Our Cottages

7km from Aardmore Greens, in Plettenberg Bay, Ocean Blue Adventures offers a rare and powerful experience through permitted boat based whale watching and dolphin encounters. Ocean Blue is a licensed SABBWWA permit holder, which enables us to approach whales from 50 metres instead of 300 metres and should the whales approach our vessel we do not have to move away.
In summer you have a great chance to see the rare Humpback Dolphins as well as Bottlenose Dolphins and Common Dolphins. In winter you have a very high likelihood of seeing Southern Right and Humpback whales. Our tours include the Robberg Seal Colony, home to ± 5000 seals and other marine life of the day.

A mosaic of ecosystems, the Garden Route National Park encompasses the world renowned Tsitsikamma and Wilderness sections, the Knysna Lake section, a variety of mountain catchment, Southern Cape indigenous forest and associated Fynbos areas. These areas resemble a montage of landscapes and seascapes, from ocean to mountain areas, and are renowned for its diverse natural resources.
A jewel in South Africa's crown, the Park is a prime example of the country's unique fauna and flora and will offer unforgettable views and life-long memories.

The Knysna Elephant Park offers a rare and exciting opportunity to get close to the southern most elephants in the world, who live in a controlled, free range environment, which means that the elephants get to walk and browse in the fields as they would do in the wild, however they do need handlers and guides with them constantly as they are living amongst and interacting with humans every day. The Daily Tour provides the shorter experience of meeting, feeding and interacting with these gentle giants. For longer experiences Elephant Back Rides or Walks are offered, while the Exclusive Sunrise / Sunset Safaris and Sundowners provide more private and intimate encounters.

Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve is spread out across the hills above the scenic Garden Route coastline with breathtaking views across the Bay of Beauty and it boasts with a diversity of natural biomes, including fynbos, grasslands and indigenous forests, and the property is the natural confluence of the Keurbooms and Palmiet Rivers. Over 35 species of game, including lion, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodiles, and a large variety of antelope roam free in their natural habitat which is also home to more than 101 different bird species.
Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve is easily accessible for day visitors who want a big game viewing experience in an open 4x4 vehicle or on a guided horseback safari.

Birds of Eden's unique two hectare dome, the World's largest, spans over a gorge of indigenous forest. The decision to develop Birds of Eden stems from the need to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free–flight African birds, miniature monkeys and the sanctuary also enables bird owners to apply to release their pet birds into the sanctuary after undergoing rehabilitation.
The sanctuary has its own mysterious ruin, which incorporates a walk-behind waterfall and an amphitheatre with the ability to seat over 200 visitors. Birds of Eden opened it's doors to the public December 2005 and currently over 3500 birds live at the sanctuary.

Monkeyland, the unique primate sanctuary is currently the top eco-tourism attraction on the Garden Route for very sound and sunny reasons. Monkeyland has captured the hearts of visitors in its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. The sanctuary is exceptional in that it caters for several species of primates who are not caged and are free to move about the forest.
At Monkeyland, the emphasis is on searching for the primates, and the reward is to see the various species as they are meant to be: free and in a natural habitat. The transfer of information about these fascinating creatures during a safari are conducted by multi–lingual game rangers and are fun and educational.

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre at Plettenberg Bay offers a truly unique wildcat experience. Guests are taken on a guided tour to meet captive-bred felines living in a semi-natural environment and you are guaranteed to see cheetah, ZweLakhe the leopard and South Africa's seldom seen lesser indigenous cats, such as the African Wild Cat, Servals and Caracal. You can watch the busy Meerkats, the Blue Cranes dance and the mischievous Marabou Storks.
For the more adventurous we offer a walk with the Tenikwa cheetahs. Take an exhilarating stroll through Tsitsikamma indigenous forest and Cape fynbos as you join the Tenikwa cheetahs on their daily walk.

Tsitsikamma Wolf Sanctuary, part of the Lupus Foundation, supports the survival of the wolf around the world by putting plans in place to preserve a healthy genetic strain outside its natural domain, teaching about its life and its association with other species and its dynamic relationship to humans.
They provide a sanctuary and ultimately a "natural habitat" for captive wolves and educate the public on the value of all wildlife, the importance of not removing animals from their natural domain and of ending cross-breeding.

Rhino Base Camp is an exclusive game reserve in the heart of the Garden Route, 1300 hectares of indigenous beauty just fifteen minutes from Plettenberg Bay. Take a two hour game drive in an open landrover or a horseback safari with experienced guides and see a large variety of wildlife up close, including four of the big five namely rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. The facilities include a coffee shop, bar, a curio shop and a children's play area.

The Keurbooms River Nature Reserve is situated about 8km beyond Plettenberg Bay on the N2 national road towards Nature's Valley and 35km east of Knysna. The Keurbooms Estuary is one of the most beautiful examples of an estuary along the coast.
The reserve is named after the Western Keurboom (Virgilia oroboides) or choice tree, growing in the coastal forest edges, and sprays of pink-mauve flowers are seen from August to September, and between December and January.

Buffalo Hills Game Reserve covers a major part of the spectacular Bitou River Valley, just fifteen minutes drive from Plettenberg Bay and forty minutes from Knysna. Guided 4×4 game drives, bird hikes (more than 150 bird species), mountain bike trails, tracker walks, astronomy evenings in a Stargazer`s Boma, fly fishing and other exciting activities are offered and the game includes the big five as well as blue wildebeest, giraffe, bontebok, eland, sable antelope and bushbuck.

Featherbed Nature Reserve, situated on the Western Head in Knysna, is the premier eco-experience on the Garden Route. You can take a return ferry trip on the Knysna Lagoon to the Western Head or a 4x4 vehicle & trailer drive up the headland onto the Reserve, stopping at spectacular viewpoints with a specialist guide giving information on the history, fauna & flora.
An optional, guided 2.2km walk through coastal forest and fynbos into ancient sea caves is available and you can enjoy the world renowned buffet lunch at an outdoor restaurant setting under a canopy of Milkwood trees.

The Lakes Area National Park is home to the endangered Knysna seahorse, a large diversity of marine life and whales and dolphins are regular visitors. The Wilderness National Park is part of the Lakes Area, a charming world of lakes, rivers, fens, estuaries and beaches gently unfolding against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains.
Nature trails wind through densely wooded forest and along tranquil rivers, affording you the opportunity to encounter the Knysna Loerie or one of the five kingfisher species that occur here, redbilled woodhoopoe, Knysna woodpeckers, paradise flycatchers, lesser double-collared sunbirds, fish eagles, cormorants, blacksmith plovers and geese. During the spring, a carpet of flowers, further enhances the verdant beauty of this wetland surrounding the lakes.

Robberg Peninsula is a nature reserve and national monument that lies about 8km south of Plettenberg Bay, in an overlapping region of winter and summer rainfall. The ecology of the Robberg Peninsula presents a fine example of how plants and animals adapt to the interacting influences of land and sea and boundary of the Robberg Marine Reserve extends one nautical mile seawards around the entire reserve.
Robberg offers a choice of three circular hiking routes of increasing difficulty and distance and the round trip via the Point takes about four hours. It is dangerous at high tide and not recommended for young children. Water, hiking shoes and hats are essential. Be prepared for sudden changes in weather.

Formosa Nature Reserve, is a relatively undiscovered reserve but if you're after the solitude of a pristine area that is seldom disturbed, look no further.
You can spend days exploring this long stretch of wilderness that lies between the Tsitsikamma National Park, Nature's Valley and the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. There are no formal hiking trails in the 5 0000-hectare reserve – just lots of lovely footpaths to discover the stunning mountain forest and wet fynbos.
Abundant bird life draws twitchers from afar and don't miss one of the reserve's major attractions – a trek up the famous Formosa Peak to summit the highest pinnacle in the Tsitsikamma Mountains.

Goukamma Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area is approximately 40km east of George and 15km west of Knysna and comprises an area of about 2 500ha, with a coastline of 14km. The adjacent Marine Protected Area extends seawards for 1,8km. The nature reserve includes a long beach, an extensive dune field with some of the highest vegetated dunes in South Africa, the Goukamma River and estuary, and the unique Groenvlei Lake which has no in–flowing river and no link to the sea.
Coastal dune forest and coastal fynbos are the main types of vegetation, the fynbos characterised by erica and restio species and Goukamma's diverse habitats support many animal species and more than 220 species of birds, including the rare African black oystercatcher and occasionally the endangered African penguin.