The Keurbooms River Nature Reserve is a small reserve of only 740 ha, bisected by the Keurbooms River after which it is named. Accommodation is available in bungalows and well equipped camping sites. The Reserve is situated near Plettenberg Bay on the main road between Port Elizabeth.and Cape Town
The headwaters of the Keurbooms River come from the Langkloof and pass through the Tsitsikamma Mountain range before flowing into a placid lagoon in the Reserve. The River is named after the Keurboom or “choice tree” (Virgilia oroboides), which is found at the edges of the coastal forests. When in bloom (August to September) it offers pretty sprays of pink-mauve flowers.
Forest and river birds abound, most notably: the Knysna Loerie, Malachite and Giant Kingfisher, Narina Trogan, Fish Eagle, Reed Cormorant, Yellow-billed Duck, Little Grebe, Hamerkop, Black-headed Oriole, Cape Batis and Knysna Woodpecker to name only a few.
Activities include boating, canoeing and water skiing . Day visitors also enjoy a perfect setting for barbecues and picnics under shaded trees. The best way to experience the reserve is to undertake the multi-day Keurbooms canoe trail, which offers secluded overnight accommodation 7 km upstream in a log cabin.
The German-guided version of our tour that covers the highlights of South Africa (link to English tour provided as well). It provides a mix of cities, countryside, historical sites, scenic drives, nature, wildlife, culture and people. The southbound tour starts in Johannesburg and ends in Cape Town.
Highlights:
Panorama Route
,
Blyde River Canyon
,
Kruger National Park
,
Swaziland
,
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
,
St. Lucia
,
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
,
Transkei
,
Garden Route
,
Storm’s River Mouth
,
Knysna
,
Cango Caves
,
Route 62
,
Cape Winelands
,
Stellenbosch
,
Paarl
,
Cape Town
.
Plettenberg Bay is situated on the shore of an impressive bay of the same name. The town is located ±33 km east of Knysna on South Africa's Garden Route. The Portuguese explorers who first set eyes on the bay named it "Bahia Formosa", the "Beautiful Bay".
The Robberg Peninsula, which forms the western shoreline of Plettenberg Bay, is managed as a small nature reserve. The northern shore of the Peninsula consists mainly of steep mountain slopes and cliffs, below which a large seal colony resides. On the southern side it is easier to get close to sea level and to two pristine sandy beaches that can be found here.