Knysna Adventures

Elephants once roamed the magnificent tangled forests near Knysna but they have almost completely died out. Only almost, though. There are still a few lurking deep in the forest so it’s a great place to spend some time with elephants, walk with them, feed them, touch them, learn all about them and even ride one. Of course, the trained elephants at Elephant Park were not caught in the forest – they’re orphaned elephants brought in from elsewhere.

Now while the forest is pretty spectacular, the huge and beautiful lagoon is probably Knysna’s most notable feature. Knysna Lagoon is the only one of the Garden Route lagoons to have a permanent mouth demarcated by rocky headlands. All the others are sandy, shifting with the tides and the seasons. So the lagoon, and the Heads, as those beautiful rocky promontories are called, totally dominate the little town and – not surprisingly – offer a fantastic playground for adventurers.

You can take a scenic boat ride on a lovely yacht, quaffing down bubbly and locally cultivated oysters, or you can opt for a rather more bouncy inflatable adventure. Both will offer you great views of the lagoon, as well as a thrilling ride both ways through the rather challenging Heads and a view of the lagoon and its sentinels from the open ocean.

Possibly even more fun, but most certainly confined to the relatively placid lagoon, is to take over a houseboat for a couple of days and navigate this beautiful waterway at your own pace, doing your own thing. It’s also a wonderful way to visit the less accessible Featherbed Nature Reserve on the western head.