South Africa's Knysna Remains a Favorite Town
Forest and Lagoon Combine with Shopping and Dining for Plenty of Fun
Dec 9, 2008
In a number of popularity polls conducted by a national fuel company, Knysna was enthusiastically voted South Africa’s favourite town and one of the best known tourist and holiday towns in South Africa’s Western Cape province, and a gem of the Garden Route.
Knysna Lagoon and Nature ReserveThe lagoon is Knysna’s central attraction, with boating, fishing, waterskiing, diving, yachting and pleasure craft, offering meals and refreshments, which take passengers from the Waterfront area to Featherbed Bay and Nature Reserve adjacent to the western Head. The water here is a beautiful turquoise green but yachts and larger boats have to navigate carefully when negotiating the surf coming in through this dramatic natural portal.
Knysna Waterfront Shopping and Dining
Knysna Waterfront has become one of the favorite places for shopping and dining, with its sophisticated ambience, its yacht harbor, excellent restaurants and colorful stores. There is a drawbridge which allows yachts into the residential section of this area.
Leisure Isle and Thesen’s Island
Two islands provide residential areas within the lagoon: Leisure Isle, a tranquil neighborhood with quiet lanes and shady trees, sports clubs and understated homes; and Thesen’s Island, named after the Thesen family, whose history goes back to the early years of the settlement and whose enterprises included sawmilling, boat building and trading. Originally an industrial area, the island is now populated by uniformly chic houses, many with their own jetties and easy access to the water.
Historical Belvidere Church
Diagonally opposite, on the western edge of the estuary is Belvidere village, another leafy neighborhood well known for its beautiful tiny stone Belvidere Church built in the 1800s when Belvidere was the home and playground of some of the earliest and most illustrious Knysna families.
Another relic of historical Knysna is the Millwood Goldfield where there was a “goldrush” in the late 1800s. The mine was uneconomical and today visitors can visit the once-active shafts and tunnels, and see some of the machinery used to process the gold. This area is also the location for South African novelist Daleen Matthee’s award-winning story, Circles in the Forest.
Knysna Forest National Park
Knysna Forest can be entered by visitors most easily at Diepwalle Forest Station, where there are specially constructed “camping decks” with tented accommodation and barbecue facilities for those who would like to overnight in the forest. Here there are a number of forest walks totaling about 30km, providing an insight into this dense wildlife wonderland. Knysna Forest falls under the protection of SA National Parks (SANParks).
Knysna Elephants Roam the Forest
A contentious side to the Knysna Forest is the existence of the Knysna elephants, which were numerous in the 19th century, dwindled to only and handful in the 20th century, and some now say there might only be one remaining elephant (see picture below), but scientists are conducting DNA studies from dung samples in an attempt to establish if there might be more elephants.
The town of Knysna and its main street provide a host of shops, galleries, restaurants and music and nightlife venues, and it is known for its indigenous wooden furniture. Timbers like Yellowwood and Stinkwood from Knysna Forest are sought-after by locals and visitors.
Knysna Oyster Festival
Knysna is well known for its natural and cultivated oysters, which are the focus of the annual Knysna Oyster Festival which draws visitors from all over the country and overseas for its host of culinary, cultural and sporting events.
Knysna offers many hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments for all tastes and pockets.
