It has long been a dream of mine to cruise along the Garden Route in South Africa. Whilst this is our first pick of the best roads in Africa, we have also highlighted two more road trip gems here. Let us inspire you to hit the open road in your hire car.
The Garden Route – South Africa
The Garden Route stretches from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, allowing you to begin and end in two of South Africa’s most exciting cities with the added benefit of a beautiful scenic drive in between. The drive is normally undertaken over a good few days with stop overs in towns including Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield and more. Featuring the semi-deserts of Taroo and the forests of Tsitsikamma, the road meanders along the coastline presenting picturesque scenery and unique landscapes which will have your camera battery life wavering in no time at all. There are plenty of activities to enjoy along the drive too, one of the most popular of which is whale watching. If you are planning on hiring a car in South Africa, the Garden Route should most definitely feature on your itinerary.
High Atlas Mountains – Morocco
A drive to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco isn’t necessarily a world famous route, but it is definitely outstanding and a drive you should seriously consider embarking upon. It is best enjoyed over a few days. Departing from Marrakech, you will pass wheat fields, cacti and palm trees whilst the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains encroach on the horizon. Before you know it, the landscape will change and you will suddenly be surrounded by dessert for a short while before encountering a desolate, lunar-like landscape. Soon you will begin to pass weird and wonderful rock formations, rusty coloured gorges and luminous green expanses broken up by small villages; at this point you will know you have reached the Dades Valley. The entire journey will be sure to take your breath away but with much more to see and do from there on, you probably won’t want to stop driving.
Chapman’s Peak Drive – South Africa
Chapman’s Peak Drive is one of the best ways to experience the Western Cape and it runs along the south-west coast of South Africa from Noordhoek to Hout Bay. Although only 9km long, the route contains an impressive 114 curves. The tarmac embraces Chapman’s Peak at a height of 593m, with sheer drops into the ocean below. With 180° views of the stunning coastline and plenty of places to stop and drink in the view, this is a treat for all and is renowned as one of the most spectacular marine drives in all five continents.
Have you driven any of these roads or think there’s a route more worthy of featuring here? Let us know in the comments below.
Hi, thanks for your comment. We just wanted to highlight the fact that the journey to the High Atlas Mountains from Marrakech is pretty incredible. It goes without saying that there are fantastic hiking trails to enjoy once you arrive.
It might sound a little counter productive to talk about car hire when looking and wanting to hike in the mountain. Drive to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco and have some new adventures.