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Articles for older walkers

Everything we know about walking gently and safely in the indigenous forests of the Garden Route, written for people who would rather take their time

Older woman walking among tall forest trees with sunlight coming through the canopy

Preparing for a Forest Walk

Shoes, layers, water and timing. A plain-language checklist for a comfortable morning on the Knysna forest paths, with notes on what each season actually does on the Garden Route.

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Forest path lined with indigenous trees in early morning mist near Knysna

The Millwood Heritage Walk — Story and Route

In 1885 there was gold in this valley and a village of a thousand people. Today there is forest. Here is what happened, and how to walk the three kilometres that are left of it.

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Older man resting on a bench in the forest with a calm expression and trees behind him

Forest Walking and Health — What the Evidence Says

Blood pressure, balance, sleep and mood. What an easy walk under the trees does for an older body, how much of it you need, and how to start without overdoing it.

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The four routes

Where our articles will take you

Garden of Eden boardwalk

About a kilometre of raised timber boardwalk at Diepwalle, level the whole way and easily managed with a wheelchair or a walking frame. Roughly 30 minutes at a gentle pace.

Woodville Big Tree loop

A two-kilometre circle through indigenous forest west of Knysna, built around an enormous old yellowwood. Some gentle rises, benches along the way, about an hour.

Millwood heritage walk

Three kilometres through the old goldfields, past mine workings, the restored shop and the sites where a whole village once stood. Our flagship morning out.

Tsitsikamma Mouth Trail

Three kilometres there and back on boardwalk from Storms River Rest Camp to the suspension bridges. Sea on one side, forest on the other, and whales offshore from June to November.

When to walk

Autumn, from March to May, is the most settled window. Winter mornings are cool and clear; summer is hot and busy with the December school holidays, so we start early.

Walking with us

Guided walks cost R450 to R950 per person including VAT, depending on the route and whether transport from Knysna is included. Ring +27 44 382 5817 for the next dates.