THE SURROUNDING AREA

*BAYHOUSE IS A SELF-CATERING HOLIDAY HOME AND IS PRICED PER PERSON (min 4 and max 10 guests). THE GUESTS WILL HAVE USE OF THE ENTIRE HOUSE TO ENSURE COMFORT AND PRIVACY AT ALL TIMES.*

Situated on a picturesque lagoon beach on Leisure Island in Knysna, Bayhouse is ideal for a family beach holiday. This six-bedroom family holiday home has nearly 50m of beach frontage and arguably one of the best views of the famous Knysna Heads.With accommodation for up to 10 people (minimum of 4), this large, up market, 4 Star, self catering home is superbly located and well-equipped to cater for families with children of all ages. The owners have spared no expense in making this home comfortable for their guests and creating a real home-away-from-home. Just pack your bags and we’ll provide the rest!

Leisure Island is the most sought-after destination for holidaymakers in South Africa’s Favourite Town. A small island (just 4km in circumference) in the lagoon, it is linked to the mainland by a causeway and is secure, private and tranquil with many delightful beaches and panoramic views of Knysna, the famous Knysna Heads and Featherbed Nature Reserve across the estuary.

Bollard Bay is the main beach on the island and offers plenty to do for young and old. When the tide is high you can swim, fish, canoe or sail. At low tide, pump for prawns to use as bait or walk across the sand as far as The Heads.

The island becomes a hub of activity during school holidays and older children will revel in the vibrant social scene. The streets are quiet and safe for walking, jogging, skateboarding and cycling. And the buzzing cosmopolitan town of Knysna is just 10 minutes away.

THE ACCOMMODATION

THE HOUSE
Bayhouse is an airy, spacious two-storey home with stunning views of the beach and lagoon, every modern amenity and numerous comfortable indoor and outdoor living areas. There are six bedrooms, each of which can sleep two people, and four bathrooms in total. In addition, babies and infants are catered for with a baby bath, camp cot, high chair and stroller.

BEDROOMS
All six bedrooms are bright, airy and simply furnished in keeping with a beach-house theme. Beds are beautifully dressed with crisp white 100% cotton percale linen, non-allergic pillows and electric blankets. Extra blankets are supplied as well as thick, luxurious white bath sheets, hand towels and facecloths.

Downstairs:
Two-bedroom family suite:
This suite is ideal for two couples or a family of four. It consists of a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom with bath, a queen-size bed and double doors opening onto a private courtyard, a twin bedroom with separate entrance and adjacent bathroom with shower and a sunny, north-facing private lounge

Upstairs:
Main bedroom en-suite:
The main bedroom upstairs is extremely spacious. The king-size bed faces large windows through which there are exquisite panoramic views of the Knysna Lagoon & Heads. The room is air-conditioned and the en-suite bathroom has a bath and shower

Children’s bedroom:
This spacious, air-conditioned prettily decorated room off the family lounge is ideal for children and has lagoon views, a queen-size bed and a chest of drawers stocked with toys and books.

Loft suite:
The loft suite sleeps four people and is suitable for a couple with two children, or four teenagers/children. It can be accessed from inside the house through the upstairs living room, but also has its own separate entrance from the garden.

The mezzanine level has a double bed and is air-conditioned, while the lower level has a second bedroom with two single beds and an adjoining bathroom with a shower.

LIVING AREAS
The house has three lounges, giving guests plenty of space, even on rainy days! All the tiled living areas have under floor heating.

Downstairs, the main lounge has a fireplace and comfortable seating for six people. It is open-plan with the eight-seater dining room and six-seater bar/breakfast counter area.

A large drinks cabinet stocked with glasses, a TV, DStv Dual View decoder (Premium menu) and a DVD player add to the home comforts. An excellent selection of books, games and puzzles are provided for guests.

The lounge opens onto an entertainment patio with a plunge pool, a Weber Gas Grill, a conventional wood-burning braai (barbeque), a gas heater and wooden table with benches and umbrella.

The adjacent conservatory is protected from the elements and can be fully enclosed with a pull-down awning. This glass structure has seating for six people and is just meters from the beach.

Off the living area, a fully equipped kitchen can cater for 10 people and is fitted with a double door fridge/freezer, an electric stove with oven and a microwave. The scullery has a dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer. Basic cleaning supplies including washing powder, dishwashing liquid and dishwasher detergent are provided as well as tea, coffee, sugar, jam and bread.

Upstairs, the lagoon-facing lounge is a sizeable space which was once the studio of well-known South African artist Dale Elliot, a previous owner of the house.

The upstairs family lounge has a TV with DStv Dual View decoder (Premium menu) and a DVD player, and is stocked with games and puzzles.

GARAGE
Storage is important when you’re on holiday! Our double garage provides plenty of space for two cars, a trailer and all your beach toys. There is extra off-street parking for two cars.

The garage also stores the following items which we provide for your comfort and enjoyment:
Emergency generator
Beach chairs & umbrellas
Beach toys - buckets, spades etc
Two adult bicycles

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Knysna
Knysna is the centre of the Garden Route, an area known for its beautiful scenery, floral fynbos landscapes, indigenous forests, lakes, rivers and mountains.

Leisure Island is just 10 minute’s drive from the centre of Knysna, which provides a wealth of amenities for holidaymakers, from shopping malls and excellent restaurants and coffee shops, to a theatre, movie house, art galleries and museums.

Knysna has always been popular with nature lovers and there are many walks, hiking trails and mountain bike tracks in the indigenous forests, which are also great for birding.

Activities for children
There are an endless number of activities for children in the area, including water slides, mini golf, sailing, canoeing, horse riding, fishing, snorkeling and surfing.

Adventure sports
For the more adventurous there is abseiling, quad biking, kite surfing, scuba diving, zip line tours, paragliding, heli flips and bungy jumping (the highest commercially operating bungy jump in the world is at Tsitsikamma from the Bloukrans Bridge, not far from Knysna).

Golfers’ paradise
The Garden Route is a golfer's paradise, with many world-class golf courses between Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, including Goose Valley, Plettenberg Bay Golf Course, Knysna Golf Course, Simola Golf & Country Estate, Pezula Championship Course, Oubaai, and Fancourt in George. Golf clubs can be hired at most of these courses.

Food & craft markets
The area supports excellent markets including the Friday Market at Knysna Montessori in Welbedacht (4pm-8pm during summer) where visitors gather to drink wine and eat dinner from one of the many food stalls. On Saturday mornings the Wild Oats Farmers Market at Sedgefield (7.30am-11.30am) and the Harvest Time Farmers Market (8am-12pm) provide an excellent opportunity to stock up on local farmers’ produce. The Scarab Craft Market in Sedgefield is open from 8am-12.30pm and there is a Sunday craft market on Thesen Islands during the summer months.

Featherbed Nature Reserve
Featherbed Nature Reserve, a South African Heritage Site, provides for a wonderful family outing. Cross the lagoon on a ferry, climb to the top of the Western Head on a 4x4 unimog vehicle, then take a guided trail down again. Finish your excursion with lunch under the milkwoods.

Animal sanctuaries
The area between Knysna and Keurbooms is home to a number of wildlife sanctuaries including the Knysna Elephant Park, the Elephant Sanctuary, Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre.

Annual festivals
Don’t forget the popular festivals celebrated every year: the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras in May, the Knysna Oyster Festival in July and Gastronomica in September.

Knysna... Spring is soft and silky. Autumn tingles on the skin like champagne. Winter is crisp as an apple. And our African summer bronzes the soul with its pure sunlight. Whatever the season, Knysna stays green. It's warm, temperate climate makes it the perfect all-year round destination. A place where days are packed with promise...