The Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, in Knysna, has won yet another top international accolade.

It has been named Best Overseas Hotel Spa by Condé Nast Traveller magazine, and the award was given out at the annual Readers’ Travel Awards ceremony held in London on Tuesday 2 September 2009. The awards are viewed as one of the most prestigious travel distinctions in the world, and the ceremony was eagerly attended by many leading players in the travel industry.

Pezula also ranks 46th overall in the magazine’s World Top 100 list.

Pezula enjoys a setting that has to be seen to be believed. It nestles in its own golf estate on an exclusive cliff-top retreat, surrounded by an aromatic mantle of Cape coastal fynbos – bushes, trees and wild flowers teeming with birds and insects – while also overlooking a nature reserve, as well as also encompassing a nearby exquisite sheltered beach.

After a game of golf or a walk on a spectacular nature trail, this exceptional hotel is the perfect haven for a stay along South Africa’s beautiful Garden Route.

The annual Pick ’n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival will be held from July 3-12 2009.

The Knysna Oyster Festival is a celebration of sport and the good life, which is held annually in July every year and has established itself as one of the most popular annual events in the Western Cape.

Oysters are, of course, a huge component of the festival and the Knysna Oyster Company, which opened in Knysna in 1949, has been involved in the festival for many years as a major participant and generous sponsor.

More than 100 activities, ranging from cycling, running, bowling, soccer, wine and whisky tastings and gala evenings will take place in the Garden Route town.

The festival will also present a variety of oyster-related events including the annual oyster-shucking (opening) competition, the oyster eating competition and the Pick ’n Pay Oyster & Wine Mardi Gras – an evening of oysters and wine tasting.

The children’s programme will include youth theatre, puppet shows, creative art workshops and a cooking course.

We are delighted to be able to offer 3 nights for the price of 2 for people booking a safari in the malaria-free Lalibela Reserve between 1 November and 31 January (excluding 15 December to 10 January inclusive.).

Lalibela is a 7,500 hectare Big 5 reserve near Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route, and this offer is valid for all new bookings at Lentaba, Tree Tops Lodge and Mark’s Camp.   All meals, drinks (excluding premium wines) and 2 daily game drives are included.

The Daily Mail is reporting that the FA have chosen Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa in Knysna as their preferred base for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Although we are only half way through the qualifying process, accommodation for the World Cup will be hard to come by closer to the time, and England’s decision to pick their training base this early does mean that they have the widest possible range of places still available to them.

Pezula is a beautiful 5* golf resort and Spa just outside the town of Knysna on South Africa’s famous Garden Route.  The resort has 82 spectacular suites (including some of the best we have seen anywhere in the world), a fabulous golf course and excellent Spa facilities.  The resort borders a nature reserve which offer relaxing walks in a beautiful environment, and there is also an exquisite sheltered beach nearby.

From a logistical point of view, Pezula is well placed for the stadium at Port Elizabeth, and the airports at George and Port Elizabeth will give fairly air connections to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and other parts of the country.

One thing which might well surprise the WAGS is that the weather in this part of South Africa during the world cup is likely to be cooler and wetter than across much of the rest of the country…they are unlikely to be spending 8 hours a day by the pool, but there is still plenty to do in the area.

We have added new photos to our pages on a number of popular hotels and guest houses on the Garden Route.

The updated pictures are for:

African Oceans
Augusta Bay
Bay Tree House
Bella Sombra Guest House
Cottage Pie
Fancourt Hotel and Country Club
Fynbos Ridge Cottages
Fynbos Ridge Country House
Ichibi Lodge
Knysna Tonquani Lodge
St James of Knysna
Storms River Mouth Restcamp
The Lodge on the Bay
Wilderness Manor

After a period where the weather over much of South Africa was cool , wet and blustery,  and there was severe flooding in some areas such as the Garden Route, it appears that normal service has been resumed just in time for the Christmas and New Year peak.

Cape Town is due to enjoy clear skies and temperatures with highs of around 25°C for the next couple of days with this rising to a blistering 35°C on Saturday. 

On the Garden Route the picture is milder (22°C – 26°C for the next three days), but again no rain is forecast, and in Kruger the outlook is 26c for today and Saturday, and 29°C for tomorrow (Friday).

You can find more weather forecasts on our South Africa Climate and Weather Forecasts page.

We have just revamped the Garden Route section on our website, to hopefully make it more ‘user friendly’. 

 We now include more general information about what there is to see and do, including a comprehensive guide to family fun, golf courses and beaches, as well as the ability to search on accommodation in the major towns (Knysna, Plett, Wilderness, Tsitsikamma). 

We have also included a short section on the scenic Route 62, which is the alternative way of driving to / from Cape Town to this popular tourist destination.