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FALCONS VIEW MANOR
- Luxurious guesthouse in Knysna
- Restored Cape Victorian landmark
- Elegant bedrooms and garden terrace
- Near shops, galleries and beautiful beaches
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With a welcoming and homely feel, the Manor house embraces you as you set foot inside. The interiors of Falcon's View Manor reflect a fresh interpretation of the past and present by adding ultra-modern features to the Victorian theme.
The emphasis is on high quality food and great service, set in an elegant, yet modern atmosphere. Nestled on two manicured acres, each room of the house has been created to ensure the utmost in relaxation, leisure, comfort and pampering. And one of the best parts of Falcon's View Manor… you can laugh a little bit louder.
LOCATION:
Ideally situated in the centre of the Garden Route, Knysna is a perfect base from which to enjoy your well deserved vacation.
Knysna lies on the N2 between Cape Town (500km) and Port Elizabeth (260km). Bus companies offer daily services to the Garden Route from both these cities and car hire services are readily available.
Access via the airports at George and Plettenberg Bay offer a range of flight options.
ACCOMMODATION:
Every room in the Manor is completely different, creating an individualistic energy with an artistic feel. The rooms each have a specific charm and were decorated accordingly.
Combined with elegant and luxurious décor are everyday mod-cons, including Digital Satellite TV, mini safes, tea and coffee stations and hair dryers in the bathrooms.
Falcon's View Manor boasts three different room types, either with lagoon, garden or forest views - all equally as spectacular as the other.
MANOR DOUBLE:
- Located on the first floor, these rooms are approximately 28 square metres.
- These rooms have lovely forest or garden views.
- The smaller, but well appointed bathrooms, feature showers only.
- These are non smoking rooms.
MANOR SUPERIOR:
- Located on the first floor, these rooms are on average 35 square metres.
- The bathrooms are luxurious with a choice of amenities - double shower, bath only or bath and shower. They all include a bidet.
- These rooms are non smoking.
GARDEN SUPERIOR:
- These rooms are set in the magnificent gardens at Falcon's View Manor.
- They are 45 square metres, excluding the private terrace - complete with airconditioning, a minibar and private access.
- The bathrooms are fitted with both a shower and bath (no bidet).
- The design style has a distinctly African feel, with all three suites being identical.
- Smoking on the terrace only.
BATHROOMS:
Each bathroom is uniquely decorated, luxurious with a choice of amenities - double shower, bath only or bath and shower.
FACILITIES:
Falcon's View Manor offers two lounges with spectacular lagoon views.
The formal library has comfortable couches upon which to while away lazy days with a fantastic book or to catch up on daily news.
The Loerie Lounge is the only room in the house allowing smoking. Bright and airy, it invites you into its warm and freshly decorated ambience.
CUISINE:
The Chefs Table is a small restaurant preparing light gourmet food for an enjoyable three to five course dinner. Only the freshest local ingredients are used and the menu includes one fish dish per day. The small a la carte menu is complemented by a daily chef's recommendation.
Savour this fine dining experience at one of the Garden Route's best restaurants.
ACTIVITIES:
Surrounded by lagoon, sea, mountains and forest, Knysna boasts outdoor lifestyle like no other. From bungee jumping to birdwatching, its all available here for you to enjoy.
Superb shopping, restaurants serving everything from the famous Knysna oyster to fusion. Art galleries, boutiques and authentic African traders are part of every visitor's Knysna experience.
No surprise - Knysna is both nationally and internationally recognized as South Africa's Favourite town.
Eating Out:
Knysna is a coastal town and the flavours of the ocean influences much of its cuisine. Expect the freshest seafood – from the catch-of-the-day to coastal and cultured Knysna oysters. From world class cuisine to convenient street food, Knysna’s restaurants promote the real wonder of food.
Cultural Interests:
Knysna’s natural beauty and cosmopolitan community inspire a unique creativity in artists – both local and international – making it the art capital of the region. Various rambles and craft routes allow visitors to enjoy the local craftwork, its history and its people.
Zulu, English, Xhosa, Afrikaans and even Rastafarian are just a few of the languages you’ll hear on the streets and with them come an extraordinary mix of cultures – all with their own rich stories to tell.
Wildlife:
Knysna boasts more than 240 terrestrial and marine species, 40 pelagic species and some of the rarest and the most beautiful birds you’ll ever see. African black oystercatchers, Knysna warblers, Knysna loeries and malachite kingfishers. Although you will probably not encounter an elephant on a nature walk through indigenous forests, there are a number of wildlife sanctuaries in and around Knysna that are of great interest and worthy of your support. The Elephant Park and Monkeyland to name a few.
Sport:
Knysna provides endless opportunity for a wide variety of sports. High-speed mountain biking through indigenous forests or dive the Indian ocean or the lagoon. Hire a kayak or abseil above the ocean’s crashing waves. Quad bike, horse riding, fly fishing, rock-and-surf angling or deep-sea fishing, sand-boarding, kite-surf on the waters of the lagoon or paraglide over the hills and lakes.
The Garden Route, South Africa’s capital of golf, boasts more than 20 golf courses. All within driving distance of Knysna.
Scenic Tours:
Plettenberg Bay (Road trip: 60-100 km) – Forests, fynbos, beaches, nature reserves, animal sanctuaries, shopping.
George (Steam train journey: 4-6 hours) – Mountain scenery, nature reserves, bridge crossings and a spectacular ride along the ocean's edge at Wilderness (return by train or road shuttle).
Oudtshoorn (Road trip: 250-300 km) – Via George and the Outeniqua Pass into the dry hinterland of the Klein Karoo. Ostriches, caves, nature reserves and sweeping mountain vistas.
Uniondale (Road trip: 300-350 km) – Over the Outeniqua Mountains on the untarred Prince Alfred’s Pass and return on the tarred Outeniqua Pass – a dramatic drive through the region.
Beaches:
Knysna's coastline offers visitors endless opportunites to explore its natural beauty. Brenton-on-Sea, Buffalo Bay, Bollard Bay on Leisure Isle, Coney Glenn and the beach and estuary at Noetzie provide swimming, fishing, surfing and sunbathing.
The Indian Ocean makes for pleasant sea temperatures in the summer months. Tides can be strong though, and bathers should take care with strong currents at specific beaches.
KNYSNA:
The town nestles between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, with the world-renowned forests encircling it like a protective mantle. At the heart of Knysna is the 21 ha lagoon protected from the sea by the monolithic sandstone "Heads" - silent sentinels down the centuries of the rich history of this unique part of "paradise on earth".
The name Knysna is a Khoi word but it's uncertain as to its exact meaning. It could mean 'place of wood', or it could mean 'fern leaves', but its most probable meaning is 'straight down' - an obvious reference to the Heads. Knysna Heads must be the most striking geological features along the entire southern African coastline. They flank a deep but potentially treacherous channel through which the sea pours in to flood the wide and breathtakingly pretty lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River.
Knysna's rich and colourful history spans the days of sailing ships, timber extraction and even a brief period of gold discovery. The vast, indigenous forests just outside Knysna became an invaluable source of timber for buildings, ships and wagons. The town's streets and quaint, old buildings show its commercial past, while the rocky coast and deep, silent forests reflect the history of men with bows and arrows, ancient hunters, gatherers and nomads.
Knysna's history began in the year 1804, the year that saw the arrival of George Rex, rumoured to be the illegitimate son of King George lll. He purchased the estate known as Melkhoutkraal on the shores of the lagoon and moved his entire family and considerable entourage down to Knysna to settle.
Knysna is one of the Southern Cape coast's best known holiday destinations, situated between lush forests and the shores of the peaceful lagoon - it offers many activities and attractions of a wide variety. The most well known attraction being the heads - two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon which connects the estuary with the sea. A lookout has been erected on the Eastern Head, commanding spectacular views of the lagoon, Leisure Isle and Knysna. The Western Head is a privately owned nature Reserve - Featherbed Bay.
The Knysna Lagoon is one of the few places along the coast and in the world that supports an oyster hatchery. And the Knysna oysters are reputedly among the tastiest in the world.
The Knysna forest measures some 80, 000 ha in size and is managed according to strict conservation principles.
Outeniqua yellowwood trees draped with Old Man's Beard lichen present an imposing sight. A particularly big, old specimen can be seen at Diepwalle forest station: the `King Edward VII´ tree, named in 1924 on a visit by the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an estimated 600 years old; its total height is 39 m, the bole's circumference is 6 m.
Other common and well-known species in the Knysna forest include Stinkwood; Real yellowwood; Blackwood; White alder; Ironwood and Hard pear.
The Valley of Ferns is situated on the road between Knysna and Uniondale, approximately 10 km after the Diepwalle forest station. The ferns in the wet, high forests of Diepwalle have grown in abundance, to heights of 3-6 m. This location offers a pleasant, tranquil picnic site and a short walk through the grove of ferns. Stinkwood trees, Ironwood, Red Alder and the Forest Elder may also be seen here.
Fynbos is unique to the south-western parts of South Africa. Three plant families characterise this abundance: Proteas, including the famous King protea, which can grow up to 20cm in diameter; Ericas (heather); and Restios, which are reed-like grasses.
Fine examples of fynbos vegetation can be enjoyed on scenic drives and day walks around Knysna. Sunbirds and the Cape sugarbird can frequently be observed pollinating proteas; most other fynbos species use ants as seed dispersers. Many seeds are released only after fire. Alien tree species, such as hakea, various Australian acacias, and pines are posing a threat to this unique floral biome.
Millwood House Museum in Queen Street houses material relating to the history of the town, and includes artifacts once owned by George Rex. It was built from yellowwood at the end of the previous century during the gold rush.
Another historical attraction are the Millwood Gold Mines. Alluvial gold was found here in 1885, which caused a rush to the area. Jubilee Creek, the exact spot where gold was found, provides a tranquil and beautiful picnic area, with many enjoyable forest walks in the area. Buffalo Bay is the closest beach to knysna, one of the safest for swimming along the coast and enjoyed by many holiday makers every year. It is very rocky in places, making it a great angling spot, there is also a small slipway available for small boats.
The Garden Route has a Mediterranean Maritime climate, with moderately hot summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the richest rainfall areas, most of which occurs in the winter months, brought by the humid sea-winds from the Indian ocean. Any time of the year is good for visiting the area, depending on if you enjoy a peaceful retreat during the winter months, or a bustling holiday destination during the summer.
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