Hide Away Guest House

The Standard Room at Hide Away Guest House is a cosy and comfortable space, with a plush queen-size bed fitted with soft sheets and plush pillows, a desk space, and ample wardrobe space for storing clothes and personal items. Large glass doors create a light and airy atmosphere and offer garden views, and the dark wood and white colour scheme offers a stylish yet homely interior. The room features an en-suite bathroom with a relaxing shower.

The 2 Executive Rooms are located on the ground floor of the guesthouse, offering sweeping views of the beautiful lagoon and the Knysna Heads. The bedrooms are spacious and airy, with king-size beds fitted with soft sheets and adorned with plush pillows, and a small lounge area where guests can sit back and relax, watching Netflix shows during the hot afternoons before venturing out and exploring the city. One of the executive rooms also includes a double sofa bed, making the room perfect for groups of three guests. The en-suite bathrooms are modern and stylish with a single vanity and large shower.

There are 4 Superior Rooms at Hide Away Guest House, three of which offer stunning lagoon views, and a fourth located in the Main House. Three of the superior rooms feature comfortable queen-size beds, and the other has two twin beds. As with the other rooms, an en-suite bathroom is included, with a refreshing shower and modern fittings. Guests can enjoy relaxing in this spacious haven, with beautiful furnishings and a seated area on your private verandah.

Guests can look forward to a delicious cooked meal each morning, selected the night before from Hide Away Guest House’s breakfast menu. Guests can choose from a selection of hot drinks, fruit juices, cereals, muesli, cooked food, fresh fruits and breads, and enjoy a tranquil morning meal either out of the verandah with sweeping lagoon views, or in the warmth of the guesthouse’s dining room.

Buffalo Bay Beach rests within the Goukamma Nature Reserve, where guests can enjoy beautiful landscapes of dune fields, coastal fynbos and forest which borders the sandy beach. This area is part of the Knysna Art Route, and guests can view stunning mosaic barbeque spots along the boardwalk.

This is also one of South Africa’s best areas for whale-watching, which can be enjoyed from July until October when the migratory whales visit for their calving season. Other marine species such as bottle-nose dolphins can also be found here year-round.

Take a trip to Knysna Elephant Park and meet the gentle giants that have been rescued and rehabilitated. Established in 1994, The Knysna Elephant Park has since cared for over 40 elephants and was South Africa’s first facility to house and care for orphaned African elephants. Guests can learn more about these intelligent animals and gain a closer understanding of how they live and behave.

Guests can take a sailing trip along the waterfront and past the Knysna Heads and view the vast waters of the Indian Ocean. Enjoy an afternoon sunset cruise from the comfort of a private yacht and watch the stunning seascape as the ocean reflects the vibrant colours of a South African sunset, turning the scenery a burning red and orange until dusk descends.

Take a trip to Red Bridge Brewing Co, in Knysna’s industrial area and learn about crafting beers from the experts at this small, family-run brewery. Guests can also travel to Knysna Gin Brewery, where gin is distilled the traditional way which involves a flame and copper pot still. Try delicious samples and bring back gifts for loved ones at home.

Visit the exciting Garden Route Trail Park, which lies at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, where five rivers run to the lagoon and the Indian Ocean. Visitors can enjoy exploring on two wheels, following carefully designed routes that can cater for riders of all skill levels. Enjoy the wind in your hair as you take in the stunning scenery and amazing views across over 20km of hand-built cycling track.

Hide Away Guest House has implemented a number of policies in order to reduce and minimise its carbon footprint. For instance, the guesthouse’s hot water for the geyser is generated via solar panels attached to the roof, and rainwater is harvested and repurposed for cleaning the verandahs, topping up the swimming pool and watering the garden. The house features energy-saving globes and motion-detecting lights to conserve energy, and staff are trained in energy and water-saving initiatives.

At Hide Away Guest House, waste is divided into recyclable containers and dealt with accordingly. Plastic wrappers and single-use plastics are also collected and used to create plastic bottle bricks that can be used for the construction of houses. Reusable items such as old linen are donated to Emzini Tours and are given to people in the local community who can make good use of them and used toilet rolls, empty yoghurt containers, ice cream containers and egg boxes are given to the Knysna Education Trust for school children to use as art and craft materials. In addition, Hide Away uses biodegradable cleaning products to minimise waste and pollution.