Recreation
Plettenberg Bay has something for everyone! Holiday accommodation in Plett varies from campsites or inexpensive self catering units for the large family with a tighter budget, through the various B&B's and Guest Houses to 5 star luxury accommodation in some of the most decadent hotels for those with the desire and means to spoil themselves. Wherever you might fit into this picture, you certainly won't be disappointed! Whether you enjoy a walk along a pristine unspoilt golden beach or prefer to meander along from one tourist attraction to another - boredom in Plettenberg Bay is simply not an option!
While you may ask "What is there to do in Plett?" - the real question is "What do you want to do?". Apart from the ever popular attractions such as Bird's of Eden, Monkeyland, The Elephant Park, Rhino Base Camp and Whale watching trips, there are certainly far too many activities to list. Some examples of popular activities on offer include Bungy Jumping, Kite Boarding, Cycling, Boating / Canoeing, Fishing, Microlight Flights, Scenic Helicopter Flights, Whale & Dolphin Watching, Coastal Walks, Horse Riding, Skydiving, Scuba Diving, Snorkelling, Paintball, Quad-biking, etc., etc.
Plett also boasts 2 magnificent, extremely popular golf courses, as well as the Kurland Polo Grounds. Plett is often referred to as the Monaco of South Africa! Plett's Wild Waters Park is a favourite with all children - offering mini golf, trampolines and the most favoured water slides.
Just 12km out of Plett (towards Knysna) you’ll find the newly built Adventureland! Offering supertubes, quad biking, baby pool, play park with swings, trampolines, jungle jym and much more. An ideal venue for the whole family!
No holiday in Plett is complete without a visit to the Harvestime Saturday Market. Situated about half-way between Plett and Knysna, the Saturday market is a hive of bustling activity every Saturday morning of the year. The Harvestime Market hosts 35 produce and 20 craft stalls. A great place to have breakfast, with a choice of traditional Bacon & Egg and all the trimmings at Bundu Breakfast, Pancakes from the Pancake Parlour as well as a choice of breads, pastries, vegetarian Falaffel and fruit. Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and delicious cake are supplied by the ladies from Gladys and Dora's Coffee Shop.
New in Plett is a delivery service known as QuickCX. An efficient service delivering any product you require, from any retailer you can think of. So call in that grocery list, take-away food request, or video – they’ll even fetch the kids from school and drop them off at the beach. QuickCX claims to deliver anything but babies! The CX-extension of names in our area started many years ago - in fact, in December of 1987, a Plett local created CXAppeal T-shirts and bumper stickers and sold thousands of these to locals and holidaymakers. You can still see the bumper sticker “CXAppeal” on many a Plett resident’s car.
Fitness, health and beauty
For those who want to relax and enjoy being pampered, Plett's choice of Beauty, Health & Hair Salons and Spas is second to none! Whether it be a Deep Tissue Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Body Stress Release, a Facial, a Hand & Nail Treatment or a simple Haircut, that you're looking for - you'll have no trouble finding it in Plett.
For those who enjoy exercise and fitness there is a Gym and a Health and Fitness Centre. Between them they offer Swimming, Aerobics, Circuit Training, Spinning, Pilates etc. The Whalesong Health Hydro also offers a host of other Health and Fitness activities.
Apart from the annual membership offered to local residents, these centres welcome visitors and often organise holiday programmes during the season.
Shopping
Shopping is an integral part of everyone's lives and Plettenberg Bay provides the means to accomplish this. Whether one is looking for an everyday chain store or a smaller specialist shop - there are no shortage of shops to choose from.
There is a vast selection of "tourist" shops, where one will find the perfect gift for family, friends or house-sitters back home. For day to day essentials, there are various chain stores, including Grocery, Clothing and Cosmetic suppliers in Plett.
Tourists and locals alike will meander through the various "Local Art & Craft" shops situated conveniently along the N2, and delight in the treasures that they find. These treasures might include ceramics and pottery, dried flowers, handcrafted wooden / metal furniture, fresh produce such as olives, home-made jams, preserves and cakes as well as hand-made soaps, jewellery, clothing and shoes etc.
Eating out
This particular subject will be an awkward one to cover as there is just SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM in Plett!
Once again - one is spoilt for choice. Plettenberg Bay is home to most of the Family / Fast Food brands, eg. Wimpy, Steers, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Spur, Mugg and Bean, Europa, etc. These places are always popular for families on holiday as they are generally quite affordable and service is quick - so there is no problem keeping children busy for too long whilst waiting for meals.
There is a vast selection of Coffee Shops and Pavement Café's offering delicious Breakfasts, Tea's and Lunches.
As well as these outlets, most of the Hotels have their own restaurants and also welcome non-residents if reservations are made in advance.
There is a wide variety of excellent restaurants offering evening meals. Whether you prefer a pizza, a grilled steak or the best seafood available. There is something for you!
Eat al fresco on The Lookout Deck, one of Plett's most popular eating places. There is a totally uninterrupted view over the ocean and Lookout Beach and one can often watch the dolphins frolicking in the water whilst enjoying an excellent meal.
Askaris Restaurant at the Knysna Elephant Park is also very popular with locals and tourists alike! Relax on the deck overhanging the lake that is home to the most magnificent swans and ducks, beyond that, watch the "Giants of the Forest" roaming freely and going about their daily business. While you relax and enjoy your meal or your sundowner, the children can play on the jungle gym or in the sandpit.
Other options for eating out in Plettenberg Bay include cuisine from various regions of the world ie: Italian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean and of course, Traditional African!
For a totally unique experience - book a pre-dinner cruise at Stanley Island!
Nature conservation
Nature conservation is very much a priority in Plettenberg Bay as there are so many different species of Fauna and Flora in the area.
Naturally, with Plettenberg Bay being a coastal town nature conservation is often focused on marine creatures and seabirds.
The "Centre For Dolphin Studies" plays an enormous role in the conservation of these wondrous creatures, but perhaps more importantly, their main purpose is to pass on the results of their research on to others. Visit The centre For Dolphin Studies and find out everything you ever wanted to know about whales or dolphins.
Monkeyland is a primate sanctuary - none of the animals in this sanctuary have been wilfully removed from their natural habitat. They have either been removed from unsuitable domestic situations or have been injured or orphaned in the their natural habitat. Either way, they are all rescued and rehabilitated and then released into the sanctuary. The intention is that they will join a troop of their own species within the sanctuary and continue life "in the wild".
Whilst Monkeyland raises funds to care for the primates in their care by conducting guided tours along the forest paths among the free roaming primates - any direct human contact with these creatures is strictly discouraged.
There are many other organisations in Plett, such as Knysna Elephant Park, Plett Seabird Rehabilitation Centre etc, who all share their conservation / preservation efforts with the public. This practice enables them to raise both money and awareness for their cause.
Schools
Plettenberg Bay has an extremely interesting education menu, and for a relatively small town, has an amazing array of institutions to choose from.
The Government or Public school system caters from Pre-Primary through to High School. Starting at Plett Pre-Primary School, going on to Plettenberg Bay Primary School and finishing up at Wittedrift High School. The Government Schools in Plett all come highly recommended by both learners and their parents. The level of education at these schools is high, but they have not put aside the importance of good moral values. The learners that complete their education through the Government / Public School channels in Plett develop into well adjusted adults with a high moral code. What makes one smile even more is that this high level of education remains affordable to the average income family.
Apart from the Government Schooling - Plett also offers a range of Private Schools including The Christian School, Bay College, and Greenwood Primary School. These schools are also very highly praised by all who are associated with them. While they may be more expensive than the Government options, the choice ultimately lies with the parent - who remains at liberty to weigh up what they would like for their child against what they are able to afford.
Doctors and Medical Care
Plettenberg Bay is home to a number of highly respected medical practitioners which include Doctors (G.P's), Dentists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Pathologists etc. Plett now also boasts its own newly built Medi Clinic, offering the latest in healthcare. This 27-bed private hospital facility specialises in the following disciplines: obstetrics, neo-natal, ICU, general ICU, medical, surgery and has a 24-hour emergency unit.
Getting to and around Plett
Plettenberg Bay is situated on the Southern Coast of South Africa - between two other popular holiday destinations : Jeffrey's Bay and Knysna.
The closest International Airport is in Cape Town which is about 560km's from Plett, however it is possible to get a connecting flight from Cape Town to one of the more localised airports. George airport is about 100km's from Plett and Port Elizabeth airport is about 230km's from Plett.
Car Hire is not a problem as most of the major car hire companies have offices conveniently situated in Plett. These include: Avis, Budget and Europcar.
There is an airport in Plett that caters for light passenger aircraft, so with some planning a charter flight could possibly be arranged directly to Plett.
