Beaches, mountains, forests and towns. You get the best of all these worlds when you stay in Knysna on South Africa’s famously picturesque Garden Route. And the four-star rated Stannards Guest Lodge is perfectly positioned in the suburbs to give you easy access to it all from tranquil and beautifully green surroundings.

With just 6 rooms in the guest house and 2 self-catering cottages, it’s never going to feel over-crowded with people here. In fact, there will be way more species of birds tweeting in the trees dotted about the lodge gardens than there will be in the guest house and its outdoor saltwater swimming pool.

What else is here?

This is a place where relaxing comes easy. As well as the pool, there’s a lounge area for guests that’s warmed by a gas fire in cooler months, and adjacent to an honesty bar to keep you refreshed.

You can choose to relax in the gardens after taking your buffet breakfast in the dining room or out on the deck. And before heading out for the day, you might want to ponder the contents of the Africa-themed shop which stocks all kinds of curios, ripe for taking home as presents or souvenirs.

What to do?

The team at the lodge will happily help you plan and book things to fill your days. A round of golf perhaps, or a spa pampering session followed by a shopping trip into Knysna town centre or to the waterfront?

There’s a lagoon just two minutes away, and beaches and bays to enjoy, as well as hiking trails to explore on foot or by bike.

The Guest House

The six suites in the guest lodge are all uniquely named and decorated in a style that’s inspired by the owners’ travels around the world. Your room might be the Far Eastern themed room called Umiama, or the room named Africa which features artworks and fabrics collected from across the continent.

Whichever room is yours, from your gloriously comfortable bed you can watch the smart TV while you decide who gets up to make the tea or coffee.

Once you’ve refreshed in your private bathroom, which will have a bathtub or shower, but possibly both, it could be time to sit at the desk and fire off an email or two to friends and family back home, telling them about your wonderful experiences at Stannards. Or you may prefer to step out onto your private patio and breathe in the morning air before heading to the dining room for breakfast.

2 luxury self catering garden cottages

There’s always a treat to be found at the bottom of the garden, and here at Stannards, it takes the form of a pair of cottages, one sleeping 4 guests, the other 2.

The smaller of the two has a living room and open plan kitchen where all the culinary creativity can happen during your stay. The sole bedroom has a kingsize bed and an ensuite bathroom with an equally expansive shower.

The bigger cottage has similar features, just more of them – so 2 bedrooms each with an ensuite. One of the rooms has twin beds, making it suitable for a family. Your privacy is assured, whichever cottage is yours, and the views of the gardens are reassuringly relaxing.