When a group of people all wake up with a hangover handed down from the nastiest of the gods then normally the day can only begin badly. However at Trogon House and Forest Spa, this is not how it happened, we awoke to a beautiful view out over the forest and a delicious breakfast and the hangover didn’t seem so bad anymore.
Now we returned to our Rhino Tripping chariot and headed back down the coast to the lovely town of Knysna. On the way up we had skipped the home of the oyster and the Knysna heads, but now we were set to explore it in depth. Our first stop Augusta Bay, a smallish hotel very close to the Knysna heads. Here the views are generally great and the rooms are quite large and well furnished. Next up we visited the unusual Lofts Boutique Hotel. The Lofts is build above a trendy shop complex and the rooms are arrayed throughout the top floor. It really is loft living with some raised bedrooms, exposed beams and views of the Knysna lagoon.
Close by at the Knysna Quays Hotel we were greeted by a friendly face and a sign with our name on it, now that’s class. There are many interesting things about the Knysna Quays Hotel but I’ll only fit in three. The first is that the hotel is in the shape of a giant ship the second that it recently scored a 99% on hotel safety prerequisites and lastly that it features one of the most interesting cuisine ideas in any hotel we have seen. The hotel has set up a system where guests can choose to eat in the hotel restaurant or they can choose from any one of six restaurants all within walking distance and may eat their simply by showing their room key!
Next up was one of the most creative hotels on our list. The rooms at the Rex Hotel are all individually decorated all with locally sourced furnishings. It’s the individual and artistic charm that gives this hotel a real edge; in addition it has one of Knysna’s top restaurants, Dish.
We had a little bit of a setback in Knysna but thankfully the folks at Kanonkop Guest House came to the rescue and not only made is feel better but also fed us on Oysters and a wonderful summer soup but also saw our hangovers off with some hair of the dog. Kanonkop is understandably one of our favorite properties in the Garden Route, the rooms are individually decorated, feature great views and the forest suite has to be seen to be believed! In addition the family run guest house really makes you feel at home, I will be coming back here and you should too.
Lastly we pulled in for a quick look around Phantom Forest Lodge. Phantom forest is a little way upriver from the main lagoon and is set quite high up on the hillside. That means it features great views, and the Moroccan themed lounge areas are the perfect place to take it all in. The entire place is quite spread out with all the rooms separated by wooden forest pathways allowing for maximum privacy and peace and quiet.
Finally after a long day we arrived in the sleepy coastal town of Wilderness, which has one of the longest and most beautiful beaches on the entire Garden Route, and set above that beach with some of the most spectacular views is the aptly named Views Boutique Hotel and Spa. The rooms at The Views are modern, chic, sophisticated and comfortable and most take in that impressive view. We enjoyed drinks on the top deck and watched the fantastic sunset before heading downstairs for a tasty supper. The Views has two restaurants to choose from, the glamorous “Foam” and the more laid back “Sails”. We at supper at “Sails” (try the eisbien) and breakfast after a great night’s sleep in very very comfortable beds at “Foam”.
The next morning we reluctantly left Views behind and stopped only twice more before making our way back to Cape Town. The first stop was Cinnamon Boutique Guest House and the second at Wilderness Manor where we were blown away by the friendliness of the hosts Gerald and JD. If you want to stay somewhere where you know the staff will go out of their way to make sure you get absolutely everything you need, then this is the place.
And with that our awesome journey came to an end. All agreed it was one of the best educational ever. Along the way we met fantastic friendly people, saw a series of stunning properties, laughed heartily and enjoyed ourselves to the maximum. The Garden Route had delivered once again!