By Roxanne Reid
Nature is as natural to the Garden Route as shopping is to Sandton or catwalks are to Paris or Milan. You'll find forests, lakes and beaches, forest elephants, whales and dolphins, even seahorses, butterflies and pansy shells. Here are some places and activities for nature lovers to add to their Garden Route itinerary in South Africa.
Nature is as natural to the Garden Route as shopping is to Sandton or catwalks are to Paris or Milan. You'll find forests, lakes and beaches, forest elephants, whales and dolphins, even seahorses, butterflies and pansy shells. Here are some places and activities for nature lovers to add to their Garden Route itinerary in South Africa.
It’s certainly no coincidence that the Garden Route has three of the country’s national parks – Tsitsikamma, Knysna Lakes and Wilderness – now combined into the Greater Garden Route National Park. Point your nose in any direction and there’s a nature experience waiting to happen. Here are a few of my favourites.
1. Go birding in Wilderness’s very own Lake District, which is a Ramsar Wetland of international importance. Try Swartvlei, Langvlei or Rondevlei, where there’s an excellent hide that juts out from the reeds to put you in spitting distance of masses of waders. If you’re lucky you might even spot one of the resident African fish eagles.
2. Hire a two‐man canoe at Ebb & Flow Reserve at Wilderness and paddle up the Touw River, passing milkwoods and other forest vegetation, and spotting kingfishers along the way. Contact Eden Adventures.
1. Go birding in Wilderness’s very own Lake District, which is a Ramsar Wetland of international importance. Try Swartvlei, Langvlei or Rondevlei, where there’s an excellent hide that juts out from the reeds to put you in spitting distance of masses of waders. If you’re lucky you might even spot one of the resident African fish eagles.
2. Hire a two‐man canoe at Ebb & Flow Reserve at Wilderness and paddle up the Touw River, passing milkwoods and other forest vegetation, and spotting kingfishers along the way. Contact Eden Adventures.
Part of one of the coastal trails in the Goukamma Nature Reserve
3. Visit the Goukamma Nature Reserve 20km west of Knysna at the Buffalo Bay turnoff and discover endless beaches and huge dune fields. The Goukamma River and estuary are also within the reserve. Southern right whales visit from July to October, and you may spot dolphins playing in the surf at any time of year. Share a hiking trail with small antelope and birdlife, hire a canoe, go swimming or fishing (permit required).
4. Enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the many tranquil sites in the forests around Knysna. Jubilee Creek is a particular favourite, with a short nature walk along the river. Go up the Rheenendal Road west of Knysna and take the turnoff to Millwood, then follow the signs. Entrance fee payable unless you show a Wild Card.
5. Discover a peaceful oasis in the middle of Knysna town. The Pledge Nature Reserve is slap‐bang in the heart of Knysna, just 200m from busy Main Road. A circular set of paths winds through indigenous wetland, forest and fynbos in this 10ha reserve. Rest on a wooden bench next to a lily pond or go in search of the blue‐mantled crested‐flycatcher, olive bush‐shrike or Knysna turaco. Like much of this area, the reserve suffered with the intense fires of June 2017, but is already showing how resilient nature can be.
4. Enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the many tranquil sites in the forests around Knysna. Jubilee Creek is a particular favourite, with a short nature walk along the river. Go up the Rheenendal Road west of Knysna and take the turnoff to Millwood, then follow the signs. Entrance fee payable unless you show a Wild Card.
5. Discover a peaceful oasis in the middle of Knysna town. The Pledge Nature Reserve is slap‐bang in the heart of Knysna, just 200m from busy Main Road. A circular set of paths winds through indigenous wetland, forest and fynbos in this 10ha reserve. Rest on a wooden bench next to a lily pond or go in search of the blue‐mantled crested‐flycatcher, olive bush‐shrike or Knysna turaco. Like much of this area, the reserve suffered with the intense fires of June 2017, but is already showing how resilient nature can be.
Listen to the birds as you walk through the forest
6. Go hiking in the forests. Some of my evergreen favourites include the Elephant Walk at Diepwalle, Circles in the Forest at Goudveld, the Kranshoek Walk at Harkerville and the Giant Kingfisher Trail from Ebb and Flow campsite at Wilderness to a waterfall. You'll find a good resource for details about day hikes here. For a multi-day, kick-ass trail with awesome views, you might want to think of the Otter Trail at Storm's River but need to book about a year in advance because it's so popular.
Bridge over the Silver River on the Seven Passes road
7. Take to the forests on your mountain bike to enjoy nature at a slightly faster pace than on foot. The Homtini trail is a 19km circular route in the Goudveld forest near Knysna, or you could cycle part of the 75km Seven Passes road that passes along gravel back routes and historic bridges between George and Knysna. More info about other mtb trails here.
Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour
8. Don't miss the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour at Storm's River in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park if the idea of ziplining through the treetops like Tarzan appeals to you. If you've never done this before you might be a little apprehensive launching from the first platform, but soon you'll be having a huge amount of fun.
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Like it? Pin this image!
You may also enjoy
20 things to do in Wilderness on the Garden Route
27 things to do in Knysna on the Garden Route
Things to do in George and at Fancourt Hotel
Like it? Pin this image!
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