Garden RouteStarting in Cape Town, this journey offers yousome of South Africa's most dramatic scenery.Leaving the city behind, you will make your waythrough the Overberg and into Swellendam.From here you have the choice of taking thedirect N2 highway to Mossel Bay. However, iftime permits, the drive along Route 62 isimmensely rewarding. Known as South Africa'smost scenic road, watch as the landscapesevolve from flat farmland into impressivemountain passes, travelling through arid desertwith proteas growing by the roadsides. Makingyour way through the Little Karoo and pastOudtshoorn you head down to the coast, drivingalong the shore to Knysna, Plettenberg Bay andTsitsikamma Forest. Here you can stop for a fewdays to enjoy boat trips and some fantastic walks.Depending on your itinerary, you will drop offyour car at Port Elizabeth or George, fromwhere you can fly to your next destination. Driving yourself around is a fantastic way toexplore South Africa and allows you to travel atyour own pace. As in the UK, driving is on theleft hand side and the majority of roads arewide and in good condition. Roads and visitorattractions are well signposted and there arefrequent petrol stations and stops withrestaurants. Alternatively, if you're heading outfor a full day, you can easily ask your guesthouseto pack a picnic for your lunch to enjoy alongthe way. Having the freedom to decide whereto stop for a cup of coffee, being able to pullover to photograph a view, and the ability togovern the pace of your trip are just some ofthe advantages of self-driving.Self-driving in South Africa30Chapman's Peak drive, near Cape TownScenic road near FranschhoekCape Malay minstrels, Hout Bay, Cape Town

First-hand experienceAll of our South Africa specialists have driventhemselves around the country, and will be gladto advise you on any of the practicalities, fromdriving durations to which accommodationoffers parking.Maps & directionsOn arrival in the country, we provide you with a good quality road map of South Africa, as well as detailed driving directions specific toyour itinerary. VehiclesFor the most part, a standard saloon car isample for most self-driving holidays within South Africa. These are available with manual or automatic gearboxes, and with extras tomake your journey comfortable, such as air-conditioning. You may want to consider alarger vehicle such as a 2x4 if you are self-drivingin the Kruger National Park, where the higherground clearance can be beneficial to your game viewing. ReassuranceWe include the highest level of insurance coverfor your hire car as standard. You will also have24 hour contact details for our representativesin South Africa, and the Audley UK office.Mobile phone reception is good through largeparts of the country and most phones with aroaming facility should work.Self-driving with Audleywww.audleytravel.com/southafrica ?01993 838 550 ?Self-driving31Kruger National ParkFor the confident traveller, self-driving throughthe Kruger is a great adventure. The main roadsare tarred, and the gravel roads are well graded.Wildlife is well habituated to the vehicles, anddriving along to find an elephant taking a strollahead of you, or a pride of lions lazing on thewarm tarmac is not an unusual sight. Of course,common sense is essential, and giving animalssufficient personal space is paramount. Speed limits are 50 kilometres per hour on tarroads within the park, 40 kilometres per houron untarred roads and 20 kilometres per hourwithin the rest camps. Speed cameras aredotted around the park to enforce these.Driving more slowly will also give you higherchances of seeing the big game, as well as themore shy creatures, such as reedbuck antelope.It's also possible to enjoy guided game drivesfrom your accommodation, so if you prefer tomix and match between guided and self-driving,this is easy to arrange. KwaZulu NatalPicking up your hire car in Johannesburg orDurban and driving through the KwaZulu Natalregion offers something quite different.Combining beautiful rural scenery with thehistory of the Battlefields and a balmy coastline,it is easy to fill a fortnight here. A drive to thewest of KwaZulu Natal brings you to themajestic Drakensberg Mountains, the highestpeaks in South Africa. This is a walker's paradise,and having your own car makes it easy to focusyour explorations on whichever area appealsthe most. Drive back in time to the Battlefields to learnabout the bloody wars fought between theBritish, Boers and Zulus in the late 1800s. Finally,make your way to the game reserves ofHluhluwe-Umfulozi, Phinda or Thanda for somesafari time. KwaZulu Natal has long been afavourite destination for South Africans hoppingin their cars for an adventure. We recommendincluding it in your itinerary before othertravellers cotton on. Self-driving in the KrugerStandard saloon carZebra, Kruger National ParkDrakensberg Mountains, KwaZulu NatalHex River Valley, The Cape Region