7 Best Hotels in Knysna, The Garden Route and the Little Karoo

On a private 450-acre nature reserve, this stunning lodge, set in the tree canopy of the indigenous Knysna forest, offers guests the opportunity to sleep in luxury tree houses built from sustainable woods. The bathrooms are a celebration in themselves, with the baths under an atrium of glass jutting out into the tree canopy. The secluded location and clever design ensure complete privacy for each suite, and the living areas are linked by elevated wooden walkways to protect the forest floor below. The lodge is famed for its restaurant, the Forest Boma, which offers contemporary, classical six-course meals with dishes such as springbok carpaccio; pawpaw, carrot, and ginger sorbet; and crispy prawns with spiced coconut sauce. Service is outstanding. Nonguests can book a table for dinner.

In a former power station, this eco-friendly boutique hotel has incorporated some of the heavy machinery into the decor. It blends seamlessly with the warm bright colors and funky furnishings found throughout. The state-of-the-art bedrooms and suites are designed to reflect Knysna’s rich historical and cultural diversity. The hotel sits in the middle of Thesen Island, where perfect little houses are perched on perfect little jetties on perfect little canals. The food is superb—have a sundowner cocktail or bottle of craft beer in the pub or dine at the Island Café.

This attractive restored 1849 Cape Georgian manor house has lovely views of the lagoon. The airy cottages are set around a lawn sloping down to a jetty. Choose from one- and two-bedroom units, all with sitting rooms, fireplaces, and fully equipped kitchens. There's a pub with a small but tasty menu, and in summer breakfast is served on the verandah overlooking the water. Be sure to ask for a Lagoon Room, as the Garden Rooms don't have views. Knysna is 6½ km (4 miles) away.

This understated bed-and-breakfast is perched on a cliff in the quiet coastal hamlet of Brenton-on-Sea, so there are marvelous ocean views from the suites and spacious public rooms. A steep, twisty path leads to a small beach, but the main beach is some distance away. All the well-equipped accommodations have kitchenettes, and there are also two well-equipped communal kitchens where you can whip up meals and then serve them in the sea-view dining room or on the verandah. Ask for a honeymoon suite—even if you're not on honeymoon—for the roomy showers and tubs.

These attractive apartments right on the edge of Kynsna Lagoon are converted from an old boatshed and have retained the original timber framework. In the two-bedroom, self-catering apartments, the main bedroom's wooden beams and triple-volume ceilings call to mind the cabin of an old sailing ship. Upstairs, an open-loft bedroom overlooks the spacious lounge/dining/kitchen area. Soft blue and green furnishings echo the nautical theme. There are outside nooks and small spaces to sit and enjoy the great views.  The one-bedroomed apartments are smaller but also funky and functional with small viewing decks. 

Immerse yourself in elegance at this gleaming-white country house sitting right on the edge of Knysna Lagoon. Wander around in a spacious suite with uninterrupted views of the water, roam around the landscaped formal gardens with tranquil koi ponds, or stroll down to the private pier with free use of canoes and fishing equipment. Indoors the setting is light and bright, with some lovely antiques.

This guest house on Leisure Island isn't actually on the beach, but the Knysna lagoon is only a hop, skip, and a jump away, and it has that casual beach-house feel that invites many repeat visits. Decorated with light lime-washed pine and wicker furnishings, it has an easy flow from the breakfast room to the sunny pool area. Owner Tim Cuningham will help make arrangements for golf and can provide plenty of advice on other activities, too. Bathrooms don't have tubs, but the generously proportioned shower stalls make up for that.