Flying There
The nearest airports are at George or Port Elizabeth (PE). Niether are international airports so you'll probably be flying from Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Durban. From these airports there are a large number of carriers (including low cost ones) that will get you to Goerge/PE. Cost: R600 - R1000 pp. Look at the costs summary page for a run down on the trip costs in Rands and US Dollars.
Airport to the Start
George is closer to the start (storms river rest camp) and a much nicer
drive gets you to the start of the Otter Trail. Shuttles from George (or PE) are available, and their are numerous companies on the net offering this service (about R250 pp one way). The drive from George will take you past Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenburg Bay and Natures Valley all of which are tourist attractions in their own right. For an
extra fee, and if you have time to spare, the airport shuttle will stop at one of these
places - roughly R250 an hour (but times are flexible and you can negotiate).
Since the first days hike is only 4.8km, flying in the same
day is not a bad idea if you have limited days. Fly in to George, first flight
out, and arrive in George around 9/10 am. Its an hour and a half to storms
river (start). This will give you time to have lunch before your start (reduce your
pack weight!).
Accommodation
There are many options for accommodation before and after the trail. The natural option for before the start would be to stay at the Storms River Rest Camp. The national park where the Otter Trail is based is a popular tourist attraction and the Storms River Rest camp is well equipped and value for money accommodation. Accommodation includes forest huts, family cottages and camping facilities.
Alternatively you could book both your pre and post hike accommodation at the same place. This leaves you with a choice of a multitude of B&B's and self-catering facilites at Natures Valley where the trail ends. B&B Operators are familiar with the Trail and will be more than willing to drive you to the start (30 km). This option has the advantage of affording you a place to leave your belongins (or car if you drive), which will be waiting for you on completion. If you take this option then a good idea would be to leave some meat for a braai (barbecue) in the freezer at the B&B.
At the Start
Once at the start you will need to sign in at the park office, where you will have to sign the register and pay park fees. For SA
residents this is about R130 pp total for the duration of the trail. For non
residents the fee is approximately double. With the appropriate wild card,
conservation fees are waived. Park fees were well worth it in retrospect
considering the quality of the facilities and the maintenance done on the
trail.
After the Trail
The end of your adventure brings you to the mouth of the Groot Rivier and the town of Natures Valley. If you've already booked your accommodation, then the operators will be more than willing to pick you up from the beach parking lot. However Natures Valley is a small town and you could probably walk to your destination (~ 2km depending on where you've booked).
Extra Info
Book a domestic flight:
Wiki links to other stuff you'll want to checkout: