Knysna

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Knysna is the unofficial capital of the Garden Route, the official oyster capital of South Africa and a bustling little town (especially busy during December and January) situated in the most spectacular natural surrounds.

With its lush forests (and elusive elephants), lakes, rivers and a tranquil lagoon, Knysna is the ideal destination for nature and outdoor-lovers. Its outdoor lifestyle is complemented by good restaurants, art galleries and lots of comfortable accommodation.

Curio shops, restaurants and bars line the main road, and the nearby waterfront development contains a yacht harbour, restaurants and boutiques. Unsurprisingly, many people choose Knysna as the base for their Garden Route holiday.

Activities and Attractions

Knysna lazes by a warm, shallow lagoon that ebbs and flows with tides that gush through the narrow rocky entrance at the 'Heads', the enormous headlands that guard the entrance to the lagoon.

The road climbing to the top of the eastern Head yields superb views (especially towards sunset) and you can watch yachts surf through the narrow ocean channel to the safety of their moorings.

The other headland is known as the Featherbed Nature Reserve which features winding coastal and cliff walks through the pristine fynbos. Discover sandy coves, peer into giant caves and even stay for lunch.

Surrounding the lagoon is the indigenous Knysna forest, the largest closed-canopy forest in Southern Africa featuring colossal Outeniqua Yellowwoods, Stinkwoods, Hard Pears and other trees that are often hundreds of years old.

Mystery and History

The ancient indigenous forests used to be home to the Knysna elephants, the only forest-dwelling elephants in South Africa. Throughout history these elephants were hunted for their magnificent ivory and with their diminishing environment, it's uncertain whether any still survive in the depths of the forest.

The Knysna area is also famous for its most prominent, early 1800s resident Englishman, George Rex. The man with an obviously royal name arrived with such pomp and circumstance and lived in such style, that a rumour spread that he was the illegitimate son of King George III. Rex never confirmed nor denied this rumour, and the truth remains a mystery.

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