Knysna

Knysna is a spot of exceptional beauty.  A tourist attraction of note and you have only to look at this photograph to see why.

The town and suburbia of Knysna are mostly built around the estuary.  Known by locals and overseas tourists as The Knysna Lagoon, it is actually the estuary of Knysna River.  Despite the misnomer, the lagoon (as we shall call it too) flows in and out of The Knysna Heads with the ebb and flow of the tides of the sea.  It is a wonderfully sensitive aquatic eco-system which has a huge amount of varied sea life.  It is unusual for a shark to come into the lagoon or a whale to be stranded as the tide goes out but it does happen.  Pretty Knysna Seahorses live in the waters of the lagoon and form part of a carefully conserved environment.  Take a boat on the lagoon and watch stingrays swimming along beside you or take a fishing charter such as JJ's Fishing Charters.  The Knysna local who runs this exclusive charter will not only enlighten you to the other wonders of Knysna, but also introduce you to good old South African hospitality.  You won't be disappointed.  He follows a "catch-and-release" policy.  Take a look at his link for details of the types of fish you can expect to catch and don't be afraid to take your non-fishing partner along with you - the view and fresh sea air is really relaxing.

 

Musselcracker Fish

Knysna is a place of huge diversity - dense forests, lovely beaches, stunning scenic views, marshlands, dunes - you name it, Knysna probably has it!  Per capita, it is said that Knysna has the most artists and authors than almost anywhere else on the Garden Route.  Since it is also a popular retirement place as well as being a top-notch holiday spot, that would not surprise me.  The fresh, well-oxygenated air and general laid-back attitude in Knysna makes the locals feel as if they are on holiday half the time!

Let's have a look at the Garden of Eden.  Yes, surprisingly it does still exist - without Adam and Eve, but here is where you will find it. The Garden of Eden is a lovely peaceful place to visit and has covered walkways which are great for prams or wheelchairs.  Take a picnic along with you and enjoy the tranquility.

Like to see some exquisite (and I mean exquisite) and unusual pottery?  Don't miss out on a visit to The Potter.  You will not be disappointed and you will come away with a thing or two of beauty which as they say, is a joy forever.  Here's a sample of their high-quality products:

You will definitely not be short of things to do in Knysna!

Visit Knysna Castles on Noetzie Beach - very unusual castles and great photo opportunities:

Brenton-on-Beach Accommodation overlooking a simply gorgeous beach (which gets quite busy in season).  Life-guards in season.  Toilet and shower facilities.  For the intrepid walkers - a great walk right along the beach to Buffalo Bay - great walk for breakfast but remember, you will need to walk back again unless you can get someone to pick you up at Buffalo Bay.  Lovely photo opportunities and nice little rock pools for children to watch crabs, sea anemones and a variety of molluscs.

Fabulous opportunity for paragliding from the highest dunes.

More accommodation at J&C's Beach House- to quote directly from this website link: 

"Situated in the Garden Route town of Knysna, we offer luxurious B&B & light self catering accommodation in Brenton-On-Sea, Knysna’s only beach resort.
Beautifully appointed Guest House, 5 spacious en-suite studio rooms, sheltered pool, tropical garden & braai facilities.
Enjoy magnificent views, walk to famous Brenton Beach, golf, walks, horse riding, whale watching in season & dolphins all year.
Enjoy a Sun Downer and watch the sun set over the sea.
Have fun in bustling nearby Knysna but escape to the peaceful beauty of Brenton on Sea. “J&C’s Beach House” offers relaxing, scenic, upmarket accommodation in one of South Africa’s hidden pearls". 

Brenton-on-Lake (a misnomer as it is actually a lagoon):
Drive around the holiday homes and see the amazingly tame bush buck population.  You will probably also come across some Knysna Loerie birds here.  Enjoy watching the boats leaving from the jetty.  

You might like to stay in one of the chalets.  Lovely swimming pool facility, amongst other things - The Lake Brenton Holiday Resort.  Absolutely ideal for families with children!

Travel up the Knysna Heads for unbelievable views of the lagoon, the maritime passage through the Heads (one of the most dangerous in the entire world) and walk along wooden structures set against the cliffs for phenomenal views out to the sea.

 

At the foot of The Knysna heads lies Coney Glen - a nice little beach, quite private.  On the other side at the bottom of The Heads facing the passageway, you'll find some excellent restaurants with great vibes and right next to the sea.  There are a number of short walks to be enjoyed, with boardwalks which lead to interesting caves on both sides of The Heads.  At the front of the Heads facing the Knysna Lagoon, there is an awesome diving opportunity to go below the sea and find the wreck of The Paquita with the use of Wanna Dive

"The Paquita - a German iron barque - sank in 1903, after running ashore and filling with water. She now lies on the eastern side of the famous Heads in Knysna.
The wreck is in beautiful condition with anchors clearly visible and many other things to discover. The reefs boast beautiful corals especially on the iron plates. Invertebrate life and plenty of marine growth inhabit the area. Seahorses can at times be seen here. Night dives can be done on this dive site, which I have done and can sincerely recommend it!!"
(Direct quote from their web-site, linked above).

Featherbed Nature Reserve lies on the opposite side of The Heads just mentioned.  Featherbed is a protected nature reserve and you can only get there by using one of the gorgeous ferries from the Knysna Waterfront - such as The John Benn, Spirit of Knysna, Old Three Legs and the Paddlecruiser.  

On arrival, you can take the opportunity of visiting the great restaurant for refreshments or meals and take a walk along this private reserve to visit the caves along the shore-line or even absail.  The area is famous for the Brenton Blue Butterfly (endangered), indigenous plants, oysters and blue cranes.

Do not miss the opportunity to go for a tandem paraglide with Windmaster Paraglides - it will be a totally unforgettable experience - take a look at my own personal experience of a tandem paraglide by clicking this link.  Windmaster not only provides tandem glides, but can also arrange your accommodation, paragliding tours and scenic motor flights.  If you have time on your hands, do the full basic training course which can be completed within 14 days and promises to get you airborne on your very first day under close supervised instruction.

Paragliding over the Wilderness

For more information, contact:

Roland +27 (0) 72 152 6093

Kristy +27 (0) 72 725 8510

Don't forget the sun cream!

Some more must-see places in Knysna:

• The Old Gaol and Art Gallery (in same building)
  
• Mother Holly's Tea Room
• Goldfields
• Jubilee Creek walk and picnic spot
• A sail around the Dry Mill Apartments and Thesen Islands
• A visit to Thesen Harbour Town
• See Knysna Waterfront for shopping and great restaurants
• Leisure Isle
• The Heads Lookout Walkway
• Pilot's View
• Simola Golf Course
• Knysna Quays
• Pledge Square
• Monument Square
• Friday Evening Market for a variety of good food, great company and live music
  
• Woodmill Lane Shopping Centre - also offers great restaurants and live music
• Many beautiful hikes for the novice and the experienced

Contact Knysna Tourism for more information, accommodation and even MORE places to visit.  You will enjoy your stay especially between the months of October to June when weather conditions are optimum.

NB:  There's talk about a huge International Eco University going up in Knysna soon.  Planned to be the biggest in the world that deals with ecology - so very soon now, Knysna will have students from all over the world come to study here.  Should you fall in love with Knysna, contact Edward Alant at Knysna Properties for assistance with purchasing valuable property in this area.  His e-mail address is 
edward.alant@engelvoelkers.co.za