The Western Cape is home to the Cape winelands, including the world’s longest wine route, found along Route 62, a scenic tourist route that runs from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (in the Eastern Cape), 850km up the east coast. If you don’t have time to complete the whole route, consider visiting the wineries in Constantia, Stellenbosch or try ‘Le Quartier Francais’ in Franschhoek for top range wines and delicious food and enjoy the beautiful views over the wine valleys.

Strictly speaking, the Garden Route stretches from around Mossel Bay to Tsitsikamma – it’s a narrow coastal band of land. On one side it’s bordered by a string of deep-blue lagoons and white sandy beaches, which separate it from the Indian Ocean. On the other side are the forested slopes of the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua Mountains. Between the ocean and the mountains sits this aptly named ‘garden’ – a stunning patchwork of lush vegetation, including the last of the Cape’s ancient evergreen forests. This is not an area to be rushed. Allow yourself at least four days, and preferably more, to drive into its mountains, potter around its small towns like Knysna, Plettenberg Bay & Wilderness, and explore its coastline and beaches.