COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever,[7] fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste.[8][9][10] Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms.[11][12] Of those who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be classified as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% develop critical symptoms (respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).[13] Older people have a higher risk of developing severe symptoms. Some complications result in death. Some people continue to experience a range of effects (long COVID) for months or years after infection, and damage to organs has been observed.[14] Multi-year studies on the long-term effects are ongoing.[15]

COVID‑19 transmission occurs when infectious particles are breathed in or come into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. The risk is highest when people are in close proximity, but small airborne particles containing the virus can remain suspended in the air and travel over longer distances, particularly indoors. Transmission can also occur when people touch their eyes, nose, or mouth after touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated by the virus. People remain contagious for up to 20 days and can spread the virus even if they do not develop symptoms.[16]

Testing methods for COVID-19 to detect the virus’s nucleic acid include real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR),[17][18] transcription-mediated amplification,[17][18][19] and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT‑LAMP)[17][18] from a nasopharyngeal swab.[20]

Several COVID-19 vaccines have been approved and distributed in various countries, many of which have initiated mass vaccination campaigns. Other preventive measures include physical or social distancing, quarantining, ventilation of indoor spaces, use of face masks or coverings in public, covering coughs and sneezes, hand washing, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face. While drugs have been developed to inhibit the virus, the primary treatment is still symptomatic, managing the disease through supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.

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Mossel Bay lies at the western end of South Africa’s famous Garden Route holiday strip, where the Outeniqua Mountains overlook old-growth forests, beaches and lagoons. The town is one of the Garden Route’s most popular holiday centers, especially during the busy summer season. What can visitors to Mossel Bay do and what should they expect in summer?

Activities on Land and Sea

Complaints of boredom are not a fact of life for this activity-packed seaside town. Indeed, with activities ranging from wildlife drives to skydiving, the local tourist slogan used to be quite simply: ‘Do stuff’. That catchphrase has been replaced by ‘162,000 years of holidays’ – a reference to the Point of Human Origins, where the caves hold tools and other evidence of early human habitation. In this down-to-earth holiday resort, choose between surfing, diving, sailing, shark-cage diving, walking some of the Oystercatcher hiking trail and taking a boat trip to Seal Island. And that’s without even leaving town.

Gateway to the Garden Route

Mossel Bay is a convenient base for enjoying the whole Garden Route region, which stretches around 200km/124mi east to Storms River. While staying in Mossel Bay, you’ll likely hit the N2 highway a few times to visit nearby attractions such as Inverroche, which began South Africa’s craft gin craze with its fynbos-infused spirits. There are a few malaria-free private game reserves offering day visits, including Botlierskop, Garden Route, Hartenbos and Indalu, with an elephant sanctuary at the latter.

The forests and hiking trails of the Garden Route National Park are within day-tripping distance, as are the Wild Oats and Timberlake food markets in the Sedgefield area. Another popular day out is George’s Outeniqua Power Van, a motorized trolley ride through farmland and over rivers to Groot Brakrivier. With activities from Klipheuwel bike park to South Africa’s longest sandboard ride, the Mossel Bay area brings a smile to everyone from families to adventurers.

Christmas Tips

The Garden Route is the top holiday choice for many South Africans, drawing holidaymakers from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and beyond. Given that the country’s major summer holiday falls between mid-December and mid-January, it’s essential to book well ahead to visit around Christmas. If you can, book a year ahead. Alternatively, plan your visit for a quieter and cheaper period of summer, which lasts from roughly November to March. It’s a standing South African joke that the N1 highway from Gauteng province, where the big cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria are located, fills with a festive charge of cars with GP (Gauteng) number plates. Their trailers are usually laden with boats, braais (barbecues) and other holiday essentials.

That said, if you do visit Mossel Bay during the peak season, it is possible to navigate the busy town. Get up early to avoid the beach traffic and book ahead for the popular restaurants at the Point. With mountains and beaches surrounding town, it’s also easy to escape the crowds on a short drive. Head over the Robinson Pass towards Oudtshoorn, stopping for afternoon tea at Eight Bells Inn and for padkos (road snacks) at the zebra-patterned Ruiterbos Farm Stall. Canoe the serene waterways around Wilderness or hike through indigenous coastal forest in the Unesco-listed Goukamma Nature Reserve. At the end of the day, head back to Mossel Bay to enjoy a sundowner (drink while watching the sunset) and join the party atmosphere.

Layout and History

If you’re coming from Cape Town, Mossel Bay initially looks a little unprepossessing, due to some industrial development to the west of town. However, follow the signs to Mosselbaai, as the town is known in Afrikaans, and you’ll quickly forget that first impression. The main road to the center is lined with the usual services, but there are views of beaches, waterfront campsites and the Indian Ocean beyond.

The road reaches a wonderful conclusion at the Point, where surf breaks, and mini-golf and cold beer await. Before that is the town center, which has a pleasantly laidback and historic feel, mixing antique shops and inviting cafes with everyday small-town life. Mossel Bay is at its most historic in the Dias Museum Complex, which marks the spot where Europeans first set foot in South Africa. Bartolomeu Dias’ Portuguese crew came ashore in 1488, on their expedition to find a trade route to India. Send a postcard from the ‘post box tree’, where sailors once left notes for each other. Or board the replica of Dias’ caravel (Portuguese sailing boat), which was built in 1988 and sailed here from Portugal.

Going on a Summer Holiday

Amid all the hiking and canoeing, boat trips and safaris, don’t forget that Mossel Bay holidays are really about lounging on the beach. Generations of South Africans come here for the simple pleasures of sandy toes, ice cream and splashing in the waves. On the town’s Santos and Diaz Beaches, it’s easy to agree with the old Afrikaans saying, dis lekker by die see – it’s lovely by the sea.

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The Garden Route is a 200km/120mi-long strip of beaches, bays, lagoons and inviting tourist towns, running up the Indian Ocean from Mossel Bay to Storms River. The coastline is only part of its charm. Adventurous activities can also be had exploring the thick forests and dramatic river valleys of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains. Thanks to the balmy waters of the Mozambique Current, the region has a blissful microclimate that is the world’s mildest after Hawaii.

Activity Hub

All along the Garden Route, wild mountains cascade down to the water’s edge. Old-growth forests cradle the bays and lagoons riddle the Indian Ocean coastline. This concentration of glorious surf and turf offers strings of beaches, the Garden Route National Park (divided into the Knysna, Wilderness and Tsitsikamma sections) and several nature reserves. Without even touching the water, you can explore hushed forests on the Knysna Lakes day trails and walk the wobbly suspension bridges at Storms River Mouth. Then there are famous multiday hikes, including the 45km/28mi Otter Trail across forests, headlands, beaches and rivers to Natures Valley, where hikers hang their boots in the trading post tree. Garden Route holidaymakers can wake up in the morning and choose between driving a scenic mountain pass, skydiving, bungee jumping, mountain biking, zip lining and kloofing (canyoning). It’s also possible to go on day safaris at private wildlife reserves such as Botlierskop near Mossel Bay, home to lions, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos.

Fun on the Water

The Garden Route is firmly established as South Africa’s favorite summer holiday destination, and the choice of water-based activities here is incredible. In Mossel Bay alone, you can learn to surf, get up close to a great white on a shark-cage dive, and see seals and dolphins on a cruise to Seal Island. Canoe along Wilderness National Park’s placid Touw River or take a boat trip across Knysna Lagoon to the sandstone Heads. Watery options also include paddle boarding, snorkeling, whale-watching tours, white-water tubing and exploring Storms River Gorge by kayak and lilo.

Buzzing Beach Towns

Eating ice cream on a sandy stretch such as Santos Beach in Mossel Bay is an essential part of summer for South Africans. This heritage as a beloved holiday spot has created a string of holiday towns with sights, tours, activities, restaurants and accommodation. Choose between the likes of Mossel Bay, where towels are laid and beers are clinked at the Point, and Plettenberg Bay (aka ‘Plett’), with its upmarket resort atmosphere. Opt for the vibey tourist town of Knysna or seek seaside tranquility in smaller enclaves such as Victoria Bay, Herolds Bay and Buffels Bay. These spots are close together, so can be enjoyed on day trips, with stops from food markets to private wildlife reserves en route.

Historical Importance

The Garden Route has a fascinating history as a significant player in South African history, thanks partly to its thick forests. The Knysna Forests were once logged for their indigenous yellowwood and stinkwood, which were shipped to build houses and railway lines in Cape Town. As novelist Dalene Matthee (a descendant of Sir Walter Scott) evoked in Circles in a Forest and Fiela’s Child, the forests were inhabited by wild elephants, itinerant woodcutters and gold panners. Watching the new film of the latter or reading Matthee’s novels is excellent preparation for spending a day beneath the canopy on the walking trails. History also lingers in Knysna itself, with its furniture shops and the five 19th-century yellowwood houses that make up Knysna Museum.

Mossel Bay is famous as the place where Europeans first stepped onto South African soil. The town’s sprawling Dias Museum Complex marks the spot where Bartolomeu Dias’ crew came ashore in 1488, looking for drinking water on their quest for a sea route to India. Sights here include the ‘post office tree’, where mariners once left notes for each other, and the replica of Dias’ caravel, built in 1988 and sailed from Portugal to commemorate his voyage. History goes back even further at the nearby Point of Human Origins, where the caves contain evidence of human life from 160,000 years ago.

Easy Access

Whether you want a side trip from Cape Town or a holiday en route along South Africa’s east coast, the Garden Route is perfectly positioned. Mossel Bay is under 400km/250mi along the N2 highway from Cape Town, meaning it can be driven in a day. There are some beautiful routes from Cape Town, offering awesome road trip potential. You could drive through the coastal Overberg region, then head back along Route 62 through the Little Karoo’s sleepy towns and ostrich farms. If you don’t feel like driving, hop on the sociable Baz Bus, which makes eight stops along the Garden Route on its Cape Town–Port Elizabeth route.

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1. Pack summer clothing, but remember to bring a jacket.

Christmas is during summer in SA, but Mossel Bay has its own mind when it comes to weather. Although it’s usually a sunny day on Christmas, Mossel Bay can get a bit windy and colder even during summer, especially on the beach.

2. Make dinner reservations.

Here at The Bay Lodge we only serve breakfast even on Christmas Day and should you not make a reservations for lunch / dinner ahead of time you will struggle to get into a restaurant.

Some of the restaurants offer buffets on Christmas such as Admirals at the Garden Route Casino , other close by restaurants  you can go to includes Oceans Basket , Piza e Vino , Café gannet ect.

3. Gifts

Christmas just isn’t the same without opening a gift, but we do not always have space to pack gifts and bring it along. Luckily here in Mossel Bay we have lots of places to get the perfect gifts.  We also have Christmas Markets where you can buy all sorts of gifts.

4. What to do during Christmas time in and around Mossel Bay.

There’s plenty to do. Visit the beach, walk through the Christmas Markets, take amazing photos or visit the events taking place during the festive season.

Christmas is a time to be happy and nothing makes you happier than having a great time away.

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It is a lovely beach where families can play with their children , where you can take long relaxing walks or just watch the dolphins swim by.

Although the ocean is safe to swim in most of the time , it can also become dangerous from time to time , especially when there is a rip current.

Signs of a rip current is:

1. A channel of churing, choppy water.
2. An area having a notable difference in colour in the water.
3. A line of sea foam,seaweed, or debris moving steadily seawards
4. A break in the incoming wave pattern.

What to do when you get yourself caught in a rip current:

1. Stay calm , force yourself to be as relaxed as possible.
2. Do not try to swim against the rip current – swim slowly and conservatively out of the current.
3. Wave/call for help
4. Look at the beach to see in which direction the current is pulling you.
5. swim 90 degrees in the direction the current is taking you and then use the waves to get you back to the beach.

Remember to always stay safe even if you are a very good swimmer.

(Image provided by the internet – Mossel Bay Advertiser)

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1.We’re situated directly on the beach:

As mentioned above we are situated directly on the Bay View beach and what is more romantic than long walks and a sunset picnic on the beach? Not to mention the beautiful selfies you can take with the waves and mountains as the background.

2.We always do our best to make it special:

When making a booking – add that it is your special day and we will do our best to make your stay memorable by adding flowers, champagne and candles in the room. Should you want to organise something special, we will gladly help with the arrangements.

3.We’re close to restaurants:

The Bay Lodge is close to some of the best restaurants in town, such as Piza e vino ,cafe gannet and so much more. These restaurants never dissapoint when you want to take your partner to a nice dinner.

4.The jacuzzi:

Not only does The Bay Lodge have a swimming pool, braai area, lounges ect ,it also has a jacuzzi , which is open to all of our guests. The Jacuzzi is on our front deck, with the beach and the lights of Mossel Bay as the background and a glass of champaign or wine in the hand , whats not to like.

5.The Presidential Suite:

Also known as the “honeymoon suite”, this room is definitely the room to choose when wanting the most romantic stay. Although all of our rooms is beautiful, this Suite has a private balcony and Jacuzzi on the balcony. When laying in the jacuzzi, you have the best view of the sea and mountains. The room is also one of our biggest rooms and can be made up beautifully.

Now you also know where to find the perfect romantic destination.

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The Bay Lodge is situated directly on the beach, approximately 15 minutes from Mossel Bay and 5 minutes from Hartenbos, where there is a lot to do throughout the year.

From waterparks, shark cage diving and sky diving to boat trips, walking trails and heritage sites or just a nice relaxing day in the comfort of your room, you will enjoy every moment spent at The Bay Lodge.

For younger guests , there’s 2 waterparks close by – the Diaz waterpark and the Hartenbos Seefront waterpark. We also have a swimming pool as well as a jacuzzi at The Bay Lodge.

Couples can enjoy romatic walks on the beach, boat trips and so much more. We also try to make your stay extra special should you have an anniversary, honeymoon and so forth.

While staying at The Bay Lodge, you can take a boat trip around seal island, do some whale watching or shark cage diving. We are also close to a few Game Reserves, such as Gondwana and the Garden Route Game Reserve.

The Pinnacle Point Golf Course is just 20-30 minutes and for those who choose not to play golf – there’s also an amazing spa.

The Bay Lodge serves a delicious breakfast, but for lunch and dinner, there is a few recommended restaurants close by, such us Piza e Vino, Cafe Gannet, The Cork & Plunger and Route 57 .

This is only a few things to do when staying at The Bay Lodge. Come and visit us and discover so much more to do in and around Mossel Bay.

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