Like Oregon, but with Baboons

Note: Due to a boating mishap, our camera and memory card are no longer working, so we will no longer be able to post any of our pictures for the remainder of this trip.  Hopefully, we'll be able to guilt other travelers into sharing their pictures with us so we have some to post.  This picture was taken from Wikipedia.

Storms River mouth / courtesy of Wikipedia

We stopped in Tsisikamma National Park because it was a convenient resting point on the way to the Wild Coast, not because we had any real particular interest in seeing it.  It is located in South Africa's "Garden Route", a heavily promoted and popular stretch of coastline east of Cape Town.  Although the Garden Route is part of the standard backpacker circuit in South Africa, we decided to largely skip it because the guidebooks make it sound like merely a collection of upscale, vacation beach towns.  We figured we could do that scene back in the US in places where the water is actually warm.  Driving past Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, two of the most popular stops on the route, we felt confident that we made the right decision.  Sure, the environs were pretty, but the areas were overdeveloped.  However, as we neared Tsisikamma, we could see what drew visitors to the Garden Route in the first place.

Tsisikamma National Park and its surroundings do not fit preconceived notions (or at least American preconceived notions) of an Africa landscape.  Driving though mountains covered with lush green forests, across bridges crossing deep gorges cut by the rivers, and by the ocean pounding a rocky coast, we felt like we were in the Pacific Northwest.  The constant grey clouds and steady drizzle completed the sensation.  The road signs cautioning drivers of stray warthogs and the risk of a family of baboons crossing the highway right in front of our car were the primary reminders that we were indeed in Africa.

We stayed in the Storms River Mouth Camp section of the park, and it really impressed us.  It was organized, well laid out and very clean.  The more expensive accommodations are directly on the rocky beach, close enough to be sprayed by the stronger waves.  Our cheaper "Forest Hut" was set off in the woods, but still within earshot of the water crashing on the rocks.

After seven hours in the car, we needed to stretch our legs so we took the easy and popular boardwalk trail down to Storms River mouth, which is crossed by a suspension bridge.  The bridge is probably the park's most prominently displayed feature in travel brochures and guide books, and for good reason.  Hovering over the dark, tannin-stained water of the Storms River with one side providing views of the gorge and the other of the Indian Ocean, the bridge really is magnificent.

The following day we undertook a day hike to a nearby waterfall.  The path is the first part of the Otter Trail, a 5 day hike that is booked years in advance.  We understood immediately why the Otter Trail is in such high demand - the path closely hugs the water's edge and offers spectacular views up and down the coast.  Magge wasn't feeling well and had to turn around after half and hour, so I continued on my own.  After an hour of walking, hopping on rocks and passing plenty of dassies, I reached the waterfall.  I ate lunch while watching the water tumble into a rock pool next to the ocean and then headed back to our cabin.

We left Tsisikamma after only two days and I wished we had had more time.  Throughout this trip over the past year, there have been places that I've really wanted to share with family and friends, and this was one of those places.  If you're up for hiking the Otter Trail in a few years, let me know.