On a breezy, nippy December morning with just the right dosage of sunshine, we pile into a station wagon and off we go to Knysna for the weekend, a popular getaway for the general visitor.
Knysna stands out on South Africa’s famed Garden Route. The exhilarating drive offers more in scenic beauty than one has bargained for, thanks to the sandstone cliffs that dramatically separate its tranquil lagoon from the pounding surf of the Indian Ocean.
A delightful experience it is driving along the ancient forests on one side and the bay on the other, while our guide points out to hidden destinations on the side roads that are tucked away for weekend retreats. Abounding in fauna, flora and other herbal plants, the greenery is interspersed with lakes and little patches of flowers in a variety of pink, purple and yellow is devastating to the senses.
The Garden Route is a mixture of modern golf courses, ancient forests, secluded artist communities, retirement estates, modern malls, craft centres, mountain hideaways and beach resorts.
Late afternoon we arrive at Knysna. Nestling on the banks of a breathtakingly pretty lagoon, we are told that a boat cruise is one of the highlights of the visit. We climb on to a steamer for the John Benn Cruise for a view of the Knysna heads, a unique, striking geological feature made up of a pair of huge, brightly coloured cliffs at the mouth of the lagoon. Between the cliffs a narrow channel of dangerous water with treacherous currents flows into Knysna’s lagoon. The eastern head offers a spectacular view. The western head is the privately-owned Featherbed Nature Reserve.
With its idyllic natural setting, the small picturesque town of Knysna emerges as a vibrant mini metropolis offering blissful relaxation, sporting activities, shopping, fresh cappucino, haute cuisine from the famous Knysna oysters and the locally brewed beer Knysna.
The following morning we leave for the Cango Caves in Klein Karoo, some 92 km away for a fascinating pilgrimage through time. Ecologically significant and beautiful, the Cango Caves—Africa’s largest show caves and one of the seventh wonders of Southern Africa—are the archeological and historical highlight of Klein Karoo. The Khoisan used the Cango Caves thousands of years ago as shelter, but no one realised the beauty under the limestone ledge until the curiosity of a farmer in 1780 impelled him to lower himself into the caves to investigate. He was struck dumb by the awesome splendour.
These caverns began forming 20 million years ago when acidic ground water chemically eroded the 100 million-year-old limestone rock. The stalagmites, stalactites and helictites here are an experience in humility, and we are told that these dramatic formations began growing only after the water that once filled the caves drained away a mere three million years ago. The first six largest and spectacular halls with giant pillars are divided into chambers with fancy names such as Rainbow Chamber, Bridal Chamber and Fairy Chamber, each living up to its name in the porcelain-like formations till we come to the Drum Room and gaze in rapture upon the transculent formations facing us.
On a late afternoon trip to the Safari Ostrich Farm, we see thousands of ostriches, from incubation stage to full grown adults, that visitors can ride on. A safari truck takes us around the 100-acre farm.
The café-cum-restaurant in the farm serves home made ostrich meat with ostrich fillet, a local delicacy.
A boutique displays a wide range of ostrich leather products. Late evening, we arrive into the harbour area of Knysna, where the waterfront is home to most of its night life where one can enjoy a cocktail while watching the sun set.