. The population fluctuates between 10,000 off-season and 50,000 during the main tourist season. The most famous among the numerous excellent hotels is the Beacon Island, built in 1912 as a whale hunting station, these days a luxurious beach resort. Only a harpoon and a large cauldron remind the visitor of its original purpose.

Right in front of the hotel, the most beautiful beach in Plettenberg Bay stretches out over 6 miles. All year long you can watch whales and dolphins, the latter coming to the area to give birth to their young. Excursion boats leave from the harbor every day, taking you to the best spots to observe these fabulous animals as well as others like seals, either from the boat’s observation deck or through diving goggles.

The best view point from which you can look over Plett, as the locals refer to Plettenberg Bay, is Signal Hill, rising above the bay and the sea.

The luxurious holiday resort is surrounded by small national parks, preserving gorgeous landscapes and phenomenal wildlife. If you have a car take some time to explore these parks; in some you can spend the night in camps or lodges.

The Robbenberg Island Nature Reserve is located on the southern end of town. The peninsula feathers Nelson Cave, in which humans supposedly lived over 100,000 years ago. A four hour hike takes you past the cave, along the coast, and past a seal colony as well as the 475 ft light house.

The Keurboom River Nature Reserve is a mere 5 miles north-east of the town. You can explore the vast forests and glistening rivers by foot or in a canoe – if you don’t want to handle the paddles yourself, you can join a guided river boat tour, taking you from the estuary of Keurboom River several miles upstream. The birdlife is especially diverse, but you will also see bushbucks, boars, and guenons.

If you like monkeys you will love Monkeyland, a park close to the N2 highway east of Plett: Zoologists have attempted to settle various species of monkeys in this area, having been successful with at least 200 animals so far, that have been freed from circuses and private capture, where they had been kept illegally. The highlight of this park is a 387 ft long rope bridge on which you occasionally get joined by the primates.

The biggest reservation in the region is Tsitsikamma National Park, sweeping 50 miles along the coast. Two hiking trails, 29 and 43 miles long, lead through forests and along lonesome beaches. Major attractions are the Yellowwood trees and the Schietklip, a huge rock in the sea causing the waves of the Indian Ocean to crash thunderously onto the shore. Camping grounds and lodges along the way offer resting space.

The small town of Knysna is just west of Plettenberg Bay. On your way you pass the Big Tree, a Yellowwood tree that is over 1,000 years old, stands 131 ft tall and a perimeter of 23 ft.

Knysna is located on a lagoon, offering perfect conditions for all kinds of water sports. The promenade was designed with the Cape Town Waterkant in mind, combining scenic sea views with arcade-like entertainment.

Just outside Knysna outdoor fans walk through the largest forest in South Africa, looking for elephants that have not been spotted for a long time, yet presumably they still live in these woods.

Whether opulent SPA hotel or simple lodge in a park, Plettenberg Bay offers a variety of styles, guaranteeing a satisfying vacation for everyone.