Tour of Knysna
Knysna is the ultimate tourist town and everything seems geared to make the visitor feel at home, with unique places of interest. The Knysna Quays Waterfront shopping and residential development on the lagoon is nice enough, with lots of shops and restaurants. For less mainstream retail therapy, walk along the main street which has several intimate shopping complexes and lots of individualistic stores, restaurants and flea markets.
Knysna is also known for its timber, and there are many manufacturers and retailers selling indigenous wooden furniture. Then, if all the shopping is making you thirsty, take a trip around Mitchell’s Brewery and join a tour through its yeasty facilities.
Historically speaking, the Knysna museum is housed in an old, pre-fab house that used to stand on the abandoned Millwood Gold Fields. It has interesting displays on the early days of the town. The nearby Old Gaol Complex contains a maritime museum, angling exhibit, art gallery and restaurant.
Largest Rastafarian Community in South Africa
Featherbed Nature Reserve has lots of offer the visitor including beautiful walks over the pristine cliffs, a trailer ride to the top of the Western Head, cave trails, a floating restaurant and a catamaran journey into the mouth of the Heads.
The reserve can only be accessed by ferries which depart from the Waterfront and the Municipal Jetty. Fishing is a popular local pastime and there are several companies offering deep-sea charters. Alternatively, rent a canoe and paddle out into the waters of the lagoon which are teeming with over 200 kinds of fish. The lagoon is also supports a variety of activities for swimmers, scuba divers, boaters, canoeists and snorkelers.
Outdoor enthusiasts can sign up for abseiling, paragliding, wind surfing, kayaking and a suicidal Drift Dive in the fast-moving currents through the Heads. If you feel like something more sedate, there is a company offering relaxing old-fashioned wagon trails through the forests between Knysna and Plett. If you want an altogether more irie cultural experience, book a tour through Judah Square, the largest Rastafarian community in South Africa. Township tours are also offered.
Kranshoek Coastal Day Walk
Walkers will have a field day in Knysna, as there are dozens of day walks and overnight trails through the surrounding countryside. One of the most rewarding trails is the Kranshoek Coastal Day Walk through the Harkerville indigenous forest reserve. This circular 9km hike is like a miniature Otter Trail, with similar scenery to the famous 5-day hiking trail. It starts at a delightful picnic spot and then leads through thick forest, down a steep descent to the sea and back up the cliffs to the picnic spot.
It is quite strenuous but the scenery is gorgeous, especially on the rocky beach which rumbles when the white waves wash over the rounded pebbles. Shorter walks through the forest can also be tackled. There’s also good walking in the Goudveld Forestry area around the old Millwood Gold Fields. Cyclists and mountain bikers will find extensive trails in both of the reserves mentioned above.
Cyclists and off-road motorists may also enjoy a journey along Salt River Road, which takes you on a high circuit through the plantations that cover the mountain-tops around town, and back to Knysna via the bustling township. Avid readers may enjoy also following the characters of Dalene Matheé’s Kringe in ‘n Bos by taking the circle in the forest from the Old Cape Road, just outside of town to Gouna-se-kant. This used to be part of the wagon road from Cape Town to Knysna, before they built the causeway over the river.
Local Knysna Gems
While you can swim in the lagoon, Knysna does not have an ocean beach. For that you have to drive out of town to Noetzie, Brenton-on-sea or Buffalo Bay. The beach that stretches from Brenton to Buffalo Bay is particularly beautiful and quite vast, so that it never gets overcrowded. The cliffs above Brenton Beach used to house the attractive Brenton Hotel which offered a nice patio serving light meals. Sadly, the hotel burnt down and is being rebuilt. When in town, it’s always good to go local.
Taste the home-grown Knysna oysters, and keep an eye out for the elusive Knysna loerie (they’re lucky). In terms of wildlife, Knysna has several unique species, including the Brenton Blue butterfly and the Knysna seahorse. Both of these are under threat of extinction as their habitat is being polluted by holiday homes and motorboats.
Sadly, the famous Knysna elephants are already long gone. The Knysna Elephant Sanctuary, on the road to Plett, has tried to make amends by bringing in elephants from other parts of the country, and they promise guests an up close and personal encounter with these gentle giants.
By David Fleminger
For holiday-makers in search of the dichotomy of relaxation and adventure can rest assured that accommodation in Knysna on the Garden Route ...
Knysna lies on the banks of a tranquil lagoon, guarded at its mouth by The Heads and overlooked to the north by the Outeniqua Mountains....