Fairy Knowe and the adjacent resort town of Wilderness are centrally placed within South Africa’s world famous Garden Route, an area held precious for its birdlife, sea life and deep, rich forests – once, and some say still, the home of the elusive Knysna Elephant.

Wilderness’ long flat beach encompasses the mouths of two rivers, the Touw and the Kaaimans, and is backed by picture postcard cliff walls adorned by coastal forest. Tracking the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, the coastal N2 road through Wilderness has spectacular vantage points from which to watch passing whales and dolphins. Wilderness is a water bird paradise, bordered as it is by the Indian Ocean, marshy vleis, rivers and lagoons. They also call this region – just a few hours west of the Port Elizabeth metropole - a “Golfers Paradise”. Within a radius of just 35km lie several world class golf courses. Recreational activities in Wilderness include both the tranquil and the more adventurous; this steep ravine terrain is a popular destination for hiking, mountain-biking, bird-watching, hang-and paragliding, horse-riding, scenic drives, day tours, angling, boating and diving.

Twenty minutes eastwards along the N2 lies the charming town of Knysna, with its breathtaking Knysna Heads and huge protected lagoon. This quaint, vibrant town is prime territory for holidaymakers and boating enthusiasts year-round. Every winter, the Pick ‘n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival draws as many as 65 000 visitors from near and far, with its heady mix of culinary delights, music, sports events, arts & crafts and well-supported charity drives. Further along the N2 is the Storms River Bridge, which offers the stouthearted a chance at the world’s highest bungi jump.

Travel east along the N2 from Wilderness instead, and you’ll come to beautiful Plettenberg Bay, summertime haven of the sun lovers, and itself just 5-6 hours of scenic driving from Cape Town. The Garden Route, is a place where life in all its forms flourishes; a place where the adventure begins at Fairy Knowe, and stretches out in a hundred directions.