November (and South Africa’s COVID restrictions) allowed me and Andi, a good friend, the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful South African coast. Rather than harping on about every magical detail of our trip, it might be better to share our expenses and my spreadsheeting that goes on behind the scenes of many of my trips. Then you can enjoy these things first-hand and I’ll relish in the pleasure of living through your Instagram stories!

We decided to drive the over 1,000km route rather than fly for a number of reasons: you can’t fly directly to Knsynsa; we needed a car to get around once we were down there; and we were lus for a lekker road trip! Loud music, snacks, deep chats on the road, check out my previous post to read more about my passion for road trips.

I work on Saturday mornings so we split up the drive, stopping at Colesberg overnight before continuing on to Plettenberg Bay the next morning. We found our Colesberg stay on Airbnb, it was a 4 sleeper but so cheap that we could easily afford to stay there even though we were only 2 people. Don’t be afraid of booking accommodation that exceeds the sleeping space you need.

Saturday’s expenses:

• Prego roll from Andi’s mom’s cafeteria at work: free
• Accommodation: R290.59 per person (pp)
• Petrol and toll gates: R528.29 pp
• Total: R554.74 pp

Sunday’s journey took us along a wild route, namely Prince Alfred’s Pass. At 68.5km, this is the longest publicly accessible mountain pass in South Africa according to https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/western-cape/item/142-prince-alfred-s-pass-part-1.html. The road winds around more than I wound my mom up during my teenage years. It takes you up the mountain until you’re overlooking hundreds of meters, then brings you back down to earth again. Only to repeat the heart-clenching process a few more times. Please remember that this is a dirt road from start to finish. Andiswa’s awakening from a nap to find us in the middle of the wild instead of the safety of the truck-ridden highway didn’t help to ease my navigational concerns. The same route on the trip back wasn’t as daunting since we knew what to expect. My advice to newcomers would be to take it carefully and patiently, and to do the route more than once. Our second trip along the pass allowed us to release the trauma and appreciate the wonderful view.

 

 

We ate at The Lookout Deck Restaurant on Sunday afternoon after a quick drive around Plettenberg Bay. Budgeting tip: a seafood platter for one can often be a platter for two if you’re willing to miss out on the urge to unbutton your pants for extra breathing room.

 

 

 

We then headed off for our stay at the Tsitsikamma Backpackers. I love hostels and backpacker accommodations because they allow fellow travellers to connect and share war stories. It’s an amazing way to learn about other people’s experiences and open your world to interesting people, different cultures, and stunning places.

Sunday’s expenses:

• Wimpy breakfast: R113.30 pp
• Snacks: R52.25 pp
• Lunch: R160.00 pp
• Accommodation: R332.50 pp. They have a 30% off special that’s running until the end of February 2021. https://www.tsitsikammabackpackers.co.za/
• Petrol and toll gates: R333.75 pp
• Total: R991.80 pp

We had a fantastic experience at Kayak & Lilo Adventures on Monday morning https://www.untouchedadventures.com/adventure-activities/kayak-lilo-up-the-storms-river-gorge-in-tsitsikamma/. We kayaked across a section of the ocean into Storm’s River mouth, passing under the famous suspension bridge. After kayaking up the river as far as possible, we ditched the kayaks, hopped on inflatable lilos and continued up the river. After bonding with our fellow adventurers, we fell about laughing as everyone attempted headstands and pistol squats on their lilos and inevitably ended up in the water. Finally, we did some cliff jumping before making the trip back down the river onto the kayaks and across the ocean. Our guides were amazing! They were knowledgeable, encouraging, and passionate about enabling others to have an experience like ours. I highly recommend embarking on this adventure ASAP!

                           

 

After lunch, we hiked to the suspension bridge and got to appreciate the river mouth from above the water. Spoiler alert: it’s stunning from both viewpoints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped in at LM Restaurant in Plett for dinner before carrying on to Thesen Island in Knysna.

Monday’s expenses:

• Breakfast at the backpackers: R70.00 pp
• Kayak & Lilo Adventure experience: R595.00 pp
• Lunch: R109.00 pp
• Dinner: R190.50 pp
• Snacks along the way: R49.00 pp
• Petrol and toll gates: R27.75 pp
• Accommodation: R505.63 pp
• Total: R1,546.88 pp

We spent Tuesday exploring Thesen Island on foot. We found a delicious breakfast deal at The Island Café. We even walked into town for groceries for the rest of the week. After a small lunch at home, we visited the Knysna Gin Distillery for a tasting. The owner is kind and passionate about his craft. He explained all the details of what makes this gin a little different, leading to it winning international awards within the two years they’ve been open. We had dinner at Sirocco on Thesen Island where we both tried oysters for the first time. We hesitantly ordered four and were gifted another two on the house. The food was delicious, and the restaurant made us feel very upmarket and classy.

                           

Tuesday’s expenses:

• Breakfast: R135.00 pp
• Groceries: R165.78 pp
• Extra gin: R225.00 pp
• Dinner: R137.50 pp
• Snacks: R34.00 pp
• Accommodation: R505.63 pp
• Total: R1,202.91 pp

We drove out to East Head Café for a late breakfast on Wednesday morning. The weather, which had been drizzling and misty, cleared up while we were eating. It was enough for us to see the heads, so we took the opportunity to soak in all the sights. After spending a couple of hours checking out the vantage points from all the viewing decks, we made our way to our next accommodation point. We’d be on Knysna mainland for the next two nights. We stopped at the shops for some dinner and breakfast ingredients and had a movie night at “home” with some cheesy pasta.

                         

Wednesday’s expenses:

• Breakfast: R127.50 pp
• Groceries: R153.00 pp
• Accommodation: R334.18 pp
• Total: R614.68 pp

By this point, we felt like we’d almost exhausted all our options. We’d explored so much of the area that we could with the mist and rain we’d had with us. Our last day angels, however, did us a solid. On Thursday morning, the clouds cleared, and the sun came out to play. We gobbled up the last of our scrambled eggs, threw on our costumes, and screeched off to Buffalo Bay beach. We spent the whole day there; reading, swimming, walking, picking at the snacks we packed. We really soaked up the sun, some of us a little too much (DM me to see A++ burn lines). It was a stunning way to spend our last day. Andi showed off her braai master skills and cooked up a feast for dinner.

Thursday’s expenses:

• Breakfast from leftovers: free
• Lunch from leftovers: free
• Dinner: R120.65 pp
• Snacks: R40.50 pp
• Petrol and toll gates: R200.30 pp
• Accommodation: R334.18 pp
• Total: R695.63 pp

Friday was the big day. We started the car at 5:10am for the groot trek back to Joburg. Driving 13 hours is no joke. Please stay vigilant, hydrated, and energized, and pull off for a break if you need one. Once again, Andi’s co-pilot skills were much needed and appreciated. We pulled into the driveway at 6:15pm, more awake than we expected but definitely ready to wind down.

Friday’s expenses:

• Breakfast of the last of the cheese and bread: free
• Snacks on the road: R52.47 pp
• Petrol and toll gates: R498.73 pp
• My own cosy bed to sleep in: free
• Total: R551.20 pp

Our first solo (read: without parents) road trip was a success! We enjoyed every moment of the adventure, and Andi is already planning her next trip to the beach.

Final calculations:

• Food: R1,710.45 pp
• Experiences & souvenirs: R820.00 pp
• Accommodations: R2,302.71 pp
• Petrol and toll gates: R1,588.82 pp
• Total spent for the trip: R6,421.98 pp

Travelling is affordable when you plan your must-do experiences, budget accordingly, and stick to it. We used the app Splitwise to help us easily tally up our spending. It’s easy to use and you can export the data into a beautiful spreadsheet to reflect on after your trip.

I hope this has inspired you to open a fixed-term savings account and set your eyes on your next adventure.