Day 8 – Trekking Through Knysna

Today we journeyed across the Knysna lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve.

The weather was particularly sunny and warm so the scenery became even more impressive. The sun shone through leafy canopies and created beautiful lime greens and turquoise waters and made the water sparkle as the rays bounced off it.

The reserve is home to many native species of plants and animals so was a wonderful little paradise with lovely views spanning across the Knysna lagoon.

We drove to the top of the reserve and on our way a springbok ventured near our jeep – it was great to see the antelope so near, especially as the vegetation there was more lush than what it had been in Kruger so to spot any wildlife meant we were extremely lucky.

Once we’d reached the top we embarked on the 2 hour trek back down. From walking through the forests, clambering over rocks to even exploring caves and skimming stones on the beach, I absolutely loved it!

 

 

 

 

We then went back to Knysna on the small ferry boat and wondered round the beautiful harbour.

There were boutiques, cafés and market stalls galore selling everything from tribal robes, modern trainers, antique crockery, homemade furniture, and biltong – a dried and spiced way of cooking beef although there were other options like ostrich and eland available too. We tried some in their local deli and it was actually pretty good – kind of like Parma ham meets beef jerky. Amidst the bustling market we found some beautiful street art that really showed the more creatively beautiful side to Knysna:

Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped off at a local café which delivered a superbly fun hot chocolate as the perfect end to the day.