"Take a Virtual Tour of Knysna"

"Out Of Africa - Out Of This World"

• "2007/8 South Africa's Favorite Town"
• "Top 100 Destinations in the World" and "Top 25 in Africa" by Trip Advisor, 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations
• "2008 Top 10 Restaurants" in Dine, Wine magazine and Diners Club International annual guide to eating out.
• "2006/2007 Golf Destination of the Year for Africa and the Middle East" by Global Trade Organisation for the Golf Tourism Industry.

Geography & Climate:

• Elevation: 0 - 150 m
• GPS position: -34.029999 Latitude / 23.059999 Longitude
• Time Zone: GMT +2 hours
• Distance from Cape Town 490.0 km
• Distance from Port Elizabeth 275.0 km
• Distance from George Airport 65.0 km

The Knysna region covers a total surface area of 1 059 km². The town is situated mainly along the northern shores of the Knysna Lagoon, while the region is bordered by the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean.

The region's flora includes Afro-montane, or temperate rainforest, which covers the hilly terrain. An abundance of unique Cape Fynbos ('fine or delicate bush') grows throughout the region.

Click here for weather information

The Early Days

Khoisan people inhabited the Garden Route from the Stone Age, only being displaced in the 17th Century after the arrival of Dutch settlers. Hottentots named a local river in the area by a word that sounded like "Knysna" to the early Europeans.

The town's streets and quaint, old buildings show its commercial past, while the rocky coast and deep, silent forests reflect the history of men with bows and arrows, ancient hunters, gatherers and nomads.

The Present

"Nature's Playground"

Knysna is one of the Garden Route's best known travel destinations – situated between lush forests and the shores of the peaceful estuary.

"People - Beauty - Mystery" is what comes to mind when describing Knysna. The town nestles between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, with the world-renowned forests encircling it like a protective mantle.

The 21 ha estuary is protected from the sea by the monolithic sandstone "Heads" - silent sentinels down the centuries of the rich history of this unique part of "Paradise on Earth"

In and around Knysna one will find a selection of fine restaurants, activities, cultural & heritage experiences, adventure and natural encounters, to match your mood, age, physique or budget. For the shopper, there are interesting shops tucked away around every corner, authentic African traders and for the person with a passion for art and history, well, Knysna will intrigue you.

Knysna is the ideal Garden Route base, offering visitors an unforgettable holiday, from the very adventurous holidaymakers, to those who prefer relaxing in the sun, strolling through the cool forests or taking scenic day drives. It is an excellent day trip base and we advise that you plan your trip to stay at least five days in the heart of the Garden Route – Knysna.

Begin your journey to this fascinating and still mysterious place, and sample a taste of the beauty and a whisper of the people, in this, South Africa's favourite town.

"Adventure and Attractions"

Experience the thrill of high-speed mountain biking through indigenous forests or pe the depths of the lagoon. Hire a kayak to tour the winding Knysna river, or, for an aerial view , raise the heartbeat with an abseil above the ocean's crashing waves. Ride a horse along the water's edge. Try fly fishing, rock and surf angling or deep-sea fishing. or, for the daring, kite-surf on the waters of the lagoon or paraglide over the hills and lakes.

For the more leisurely inclined, three premier golf courses offer the best in golf with views to match.

Take a cruise across the lagoon or out to sea on a stylish yacht. Hire a bicycle and tour the town...or visit the Elephant Park and experience closeness with nature unlike anything you've ever felt before.

See More of Knysna at: www.tourismknysna.co.za

To Read Before You Go

The Mulberry Forest, By Dalene Matthee
ISBN-13: 978-0140120257
Silas and his daughter Miriam live by cutting wood and gathering honey, alone in a clearing in the green Eden of Africa's magnificent Knysna forest. Alone, that is, until the day a frightened, black-eyed group of Italian immigrants arrives, lured there by false official promises of mulberry trees and sheds to house their silkworms. It is a moving adventure of love and dispossession, marvelously recreating the struggles of the early settlers as they carve a life in the wild world of the Knysna African Forest.

Circles In A Forest, By Dalene Matthee
ISBN-13: 978-0140071412
Born and bred into the tawny magnificence of Africa, Saul would fight to save the vanishing world of his inheritance. Home of the wild elephants and the fiercely independent families of woodcutters, the Knysna Forest is under threat from the exploitative greed of the timber merchants, and the ruthless plundering of the ivory hunters.

To Watch Before You Go

I Dreamed Of Africa, By Hugh Hudsons
USA (2000)
Based on an autobiographic book by Italian Kuki Gallmann. A modern day version of Out of Africa. A "romantic drama" about a european couples settling in Kenya (in 1972) and their struggles with their new home. Best for African scenery. Filmed on location in South Africa and Laikipia, Kenya

White Hunter Black Heart, By Clint Eastwood
USA (1990)
Based on a novel by Peter Viertel. It is about Peter Viertel and John Huston's experiences filming 'The African Queen' on location in Africa. Starring Clint Eastwood as John Wilson/John Huston.

The Sheltering Sky, By Bernardo Bertolucci
Italy (1990)
An american couple travels in North Africa in search of new inspiration for their art and most of all for their life together. Fantastic photography filmed on location in Morocco, Niger, Algeria.

The Power Of One, By John G. Avildsen
Australia, France, USA (1992)
The story of an English kid growing up in South Africa in th early days of apartheid (30's and 40's). A well-meaning good drama. Filmed in South Africa, UK and Zimbabwe.

The Gods Must Be Crazy I & II, By Jame Uys
Botswana, 1980
Bushmen, schoolteachers and gangsters in an action-comedy. Very funny indeed. Complete with a dry (but hillarious) narrator, lousy music, slapstick comedy, fast-motion sequences and cheap technical tricks. Most people who have seen it never stops loving it and seeing it again and again.

Mogambo, By John Ford
USA (1953)
A great Hollywood cast of Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly.

The African Queen, By John Huston
UK/USA (1951)
Master of storytelling, John Huston, takes us on a great adventure navigating a small boat through Africa during WW1. Humphrey Bogart is the ever drunk captain who has to put up with the missionary played by Katharine Hepburn. It is great filmmaking as they don't make it anymore.

See More Of African Movies at: http://crawfurd.dk/africa/africanfilm.htm