13 The Garden Route

Episode 13 Info: Click Here

Knysna is a natural paradise of lush, indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches. She nestles on the banks of a breathtakingly pretty lagoon, now a protected marine reserve that is home to the extraordinary sea horse and over 200 species of fish. The indigenous forests in Knysna constitute the largest complex of closed-canopy forest in southern Africa, whilst the remarkable richness of the Fynbos vegetation contributes over 8000 plant species to the Cape floral kingdom.

Exploring the Knysna forests, along demarcated walks, with the occasional call of the Loerie, provides a complete escape into a former time when many elephants trod these paths, particularly if you’ve read Dalene Matthee’s ‘Circles in a forest’.

Kurland Luxury Hotel

Enjoy a vacation at Kurland Hotel, near the picturesque beach resorts of Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley, in the heart of the Garden Route in South Africa.

This Tatler award winning 5 star small luxury hotel has just 12 suites, and has acquired a reputation as an exclusive hideaway. Kurland Hotel is located on a vast 700 hectare (1700 acre) Estate of great natural beauty, between the mountains and the pristine beaches of Nature’s Valley. The vistas are breathtaking.

Kurland has been designed with exceptional facilities for family holidays, and enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which makes this the ideal year round destination for fun vacations and family reunions. Once they have experienced Kurland, families from around the world return again.

Time is of no consequence at Kurland, and guests set their own pace. Kurland aims to provide comfort, serenity, and great hospitality and ensures that guests have the pleasure of engaging in country pursuits and new experiences.
Kurland is a great escape.

Kurland is a proud new member of Relais & Châteaux, sharing their values of Courtesy, Charm, Character, Calm and Cuisine, and is consistently rated as one of the best hotels in the world.

Kurland is simply the most desirable address on the Garden Route.

For more information on Kurland Luxury Hotel, you can visit: www.kurland.co.za

Lightleys House Boats

Lightleys Holiday Houseboats is the ideal way to get away from it all! For family holidays or a relaxing getaway in South Africa a Lightleys boating holiday is a great way to enjoy South Africa’s rivers, lagoons and natural splendor.

Houseboat holidays are our speciality, as well as honeymoons, conferences and teambuilding. Be the Captain of your own holiday and enjoy a genuinely different holiday experience in your own self-drive houseboat. You don’t need any experience or a skipper’s license – we’ll show you how it’s done!

(Lightleys House Boats has stopped operating since the episode was shot)

Stormsriver- Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours

Stormsriver Adventures is a professional adventure and activity company based in Stormsriver Village in the heart of the Tsitsikamma Forest. Your experience starts at our adventure centre where one can choose between the worlds renowned Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours, Tsitsikamma Woodcutters Journey and Guided Hikes. Team building options also available.

The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour© is a unique eco-wilderness adventure that takes place in the magnificent Tsitsikamma indigenous rainforest.

The first of its kind in Africa, the canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 meters above the forest floor…
Most platforms are located in giant Outeniqua Yellowwood trees. The scenery and bird life is spectacular and professional guides provide interesting facts about the forest ecology during the 2½ to 3 hours.

The concept of guiding people through the upper canopy of a rainforest originated in Costa Rica, where adventurous biologists devised new methods for accessing the forest canopy in order to conduct research on the undiscovered canopy ecosystem. The idea soon developed into a breathtaking form of eco-tourism, which allowed people to enter and experience a previously inaccessible natural environment.

Knysna (for under Knysna)

34 South Restaurant

34 degrees southNot exactly a restaurant… not exactly a bar… definitely not a deli… well, not exactly a deli… it’s an eating place, a drinking place and definitely a meeting place.

And it’s a gift shop, a clothing emporium, a food store, a fish monger and a bakery, too. And the finest wine shop this side of the grape curtain.

And it’s always on one, single line of latitude – the 34th parallel (but only on the Waterfront at the Knysna Quays and in Port Elizabeth’s trendy Boardwalk Complex).

KNYSNA – the country’s Favourite Town – lies sleepy on the shores of its famous lagoon. It’s the finest destination on South Africa’s Southern Cape Coast and the one you’ll choose as your home base when you’re out exploring the Garden Route region and it’s neighbour, the Klein Karoo.

PORT ELIZABETH – is the gateway to the Garden Route and the malaria-free game reserves and safari parks of the Eastern Cape. It’s a buzzy, vibey coastal spot with a happy reputation as The Friendly City.

And whether you’re in Knysna or Port Elizabeth, you’re at 34° South – that’s your horizontal spot, your parallel position, your line of latitude. And that’s where you’ll find our restaurants –  34 South, Knysna and 34 South, Port Elizabeth.

For more information on 34 South, you can visit: www.34-south.com

The Springtide Sailing Charters Knysna

Spring-tide chartersThe Outeniqua launched in 1998, is a 50ft mono-hull, with a beam of 4m & interior clearance of 1.9m. Her sleek lines were designed by naval architect, Phill Southwell & hand built by owner/skipper, Stephan Pepler. Her interiors are finished in the indigenous woods, Yellowwood & Hard Pear and sports a full teak deck. The yacht boasts 3 double cabins & 2 heads, the mastersuite is en suite. The only mono-hull that sails through the majestic sandstone cliffs of the Knysna Heads; out into the Indian Ocean and along our spectacular coastline.

For more information on The Outeniqua Yacht, you can visit: www.springtide.co.za

Knysna Elephant Park

Knysna elephant park

“Born of the struggle by the elephants of the Knysna Forest”

 

Join the southern most elephants in the world at the Knysna Elephant Park where our resident family of African elephants and world-class guides will unravel the sad and mystical story of the Knysna Elephants. The park offers a rare and exciting opportunity to get close to these gentle giants, who live in a controlled, free range environment in the heart of the famous Garden Route…

elephant experiencesWhen you visit the Knysna Elephant Park, you are not only experiencing elephants at close range, you are also supporting a number of elephants at our orphanage near Port Elizabeth. We do not permit visitors at this Park as it is a true rehabilitation centre. This is our primary purpose for being – to provide a home to elephants in need.

Your experience at our Park helps these elephants live a better life, and opens your eyes and hearts to their world. We practice a free-range controlled system of management that allows our matriarchal herd to range freely and only interact with guests on their terms. Many people comment on the fact that visiting the Park is like being in Addo, but without the restriction of sitting in a car. Being so close to the elephants is invaluable in developing an understanding of elephant behaviour, and any subsequent trip to greater game parks or reserves can only be enhanced by this newfound understanding. You will leave Knysna Elephant Park having been touched by an elephant …

For more information on Knysna Elephant Park, you can visit: www.knysnaelephantpark.co.za

South African National Parks

South African National Parks, (SANParks), manages a system of parks which represents the indigenous fauna, flora, landscapes and associated cultural heritage of the country. Of all the national parks, most have overnight tourist facilities, with an unrivalled variety of accommodation in arid, coastal, mountain and bushveld habitats.

National parks offer visitors an unparalleled diversity of adventure tourism opportunities including game viewing, bush walks, canoeing and exposure to cultural and historical experiences.

Thanks to SANParks for allowing the show to film at the Diepwalle Forest Station and Jubilee Creek!

For more information about SANParks, you can visit: https://www.sanparks.org

 

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