TRAVEL Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is perhaps most famous (maybe that should be infamous) for its yearly Rage parties, a week-long festival of inebriated youths intent on celebrating their matriculation. I’ve been there during that time and, as a dad-bodded, middle-aged bloke, felt profoundly out of place among the hordes of red-eyed teenagers. But Plett isn’t just about wild parties, skimpy bikinis, Jet Skis and restaurants. It has a wild side that suits my taste for tranquillity far better than adrenaline sports and trance music.
KEURBOOMS RIVER NATURE RESERVE
Just outside town, to the east, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve beckons with its soothing river and evergreen forests. It’s a great place to unwind, swim or paddle in a rented canoe. Day trippers can pack a picnic and enjoy several waterside locations with grassy banks and pretty beaches. But for an authentic getaway, form a group and exclusively book the Whiskey Creek Cabin, a rustic yet charming abode 7 km upstream. It’s a lovely place to stay a night or two and is only accessible by kayak.
I recently ventured there with. We sang that song at the top of our lungs and splashed each other with our oars (an obligatory activity when kids at heart are part of your group). Between bouts of rowing, we pulled ashore on jungle-like beaches with a vibe.
