Where To Go On Safari From Knysna

Nestled between George and Mossel Bay, Botlierskop Game Reserve is a beautiful, 4 500 hectare game reserve run by the Neethling family. Its location makes it ideal for day visitors and your itinerary might include a guided game drive, a horseback safari or a scenic picnic. The reserve is home to many impressive animals, including lions, elephants and cheetahs!

For a full list of their activities and rates, click here.

Distance from Knysna Hollow: 97 km (1 hr 15 mins driving time)

Set against the backdrop of the Langeberg Mountain Range, Garden Route Game Lodge offers day visitors the chance to infuse their Garden Route travels with some of the most exciting animals in Africa!

The reserve is home to lions, elephants, buffalos, cheetahs and an array of other animals like giraffe, zebras, kudu, eland and bontebok. You’ll travel out in an open Land Rover with your guide and be treated to a refreshment stop at a lookout point on the reserve.

Game drives for day visitors take place at 11 am daily and last between two to three hours. The current rate is R650 p.p. with lunch as an optional extra.

Distance from Knysna Hollow: 145 km (1 hr 40 mins driving time)

Gondwana Game Reserve offers guests the chance to view the Big 5 in a Cape floral setting – a truly unique safari experience – which makes it the premier wildlife destination on the Garden Route.

This 110-square-kilometre reserve is on the other side of Mossel Bay and offers luxurious accommodation in villas or a tented eco-camp. Not only is Gondwana Game Reserve the sole free-roaming Big Five private wildlife reserve in the Southern Cape, but it is also home to endangered and distinctive species like the Cape mountain zebra, bontebok, Sable antelope, Black harrier and Orange-breasted sunbird.

If you’re looking for an exclusive safari experience on the Garden Route, this is the place.

Distance from Knysna Hollow: 126 km ( 1 hr 30 mins driving time)

While viewing large mammals is indeed a thrill, there are many smaller nature reserves on the Garden Route that are accessible to the public on foot.

These reserves are ideal for bird-watchers and those looking to get closer to the Garden Route’s marine life – depending on the location.

Easily the most iconic Knysna nature reserve, Robberg is the perfect place for the Garden Route to introduce itself to you.

With an easy to moderate hiking route trailing the edge of the peninsula that juts out to sea, here you will enjoy staggering ocean views and lovely close-ups of fynbos. There is a large seal colony on the reserve (which you’ll likely smell before you see), and where seals live, sharks are sure to follow.

As you gaze down on the crystal waters from above, you’ll notice more than one shadowy figure patrolling the waters below – everything from great whites to hammerheads!

For those who can’t get enough of Knysna’s ancient indigenous forests, Goukamma is the perfect place to visit. And it’s a World Heritage Site, to boot! The reserve spans 25 square kilometres and is home to animals like bushbuck, mongoose, and grysbok.

It also features sandy shores, fynbos vegetation and the Goukamma River’s estuary, which attracts over 220 bird species. (Remember to pack your binoculars.)

Marine life such as dolphins, whales, sharks, seals and sea turtles frequent the coastal waters, while Buffelsbaai offers opportunities for surfing and snorkelling.

1. Garden Route National Park
2. Tsitsikamma National Park
3. Knysna Elephant Park
4. Featherbed Nature Reserve
5. Diepwalle Forest

The above areas offer a variety of landscapes, from coastal landscapes to lush forests, and are known for their rich biodiversity and scenic beauty.

If you’re looking to incorporate a Garden Route safari into your visit or simply enjoy the outdoors, Knysna Hollow Country Estate is perfectly located to offer you both!

Book your stay with us and enjoy contemporary accommodation, an on-site eatery and more!

—
Sources: botlierskop.co.za, grgamelodge.co.za, gondwanagr.co.za, capenature.co.za