Wilderness & George

Wilderness - with its gorgeous beach, lakes, lagoons and lush indigenous forest - is a nature lover's paradise...

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Overview

Wilderness

The quiet village of Wilderness, with its gorgeous beach, is a nature lover’s paradise. Lakes, lagoons and lush indigenous forest are the order of the day here. Enjoy a lovely peaceful walk around the lake shore or stroll along the beach. You can follow back roads through mysterious primeval forests all the way to Knysna. This was the erstwhile haunt of 19th century gold diggers. Indeed it's this juxtaposition of the ancient and the picturesque that is part of the Garden Route’s charm.

Sedgefield lies Between Wilderness and Knysna.

George

George was named after George III of England and lies on the coastal plateau below the Outeniqua Mountains. It's the principal town of the Garden Rout: a bustling business and farming community with the region's main airport.

For the holiday-maker, the best-known George landmark is the world-famous Fancoourt golf estate.

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay, at the gateway to the Garden Route, is a busy resort town with some stunning beaches nearby. You may like to visit the historically interesting Post Office Tree as well as the Batholomeu Dias Museum complex with its full scale replica of a caravel ship. This is a good area for whale-watching in season and shark cage diving excursions. It is also the starting point for the 4 night Oystercatcher slack-packing hiking trail.

There are a couple of good game reserves near Mossel Bay Gondwana Game Reserve and the Botlierskop. Note that we generally recommend heading to the Eastern Cape or Kruger for your safari but if you dont have the time, these are good options.

Lion at Gondwana Game Reserve

Why We Love It

  • The Wilderness National Park is a wetland paradise for over 230 different bird species.
  • Walking trails including the Oystercatcher Coastal Trail.
  • Canoeing up the quiet rivers around Wilderness.
  • Enjoy game drives, picnics and horseback safaris at Botlierskop Game Lodge.
  • Visit the Post Office Tree & the Dias Museum with its full scale replica of Dias’ caravel ship.
  • Sea-based shark cage diving and whale-watching at Mossel Bay.
  • Visit the ‘Map of Africa’ in the indigenous forest behind Wilderness.
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Kate Bergh

AFRICAN TRAVEL SPECIALIST

Hi I'm Kate, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience GET IN TOUCH