Driving can be one of the best ways to see and experience a new place. Despite the extensive time I have spent in South Africa, driving across it just over a week ago exposed me to diversity I didn’t even know was here. My boyfriend and I took two days to drive across the country from Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town. Over the course of the trip we witnessed an incredible variety of landscapes, wildlife, and people. Here is a map of our exact route:

Instead of writing about the whole trip, I decided it would be fun to capture it on film. Check out my road trip vlog to get a better feel for the South African landscapes and the types of places we stopped along the way.

For those interested in doing a similar trip here is a Road Trip Guide with all the details from where we stopped, ate, and slept to how we passed the time.

THE ROUTE

Day One - 10.5 Hours of Driving

Pietermaritzburg to Clarens (3.5 Hours)
Clarens to Bloemfontein (3 Hours)
Bloemfontein to Colesberg (2 Hours 15 Min)
Colesberg to Graaff-Reinet (2 Hours)

*Notes: Clarens is definitely worth the stop but would not say Bloemfontein or Colseberg are worth planning around. Going via Bloemfontein will be slightly faster because you are on main highways most of the way. However, if I did this trip over I would take the slightly longer but much more scenic route hugging Lesotho to get to Graaff-Reinet and just pack more food knowing there won’t be many places to stop.

Day Two: 8.5 Hours of Driving

Graaff-Reinet to George (3.5 Hours)
George to Cape Town (4 Hours, 40 Min)

*Notes: George is worth the stop because heading this way will allow you to get incredible mountain views as well as some ocean views. If you have time to spare I would recommend staying on the garden route for longer in order to get the most scenic trip.

WHERE TO STAY

We decided to spend the night in Graaff-Reinet which is just over half way between Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town (that way we could have our most intense day of driving over with). We stayed at Profcon Resort for R600 (~$45) for one night. This included gated parking and WiFi. I found and booked Profcon on Booking.com.

*Notes: I would definitely recommend Profcon Resort as a stopping point for one night. The room was extremely clean, there was free and working Wifi, and great customer service.

FOOD and SNACKS

Car Snacks (both days):

Rice and Multiseed Pop Chips
Green Grapes
Peanuts + Raisins
Raw Almonds
Dark Chocolate
2 Large Water bottles

Day One Meals:

Coffee @ Home
Brunch in Clarens @ Eat Cheese Deli
Dinner in Colesberg @ Bordeaux

Day Two Meals:

Breakfast in Graff-Reinet @ Profcon Resort
Lunch in George @ Koffihuys

In Cape Town by dinner!

*Notes: Eating options between Clarens and Graaff-Reinet are extremely limited - I wouldn’t stop in Colseberg for dinner but rather pack sandwiches for dinner on day one. If you have any dietary restrictions definitely plan for that because the middle of South Africa doesn’t exactly cater to vegans, gluten-free people, or even vegetarians. On day two we stopped at Koffihuys because it was convenient but it is primarily coffee and pastries. Go elsewhere in George for more substantial food options.

PASSING TIME

Audiobook: We listened to all of Born A Crime, written and narrated by Trevor Noah, on this trip. I highly recommend this in general, but especially as a way to pass time.
Frequent Stops: Although stopping can easily eat up your time, we found that stopping regularly even just to stretch legs for five minutes helped pace the entire trip out nicely.
Music: We were entertained for awhile with this Road Trip Sing-Along Songs Playlist from Apple Music.
Scenery: We saw some amazing scenery and didn’t even take the most scenic route.

SPOTTED WILDLIFE

Some of the wildlife we spotted along the way: