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Epic forest exploration - hiking the south coast of Africa

Epic forest exploration - hiking the south coast of Africa

November 2023 · 4 min read · Western Cape

Wow guys, you will just love today's amazing experience of this epic Forest hiking trail here in the Garden Route region of the South Cape coast of Africa. This is an absolutely amazing indigenous Forest called the Knysna Forest - a real life- giving fertile section of terrain which hugs the southernmost coastline of the African continent.

Exotic fluffy foam froth flowing on the forest floor.
Exotic fluffy foam froth flowing on the forest floor. 
Lush lather like a bubbly bath for a bathing venus.
Lush lather like a bubbly bath for a bathing venus.

Today's section of the hiking trail enabled me to walk still further and deeper into this magical mystery environment,  filled with the sound of exotic birds of all sorts as well as baboons and monkeys and perhaps the occasional hidden leopard, if you are fortunate enough to hear their distant growl.

Hearts of gold at the best of the Knysna Forest. Made from cut logs.
Hearts of gold at the best of the Knysna Forest. Made from cut logs. 

Add to that the fascinating experience of trekking close into the centre of this Knysna forest and finding there something like a long-lost treasure,  namely a heart of gold. Yes that's correct. I was able to come across that long sought-after valuable asset that is worth more than all the riches in the world... and that is a heart which is filled with good qualities far better than gold.

Standing on the Stepping Stones made of logs.
Standing on the Stepping Stones made of logs. 

Actually what I'm referring to is the curious shapes of the sliced log chunks which were placed on the ground to make Stepping Stones across the particularly muddy section of the trail. Rees heart-shaped slices of pine log made great Stepping Stones and the fact that they were shaped like a heart really appealed to my imagination for the mind is always looking for patterns and familiar shapes that are so easy to recognise in everything that we observe around us.

Besides that, strolling through this invigorating terrain with the beautiful ionization of the atmosphere and the healthy oxygen content, I was able to come across some fascinating varieties of wild mushrooms. These are not necessarily the Edible type of mushrooms; however they did make the most curious and idiosyncratic feature along my humble hiking Trail.

Healthy green vegetation rich with oxygen.
Healthy green vegetation rich with oxygen. 
Two types of mushroom. A sign of good forest health.
Two types of mushroom. A sign of good forest health. 

Not only is this a very beautiful Forest to explore and an easy trail to hike but it is also particularly educational because the forestry department that looks after these particular regions of the country name leader parks and forests has been kind enough to label many of the traditional indigenous trees that abound in this beautiful historic Forest region.

Mushrooms add an exotic and artistic mood.
Mushrooms add an exotic and artistic mood.

In fact they are indigenous yellowwood trees some of which are a few hundred years old. Not that many of them remain but here and there one can still see perhaps a single yellow wood of such advanced age. Besides that there are some others like the ironwood tree.

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Close up of mushrooms as art.
Close up of mushrooms as art.

Free hiking trails also me and heard back to the river which appeared like a beautiful golden stream meeting the path here and there as we hiked through the lush and shaded Forest terrain. With the Golden river flowing nearby there were opportunities to take a break during the hike of 10 km and pause for a while beside the beautiful golden ponds that dot themselves along the River.

Indigenous Iron wood tree labeled for educational purposes.
Indigenous Iron wood tree labeled for educational purposes. 

If you love exploring nature Trails such as this, then do feel inspired to make your way to the South Cape coast of Africa, particularly to the Garden Route region, where you will find this lush Knysna Forest.

Beautiful delicate flowers on the hiking trail.
Beautiful delicate flowers on the hiking trail. 

You can bring the family and explore along the inspiring and educational hiking trails that make their way through this forest as well as along the hills and cliffs on this fine coastal stretch of terrain.

Sign for Perdekop waterfall with Spring blossoms.
Sign for Perdekop waterfall with Spring blossoms. 

Photos my own.  Written and published from my mobile phone via the Travelfeed App. 

The path with a heart to the golden centre.
The path with a heart to the golden centre. 

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