Along the coast – from Cape Town to Knysna

  • by Karolin Wenzel
  • 18 Oct, 2021
The beautiful Garden Route invites its guests with the most beautiful views along the coast line as well as a diversity of activities - something for everyone. Our Karolin went on an amazing educational, hosted by SATSA, from Cape Town through Wilderness to Knysna. Read here what she has experienced:

When we left Cape Town early in the morning it was a sunny day with lots of wind coming up. Travelling along the N2 we passed the beautiful coast of Gordons Bay which held some nice views for us. We had a lunch break at Fancourt Hotel where I met lots of suppliers and had the chance to learn more about the great offerings in the surroundings. 

Our place for overnight was the beautiful Views Boutique Hotel & Spa just outside of Wilderness. After we were welcomed in the warm Lounge area we decided to discover the hotel and its magnificent views. Even with the rain that came up during the day, the area is so breathtaking with its unspoilt beaches and the wild ocean on the doorstep.

Early in the morning we left for the Fairy Knowe Hotel, which is well known in South Africa for a lot of honeymoons. It first opened its doors in 1926 and can still present their first handwritten guest books. It combines the charm of the older days with newly renovated rooms as well as the new restaurant. It's location on the river banks make it ideal for adventure travellers as well as families. After breakfast we decided to head out on the canoes. Being in a group of travel agents we were all very competitive and therefore had a lot of fun racing each other on the river - no one minded the little drizzle from the top as we were all wet from the paddles anyway :-) 

Gordons Bay
Fair
Canoeing
Furthermore we checked out the Brenton Haven Hotel which also offers the perfect views from most of their accommodation and offers delicious seafood dishes.

In the afternoon we continued our way to Knysna to Thesen Island from where we went on a whale watching cruise. A short safety briefing later we found ourselves on a 25 seater vessel breaking the waves as we went out of Knysna Heads. After a lot of wind and rain we were rewarded with a bit of sunshine when we stopped right in front of some beautiful caves on the western side of the heads. As nature is nature and whales the only thing they are supposed to be - wild - we were not lucky enough to see any whales but still had a lot of fun on the cruise and saw a Mola Mola (Sunfish) as well as some seals.

After the salty showers of the ocean we checked in at The Turbine Boutique Hotel Knysna which is truly one of its kind. The unique architecture of the old power station and the restored machinery which can be found throughout the hotel make it a very unique place to stay. All rooms are a little bit different and contain different decor elements from the old power station.

The evening was filled with delicious seafood options in different settings as we did restaurant hopping. The proximity of all the restaurants on Thesen Island make it very easy to just go and explore the variety on foot.

The next morning we visited a sailing boat. Unfortunately it was too windy and rainy to actually go sailing but just to be on board and hold the helm gives you a feeling of freedom.

Around lunch time we visited some true gems of Knysna - the White Washed cafe and the Red Bridge Brewing Company for a Gin and Beer tasting. Not only let they us taste the beer and the delicious food of White Washed in a pairing but we got to look behind the scenes and be part of the brewing process - Are you curious how the beer is brewed? We can arrange a tour and tasting.

Afterwards we went to Knysna Gin - a querky little place which was already packed with excited people on a Saturday afternoon. Knysna Gin is already well known and has some very delicious cocktails on offer. Next door is a little pizza bakery with a wood fired pizza oven - mmhhmmm, delicious.

Our next stop was Knysna Hollow which offers a beautifully lush garden with 2 swimming pools and a very relaxing atmosphere just out of the bustling city center. After some time to relax we had a comforting dinner with all our hosts of this trip and had the opportunity to once again connect and come up with some new ideas for trips and combinations.

On Sunday we left the beautiful town of Knysna and made our way back to Cape Town. But of course not without a stop at Garden Route Game Lodge. We got the chance to see the beautiful Luxury Suites with magnificent views. After lunch we continued along the Garden Route and were once again spoiled with some beautiful sunshine.

No matter what the weather is like along the Garden Route - there are lots of activities on offer - let us find the right one for you.
Wale Watching Cruise
(Windy) Wale Watching Cruise
Knysna Heads
Knysna Hollow
Garden Route Game Lodge