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Published: December 20th 2008
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Well it wasn’t my first Caprese of the holiday last night, but I did opt for the mozzarella salad to start! Dinner was nice and again amazingly cheap (about £20 for 2 courses each and drinks) and afterwards we went to see the Xmas lights in George (strange to see Santa in a boat!) and then had an unsuccessful search for an internet cafe to put on yesterdays blog - George does not appear to have joined the internet revolution as the hotel had no access nor did any cafes or bars! We then headed back and put on the Santa film - I am doing really well now - up to 18 minutes!!
This morning, after breakfast (with home made bread straight from the oven), we packed up and headed along the Garden Route to Plettenberg bay. This was super busy and our 90km trip took us about 2 hours. The sun was out today however, so I decided to put the window down to catch some rays. After a while, I decided that I should probably put on some sunscreen so pulled the spray out of the bag. G looked horrified that I was going to use the spray
in the car (he usually makes me stand about 10 metres from anything solid or moving before I spray as apparently I am not the most accurate), however I told him I had a good idea and was going to spray the sunscreen into my hand first and then rub it in to save spraying the whole car! He didn’t look convinced and shortly after, all I heard was “CHRIST THE CAMERA” - an overreaction I think as only a few drops went on the case. Nevertheless, the camera was whipped out my lap (first time both hands have been off the steering wheel all holiday) and safely stuffed down G’s side. G is getting on well driving here, however the one thing he is not fond of is the 3 abreast rule on the road - it is very common, because the roads are fairly wide, to be overtaken when cars are coming - hence the 2 hands on the steering wheel. We first encountered this in Oman when passengers in the car, and both were not convinced then either!
After passing through a couple of towns on the Garden Route, we bypassed Plettenberg Bay and headed for Monkeyland,
about 16km the other side of the town. We picked up a leaflet for this yesterday. This was a guided tour around the forest to view lots of different species of monkey in their natural habitat. We saw loads of different types and were really lucky to see a few tiny baby monkeys being carried on the backs of their mothers as they jumped from tree to tree. There was also a huge rope bridge that we walked across, suspended high above the canopy floor which allowed you to see the monkeys high up in the trees too - this is apparently the longest rope bridge in the Southern Hemisphere, being 128 metres in length.
After Monkeyland, we decided to head back to Plettenberg Bay - we had thought about visiting the Elephant Sanctuary next door, but decided to keep the elephants until our next stop in Addo. Plettenberg Bay is about 100km east of George. It is flanked by the Indian Ocean on the south, and the Tsitiskamma Mountains to the north - and is regarded as the most ‘tourist-oriented’ stop on the Garden Route. Indeed, it is estimated that c. 40,000 residents of Johannesburg vacation in Plettenberg Bay
over the Christmas Holidays (factual point for the day!). We settled for a drive through the town - which actually looks quite picturesque - and a stop at one of the four beaches, Main Beach. I think most of the 40,000 Johannesburgers must have been on the beach - for it was super busy! But we sat down and watched the people and the waves for about 15 minutes.
But I couldn’t stay for long - too excited to see the Tsala Treetop Lodge where we are staying for the next two nights. So off we headed. To my dismay, G decided not to take the same road out of Plettenberg Bay as we took in - just as well it connected to the N2 after all, or there would have been trouble! And, at about 2.30pm, we arrived at our paradise. The resort was noted as 5*+ in the book and I totally see why - my research was worth it. There are only 10 treetop suites, all connected by wooden walkways to the main reception area and restaurant / library / bar. There is also a wine cellar that I think G is eying up!
When we approached
our suite, we entered by a door to the back and into our back courtyard, which had a couple of sun loungers and our infinity pool, looking out into the forest. When you enter the main suite, you enter what is a lounge, complete with super comfy chairs, a fireplace and a door out to your front veranda with a spectacular view over the forest. The suite is effectively split into 3 “pods”, the second pod being the bedroom, again with super views of the forest, with your tv and underfloor heating! - this would also be a lovely place to come in the winter! The next pod is the bathroom with huge stand alone bath, shower, outdoor shower and separate toilet, again complete with view to the forest - the monkeys may be in for a treat! The colours are all browns and beiges - totally my scene again. We have been told to keep our doors and windows shut at all times, otherwise we will get a visit from the monkeys who will take great delight in stealing our stuff - I think G is secretly pleased in case there are snakes in the forest too! (there have
been no sightings by staff so far so no need to worry though mum!)
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