Knysna Honeymoon, South Africa

Discover Knysna on a honeymoon or romantic getaway while touring the scenic Garden Route – South Africa’s most popular tourist destination after Cape Town.

Knysna sits in a picturesque landscape overflowing with great natural beauty. With its large tidal estuary, soaring sandstone cliffs, unspoiled beaches, rich heritage and outstanding accommodation options, Knysna (pronounced nize-nuh) offers all the ingredients you need for a romantic getaway or honeymoon in South Africa.

Things to do and see
Go surfing or swimming on the pristine and sweeping white-sand beaches of Buffels Bay Beach. Paddle a kayak in the sheltered waters of the Knysna Lagoon and sunbathe on the white sands of Bolards Beach on Leisure Isle. More about Knysna beaches . . .

Follow a choice of marked trails through the ancient yellowwoods of Diepwalle Forest, looking out for emerald Knysna Loeries and brightly hued Narina Trogons. Spot endangered blue duiker antelope on a hike through milkwood forests to cliffs and coastal caves on the 2km-long Bushbuck Trail.

See wild elephants on foot or by four-wheel drive on a sunrise or sunset safari at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, near George.

Accommodation
Knysna is the perfect spot for a break along the Garden Route and offers a good range of accommodation options to suit all budgets.

These include: the luxurious Pezula Resort & Spa, which perches on a hillside surrounded by a golf course overlooking the ocean; the Rockery Nook, a stucco-and-stone beach house set in a sheltered cove facing the Indian Ocean; and, for a back-to-nature experience, the Phantom Forest Eco-Resort, which sits on a 137ha nature reserve surrounded by estuarine wetland and indigenous forest.

The Garden Route is famous for its indigenous forests, freshwater lakes, wetlands, hidden coves and long and sweeping white- and golden-sand beaches. This narrow coastal strip stretches for 185km from Mossel Bay via Plettenberg Bay to Storms River (near Port Elizabeth) and inland to the mountain peaks of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma.

Attractions of this scenic route include Knysna's lagoon, Plettenberg Bay and the Tsitsikamma National Park, where you can wander through dense indigenous forests past bubbling streams and stunning cascades to dramatic shoreline vistas.

Best time to visit Knysna?
The best time to visit Knysna is from December to March when the average temperature is 25°C. Knysna is pleasant year round, although there are rain showers throughout the year, most frequently between August and November.

Location – Knysna is located in the heart of the scenic Garden Route along the western cape coast, around 480km southeast of Cape Town.

Getting there – By road, Knysna is a 5-hour drive from Cape Town. By air, it is a 1-hour flight from Cape Town to either George or Plettenberg Bay, respectively a 40-minute or 20-minute drive away.