Welcome by Knysna-Plett Herald editor, Elaine King:
I am one of the many people who live in Knysna or Plettenberg Bay accidentally – we came to have a look-see and stayed.
A Guide to the Garden Route, revised and updated in October 2017, is one of the first things I acquired and suggest you get when you arrive in Knysna or the Garden Route.
I have read many books on this area, but this is a comprehensive guide to this beautiful area including fauna and flora, whale watching, birding hot spots, historical information, hikes, drives, mountain bike and adventure routes. There are maps, there is the history of the area – arm yourself with this guide, explore with it and learn much.
"The Garden Route lies within one of the world's prime biodiversity hot spots, the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), which comprises one of the smallest but richest flora kingdoms in the world. A total of 70% of the 9 600 plant species of the CFR is found nowhere else on earth.
For me this book encompasses all the things I love about Knysna and the Garden Route, from the names of shells that can be found on our beaches, to the birds and the beaches.
The Garden Route has established itself as the "adventure capital of South Africa" with mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving, hiking trails, whale and dolphin watching and cultural festivals as well.
Another change that has happened over the years is that accessibility from Cape Town and Johannesburg has improved dramatically with the creation of scheduled flights directly into George and Plettenberg Bay airports. Most notable are the Plettenberg Bay CemAir flights, which grew this year and now offer direct routes to the rest of the country.
There is no way to begin to even pretend that the area looks the same after the 7 June fires, but nature is healing itself, the green is coming back, there are still just as many awesome things to do here, so please stay and visit. We need our holidaymakers more than ever!
In this holiday guide we hope to whet your appetite be it for adrenalin, food, beer and wine tasting, wildlife – or other aspects.
"Venture beyond the known tourism, listen to the silence, be amazed by the world we have been given. Choose the roads and paths less travelled and you will find a world that will enrich your life forever," writes Grahame Thomson, in the preface to this book.
A Guide to the Garden Route can be found at Bargain Books in Knysna Mall and the Waterfront and in Plett, at the Village Bookshop and Bargain Books Plett.
