Buffels Bay Nature Reserves

Only accessible by ferry, Featherbed Nature Reserve is a privately-owned unspoiled headland at the Western Head of the Knysna Lagoon. Visitors young and old will thoroughly enjoy embarking on a spectacular four-hour eco-experience to this exquisite little corner of the Garden Route. This outdoor experience includes a return ferry trip, nature drive, guided walk and a lavish buffet lunch at the Food Forest Restaurant. Access to the reserve is strictly controlled and visits are only permitted in the company of the Featherbed Nature Reserve's specialist guides.Starting with a 25-minute ferry cruise, your local guide will share intriguing tales about the Knysna Lagoon, early shipping industry and Knysna’s oyster cultivation.The cruise is followed by a 4x4 drive to the top of the Western Head where supreme views of the lagoon, mountains and Knysna can be seen. After the drive, you have the option of walking a 2.2 kilometre downhill guided nature trail. This fun family outing ends with with a blowout buffet lunch at the popular Knysna restaurant under the milkwood trees.The four-hour excursion departs daily from Knysna Waterfront. Bookings are essential.

A top spot for families, Jubilee Creek is probably the most beautiful picnic spot in the indigenous Knysna forest. Situated alongside a stream in two forest clearings, this site is very popular with young families. The stream is perfect for playing, exploring and walks along the river. Hidden in the forest, you might even sight a rare Knysna elephant - one of the Knysna elephants was actually seen here in March 2007!

Set within the stunning Wilderness National Park and on the shores of Langvlei, the Malachite Bird Hide is definitely worth a visit for twitchers and nature lovers. Spend some time watching the numerous waterfowl, kingfishers and other birds in this beautiful environment.

In the heart of South Africa's lush Garden Route, a captivating world of lakes, rivers, estuaries and beachesgently unfolds against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains – all elements that characterise the Wilderness National Park. Walking trails wind through densely wooded forest and along tranquil rivers, affording you the opportunity to encounter the brilliantly coloured Knysna lourie, or one of the five kingfisher species that occur here. During spring, a carpet of flowers, further enhance the verdant beauty of this national park. Looking for an action packed holiday adventure? Then, Wilderness is your playground. Experience whales and dolphins from Dolphin Point. Hire a canoe or bicycle, go abseiling, kloofing, paragliding or hang-gliding. Go boating, fishing at Island Lake or hike to the waterfall above Ebb and Flow Restcamp. You do not have to be super fit to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. There are loads of activities for young, old, energetic or idle. Stroll along a forest path or visit the bird hide and discover the wealth of bird life. Lie back in a canoe on a quiet backwater and watch the world float by. Wilderness National Park stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary and beyond, where it links with the Goukamma Nature Reserve, giving welcome protection to five lakes and the Serpentine, which is the winding strip of water joining Island Lake to the Touw River at the Ebb-and-flow Restcamp.

Widely known as the most popular walking spot in Plett, Robberg Peninsula is an excellent view site for dolphins, whales and sharks. Seals are always seen from the trail and you can often spot big game fish from the cliffs. The incredibly scenic peninsula is covered with coastal dune fynbos. Choose from three circular walks of various lengths. Interesting information about Robberg's geology, archaeology and marine life can be found on boards along the trails.

Take time out in an unspoiled wilderness playground near Plettenberg Bay. The Coca-Cola coloured water lapping the soft sandy beach beckon further exploration into the upper reaches of the Keurbooms River. Time seems to stand still in the pristine forest of towering Outeniqua yellowwood, Cape beech, giant stinkwood, keurboom and ironwood trees. Indigenous plants cling precariously to the cliff faces. Beyond the woodland agapanthus, arum lilies, bracken, pelargonium and numerous fynbos species proliferate. Rewarding sightings of Cape clawless otter, mongoose, caracal, genet, baboon, vervet monkey, bushpig, dassie, blue duiker, bushbuck, grysbok and the occasional leopard are not uncommon. Twitchers will be able to tick off numerous species of forest-, fynbos-, mountain- and river-dwelling birds. Look out for the Knysna lourie, malachite kingfisher, giant kingfisher, Narina Trogan, fish eagle, white-breasted cormorant, African darter, reed cormorant, yellow-billed duck, little grebe, hamerkop, black-headed oriole, Cape batis, Knysna woodpecker and dazzling sunbirds. Hike along the river bank or paddle upstream in a canoe for a tranquil commune with nature. Beyond the 4 km mark, power boats are prohibited. All you will hear further up this unspoilt gorge is the faint sounds of the forest and spirited chorus of birdsong. Permits for the reserve, one-hour hiking trail and boating on the river are available at the entrance.

Forest, ferns, fynbos and mountains will knock your socks off in this magnificent Garden Route reserve. The Outeniqua Nature Reserve lies near George and is easily accessible from Mossel Bay, Knysna and Oudtshoorn. The 38 000-hectare reserve is set in the rugged Outeniqua Mountain ranges which run parallel to the coastline. It lies between the high-rainfall coastal region and the dry Little Karoo. As a result the plant life is diverse, with the moist southern slopes predominantly covered with beautiful mountain fynbos. In September and October the proteas and ericas cloak the hillsides with spectacular blooms. The northern slopes are much drier, covered with hardy, interesting Karoo veldt. Bushmen paintings of animals, hunters and honeycombs may be found on secluded rock faces throughout the reserve, providing clues to their culture and lifestyle in this region. The Attakwaskloof in the west carries the historical trails of elephant herds that no longer roam here. There’s also evidence of early explorers and settlers carved into the rocks by ox-wagons trekking over the craggy mountain range. Animals to spot include klipspringer, grey rhebuck, small rodents, baboon and the elusive leopard. Large birds of prey including the black eagle are frequently seen. Cape sugarbirds, glittering sunbirds and other fynbos species can often be seen flitting between protea bushes. A number of day hikes depart from the reserve office in Witfontein. Be prepared for extremely changeable weather. Those who really want to get away from it all can do the two-day Tierkop Trail and sleep in the rudimentary hut on Tierkop peak.

Lying inland and north of Nature's Valley is the relatively undiscovered Formosa Nature Reserve. Most travellers to the Garden Route cling to the lovely coastline and miss the beautiful wildness of the Tsitsikamma Mountain range. But if you’re after the solitude of a pristine reserve that is seldom disturbed, look no further. You can spend days exploring this long stretch of wilderness that lies between the Tsitsikamma National Park, Nature's Valley, and the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. There are no formal hiking trails in the 5 0000-hectare reserve – just lots of lovely footpaths to discover the stunning mountain forest and wet fynbos. Abundant bird life draws twitchers from far beyond the limits of Kareedouw and Misgund, the Klein Karoo villages on either side of the park. Don’t miss one of the reserve’s major attractions – trek up the famous Formosa Peak to summit the highest pinnacle in the Tsitsikamma Mountains.

Home to rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, eland, bontebuck and numerous antelope, Botlierskop provides visitors the opportunity to view free roaming wildlife from the safety of 4x4 vehicles in the Garden Route. Named for one of the dramatic rock formations on the reserve, the beautiful setting is also the sanctuary for two elephants that joined the Botlierskop team, Sam and Tsotsi, rescued orphans from the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe. Guests are able to experience riding on elephant back and interacting with these remarkable creatures. Knowledgeable guides share the wonders of Botlierskop and up close encounters with four rescued and rehabilitated lions, rhino, buffalo, giraffe and many of the 1 800 animals.