There's a host of activities to engage in, and attractions to explore in and around Knysna. In our opinion the top ones are exploring the surrounding forests, embarking on an excursion to the Featherbed Nature Reserve and doing the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train ride between Knysna and George.

Central Knysna

Knysna Estuary and Heads as viewed across Central Knysna.

The town of Knysna is located on the shores of the Estuary by the same name. The N2, which amongst others links Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, runs right through the centre of the medium-sized coastal town.

Along the main road through town a variety of small shops deal in everything from prized Yellowwood furniture to quirky products made from recycled materials. The main road is also home to one or two small malls. In between all of this you'll find open-air flea-market-type stalls on pavements, parking lots and even church grounds. If you're the type of person who feel traveling is just not complete without some shopping a morning or day browsing Knysna's main street on foot should be a rewarding experience.

To round of the experience you'll find coffee shops and family restaurants at regular intervals along the main road. There are also one or two venues offering regular life gigs in the evenings (mostly Rock, Jazz and Blues).

The Knysna Waterfront
The Knysna Waterfront was only developed in the late 1990's. It is located on the shore of the Knysna Estuary and doubles as a small harbour for mostly ferry's, which operate Estuary and other trips from it. The smallish Waterfront offer mostly restaurants and bars. Other tenants include local tour operators and fashion boutiques. While the Waterfront is quite commercial it does provide the best choice for evening entertainment in town.

Our preferred hotel in town, The Knysna Quays Hotel*, is right next to the Waterfront, located between it and the Knysna Yacht Club.

The Estuary

Kid with stick plays in the Knysna Estuary at dawn.

In South Africa, Knysna Estuary is often referred to as Knysna Lake. As it is connected to the ocean and affected by its tides it is however an estuary and not a lake - even though it has a lake-like appearance. Most tourists explore the estuary by means of a number of ferry-rides offered. The most popular ferry excursion, which we strongly recommend, is the one included in the outing to the Featherbed Nature Reserve on the other side of the Estuary (relative to the town). For more independent minded travelers, with time on their hands, hiring a small house-boat-cum-cabin-cruiser is another option.

You may also explore the Estuary by scuba diving, snorkel diving or canoeing. Knysna has its own yacht club and with some special arrangements you may sail out, through the Heads, onto the Indian Ocean. The Estuary also supports a unique industry in the form of commercial oyster farming. Africa Deluxe Tours gladly arranges various estuary activities for our clients when required.

The Heads
The mouth of the Knysna Estuary is in fact a narrow channel, which is difficult to navigate for those not familiar with it. Provided that an experienced skipper is at the helm the channel is however easily handled by small and medium-sized craft - including sailing boats. The channel is best known for being dramatically framed by two rocky promontories, known as The Heads or The Knysna Heads.

The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe
Knysna is the start/end of the railway line used by the very popular Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train, which runs along the coast between it and George ±60km away. For steam train enthusiasts it makes for a memorable journey with lots of photo ops of the beautifully restored and maintained steam engines. For tourists a journey on the train is equally memorable and worthwhile.

Keep in mind though that the restored period-carriages are not luxurious and the journey does take a good 2.5 hours one-way (no commentary). We don't recommend doing the return journey. Africa Deluxe Tours generally arranges for a road transfer to return clients to Knysna unless otherwise requested. While the train could double as a means of transport to George, for budget travelers, there are easier and faster ways to do the journey.

Enroute the journey leads across the Knysna Estuary (by means of bridges), through forests and plantations on to Sedgefield (short stop), past and across various inland salt-water-wetlands, through Wilderness (short stop), over the scenic Kaaimans River Bridge at Dolphin Point, through a short tunnel, past the scenic Victoria Bay and onto George.

Provided that you have return transport or intend staying over in George, Oudtshoorn or another nearby town, a journey on the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe in the afternoon joins perfectly to a morning excursion to the Featherbed Nature Reserve. It is a tried and tested formula for a great full-day tour of the area.

Beaches

The beach linking Brenton-on-Sea and Buffels Bay near Knysna.

With the exception of one or two tiny patches of sand in front of private homes the town of Knysna and the Estuary does not provide sandy beaches. However, a couple of great beaches are but a short drive out of town.

Forests
The two main remaining forest areas are Goudveld and Diepwalle. The Goudveld Forest includes some commercial plantation areas making Diepwalle the better option for nature purists. However, both feature beautiful indigenous forest. They are also rich in birdlife, holding many jewels for birders, including the Knysna Loerie and Narina Trogon. The forests are best explored on foot, with a number of short signposted trails on offer. There are also some excellent mountain biking trails as well as picnic sites and forest streams for swimming. For more information on the forests, click here.

Accommodation
Knysna offers a remarkable range of accommodation options for its size. It caters for all luxury levels, although a little thin on the 5-star side - but it has good 4-star establishments. B&B's and guesthouses are spread throughout the central town and more remote areas. Driving through town you are bombarded with small B&B / Guesthouse signs from one end of the main road to the other. However, it is worthwhile to keep in mind that Knysna is very popular with South Africans and accommodation can be hard to come by for dates falling within the country's school holidays.

Plettenberg Bay to Knysna
The ±40km stretch of the N2 (National Route 2) linking Plettenberg Bay and Knysna cuts through spectacular indigenous bush and plantations. A host of arts and crafts outlets are concentrated along parts of the route. More noteworthy attractions on this stretch include the Knysna Elephant Park (a little too zoo-like for our liking but you may enjoy the opportunity to touch and get close to elephants); the Harkerville forestry area (excellent mountain bike tracks and hiking routes through forested areas to remote mountainous shoreline); Garden of Eden (short forest walks) and the Diepwalle Forest ±20km from Knysna and inland from the N2 (excellent hiking and mountain biking routes).

Prince Alfred's Pass offers an alternative day outing for self-drive clients, linking Plett to Uniondale and Knysna via an inland detour of gravel roads and passes. To be on the safe side, enquire about the state of this route from locals before venturing onto it though, especially after heavy rains.

(Coming soon: Knysna's History.)