April 25, 2016
We packed all of our stuff up in the morning and then had a simple breakfast with our hosts. We headed out from their home by 9:00 AM and continued on the Garden Route (N2). Our first stop was in Wilderness. There is a gas station there, as well as a couple of cute shops and restaurants. A tunnel takes you from the gas station to the beach.
It was a fairly warm (but not hot) and sunny morning. Since we were there during the off-season, the beach was completely empty for the first hour or two we were there. The water was a bit too chilly for swimming, but perfect for dipping your feet in. We walked almost all the way down the shore and then back. It was very peaceful and quiet, and the views of the ocean were amazing. It was our first time stepping foot in the Indian Ocean, which was pretty cool!
After walking along the beach and collecting some smooth small stones, we ate lunch at Cucaroo. The burger I had there was very good! After lunch, we headed on to Knysna.
In Knysna, we drove up to a viewing place that is high up one of the mountains. From there, you have a great view of “The Heads”, the head of the two mountains that lead to the ocean. It was definitely a beautiful view! We then drove briefly around Leisure Isle. There were some pretty cool houses, as well as nice views of the lagoons.
After driving around Leisure Isle, we checked into our airbnb apartment. I had my own room here, with three single beds to choose from! After unpacking a bit, and regrouping, we went down to the waterfront. There are a lot of nice, but touristy, shops down by the water, as well as quite a few restaurants. We bought a deck of playing cards, which would end up being the only souvenir my parents got for the entire trip! We went to a fishery/restaurant for dinner. Our airbnb host had recommended it, and it is where the locals go for their fish. I had Baby Kingpin fish, which was very good! The restaurant is completely outside, under a big tent. There were candles and campfires in barrels for lighting and warmth. The atmosphere was very relaxed and cool. We had to wait quite a while for our food, so we broke out our new playing cards and played a game of Pitch. After dinner, it was pretty late, so we headed back to our apartment and got ready for bed.
The Oke Den 