Experience The Wilderness Of South Africa

By Lloyd Leach


Attention, holiday planners. It may be time to experience the Wilderness, as in the town on South Africa's Cape. This is the place for seeing nature up close without having to trek into a remote area, sleep in a tent in Grizzly Bear country, or give up activities that make vacations fun as well as memorable.

This small town in South Africa, among the most beautiful of countries, has welcomed visitors since the late 1800s. It lies in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, with the ocean before it and the forest behind. Visitors can enjoy the ocean or the quieter waters of lagoons, rivers, and lakes. The extensive beaches are glorious stretches of white sand.

There are lots of activities, all centered around the scenic beauty and natural resources of this area. Guests fish, boat, water-ski, and lounge on the beach. They hike, mountain bike, hang glide, go horseback riding, and climb to the heights to spot whales and dolphins. Attractions include the Garden Route Botanical Garden, which features regional plants of interest for their beauty or their healing properties. This ecosystem is unique, relatively small, and very fragile.

The forests are under official protection today, with the lumbering that ravaged them in earlier days limited and carefully managed. Many birds and animals make their home in the waters and on the land. Viewing and photographing the flora and fauna is one reason people come to the Wilderness. Another other is for hard-to-find peace and quiet.

The climate is mild, with moderate temperature fluctuations year round. Temperatures seldom go below 10 degrees Celsius (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and 28 degrees C (85 degree F). There is ample rainfall but lots of sunny days to enjoy the beaches and the manky outside activities. The town faces the ocean and is backed by cliffs that are topped by the Knysna Forest.

The first guesthouse opened here in the late 1800s, and the tradition of hospitality has continued ever since. The town hopes that people will visit and then return year after year to relax, enjoy the regional beauty, and help support the preservation of a fragile ecosystem and a way of life that has disappeared in other parts of the world.

Major events are not carnivals or festivals but the April plant sale and the fall Wildflower Show. Guided walks through the Botanical Gardens or a hike to Dolphin's Point to look for whales are typical pastimes. You can take tea in the Garden and follow that up with a visit to the Southern Cape Herbarium.

This resort town is so integrated with nature that Wilderness is an apt name. It's also noted for hospitality, peace and quiet, and the beauty of its location between forested mountains and the deep blue sea. Go to bask in the sun, watch the birds and animals, enjoy a special brand of hospitality, and learn more about a unique area of our world.




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