Storms River is a small village on the eastern end of South Africa's Garden Route, where indigenous forest, pine plantations, river gorges, and wild Indian Ocean coastline crowd into a surprisingly tight area. It is not a big-town stop with many urban pleasures. Its appeal is that you can wake up in the trees and spend the day walking boardwalks above a river mouth, flying through the forest canopy, or looking down into one of the country's great road bridges.
The main draw is the Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park, just down the road at Storms River Mouth. The short walk to the suspension bridges is deservedly popular, with surf below, forest behind, and dark river water cutting through the cliffs. Inland, the old forest trails around Plaatbos and the Big Tree give a quieter sense of the yellowwood forest that once covered far more of this coast.
Storms River also has a mild adventure-town streak. The canopy tour is the classic village activity, and Bloukrans Bridge, east on the N2, adds the louder version with its famous bungy jump. You do not need to be chasing adrenaline to enjoy the place, but it helps if you like being outside.