Author: Desiree Haakonsen

As part of our Knysna Weekend, the TravelGround team visited Birds of Eden, a free-flight bird sanctuary that adjoins Monkeyland in The Crags, near Plettenberg Bay. Let me just start by saying that I’ve never wanted to own a bird. Aside from undesirable bird calls echoing through the house at 4am, I fully believe that […]

The first thing you notice about Knysna is its brazen natural beauty. It’s not subtle at all. No matter where you turn, Mother Nature boasts some of her finest works of art in the form of meandering waterways, golden beach sands, enchanting forests, waves of green hills, and rugged sandstone cliffs. The other thing you […]

On assignment to experience some of Knysna’s top attractions, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the region’s top golf course – the Pezula Championship Golf Course. I am by no means a golfer myself, but since my husband’s only weakness in life is smacking golf balls along fairways, I have developed a fair […]

There’s only one thing I would change about my stay at Leisure Isle Lodge: stay longer! After a 5,5 hour drive from Cape Town, we arrived in Knysna after sunset; making our way through the amber glow of street lights to the pitch black expanse of lagoon and the tiny island set in the midst […]

Framed by timeless oak and pecan trees, Knysna Hollow Country Estate is beautifully laid out on a secluded country estate on the edge of Knysna. Although we didn’t stay there, my husband and I enjoyed a romantic dinner at the cosy Knysna Hollow Restaurant to celebrate #1 being in Knysna, #2 being in Knysna without […]

After a surge of non-stop activities, our TravelGround entourage was looking forward to ending off our Knysna weekend with a more slow-paced visit to Belvidere Manor, a nature-lover’s paradise on the west shore of the lagoon. The heavens must have been listening when we made arrangements (weeks in advance) for tea and scones on the […]

“May the roar of the African Lion be heard by the children of our children’s children and forever.” – Game Rangers Association of Africa On Sunday, 4 August 2013, the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) is hosting a celebration in honour of World Ranger Day at the Jo’burg Zoo.  This fun-filled family event will […]

World Travel Awards is celebrating a landmark 20th year as the Oscars of the Travel Industry. In the Africa region, travel, tourism, and hospitality companies from 31 countries will compete for the prestigious top accolades, culminating in a glittering Gala Presentation Ceremony in Kenya. The 2013 nominees have been announced and online voting is open […]