SECRET ELEPHANTS FOREST EXPERIENCE

THE SECRET ELEPHANTS FOREST EXPERIENCE
Join Gareth Patterson, award-winning wildlife expert, and author of the acclaimed books, My Lion’s Heart and The
Secret Elephants, (which tells of Gareth’s rediscovery of the Knysna elephants) on a unique experience in the Knysna
forest, exploring the magical and mystical world of the most southerly elephants on Earth. This is not a search for the
Knysna elephants (who must be left in peace, and undisturbed), but an intimate insight into their world by a man who
spent over seven years studying these amazing and elusive beings. Gareth talks about his findings on the elephants
diet, range, numbers, and how they brought themselves back from the very brink, without the aid of humankind. The
forest experience a verbal and visual interpretation of Gareth’s book, The Secret Elephants (Penguin).
This is a very personalized forest experience, whereupon Gareth accompanies participants in their own vehicle.
Therefore, usually the number of participants is four, and a minimum of two.
Duration of the forest experience: the 45 km drive, incorporated at intervals with short strolls, takes approximately
three to four hours.
Secret Elephants Forest Experience video clip: www.vimeo.com/16663928
KNYSNA
The Garden Route includes one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline, whose starting point is constantly
contested as towns such as Witsand, Stilbaai and Albertinia join the route that winds its way for some 200 km via
George, Wilderness, Sedgefield and Knysna on to Plettenberg Bay and culminating in the Tstisikamma Forest - a
fairyland of giant trees, ferns and bird life.
Mountains crowd close to a shoreline dotted with beaches and bays, and vividly coloured wild flowers delight the eye.
Between Heidelberg and Storms River, the Garden Route runs parallel to a coastline featuring lakes, mountains, tall
indigenous forests, amber -coloured rivers and golden beaches. Meandering trails are followed by hikers, the forests
invite long, leisurely drives, and the lakes and rivers lend themselves to swimming boating and fishing. A wide range of
leisure options, spectacular scenery and a mild climate guarantee an unforgettable holiday experience when visiting
the Garden Route in South Africa.
The region provides a stirring study in contrasts. The delightful town of George, known as “The Gateway to the Garden
Route”, graces a coastal plateau in a fertile area of lush greenery at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains. Oudtshoorn,
“Capital of the Klein Karoo”, is set in a semi-arid valley, providing the ideal habitat for ostriches which are farmed here
on a grand scale. The Garden Route stretches on the southern coast from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and
Storms River. It’s a nook of the country that offers inspiration to writers and artists whose presence gives the Garden
Route a trendy flavour. It is also a top priority of many a foreign visitor.
2