knysna, sedgefield, karatara

The beautiful town of Knysna, situated 73kms from the George airport, is situated within 157 000 hectares of the proclaimed Garden Route National Park. It is nestled between the shores of the pristine Knysna estuary, Indian Ocean and thousands of hectares of beautiful indigenous forest, home to a myriad of wild- and birdlife as well as the famed Cape fynbos.

Knysna is synonymous with its magnificent oysters, and visitors can explore its natural beauty through mountain biking and hiking trails, whale watching and boating charters. A wide variety of accommodation is available all year round.

The town offers three magnificent golf courses. Simola Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus (The Golden Bear), Pezula Champion Golf Course and Knysna Golf Course all lie within 6kms of the town’s centre.

Bordering on the Pezula Estate the historic Noetzie offers real castles, a sandy beach and fascinating bird watching.

KARATARA

Karatara, situated 27.8kms from Knysna and 22.6kms from Sedgefield is steeped in rich history dating back to 1939 when the indigenous forests were closed to local woodcutters. The then government provided housing to these ousted woodcutters and Karatara was born. As with many historic South African towns, the spindle of the Dutch Reformed Church stands as a beacon, welcoming visitors to share in the history of this village.

The beautiful Outeniqua Mountain Range forms a perfect backdrop to this rural village. When gold was discovered in the Karatara River in 1875 Thomas Bain was tasked with providing a route to accommodate the ensuing gold rush.

Bain engineered the beautiful Homtini Pass when the Homitini Gorge needed to be crossed by the many prospectors. Today this magnificent pass still amazes all who pass through it. Travelling from Karatara it curls to the bottom for 2.5kms before rising through dense indigenous forest. An absolute must for the traveller, be it by bicycle, motorcycle, horse, foot or motor-vehicle.

SEDGEFIELD

The quaint coastal town of Sedgefield, first Citaslow accredited town in Africa and the slow-town of Naturally Knysna, is surrounded by a magnificent coastal lake-system and five sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean shoreline.

Sedgefield has abundant fishing, kayaking, bird-watching, paragliding, suerfing and safe swimming areas.

Besides the natural beauty that surrounds this tranquil village, Sedgefield’s Saturday markets showcase the wealth of its talen and organic oods produced by the close-knit farming community.