Whether you’re looking to simply unwind or are after some excitement, Tsala Treetop Lodge – one of South Africa’s best safari lodges – will meet your needs. Enjoy pampering spa treatments at this enchanting forest hideaway, or get your adrenaline pumping with sky diving, bungee jumping or high-speed boating in the surrounding Garden Route.
I wake up at the first light of day. After stretching in our comfortable bed I walk out past our infinity pool to the edge of our deck, which is high up in the treetops of a lush forest. Serenaded by the chirrup and song of a thousand birds, I cast my eyes over the forest canopy, amazed at how green and jungle-like Tsala Treetop Lodge’s surroundings are. The lodge is on the famed Garden Route, between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, and looking around I can understand how this stretch of coast got its name. Still shimmering with the dawn mist, the forest feels like it’s cast in magic. As I’m contemplating how lucky I am to be here, a Knysna loerie lands on the edge of the balcony, watching me curiously for a few seconds before flying back into the forest’s embrace.
I wake up at the first light of day. After stretching in our comfortable bed I walk out past our infinity pool to the edge of our deck, which is high up in the treetops of a lush forest. Serenaded by the chirrup and song of a thousand birds, I cast my eyes over the forest canopy, amazed at how green and jungle-like Tsala Treetop Lodge’s surroundings are.
The lodge is on the famed Garden Route, between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, and looking around I can understand how this stretch of coast got its name.
Still shimmering with the dawn mist, the forest feels like it’s cast in magic. As I’m contemplating how lucky I am to be here, a Knysna loerie lands on the edge of the balcony, watching me curiously for a few seconds before flying back into the forest’s embrace.
Heading back into the room to awaken my slumbering partner, I marvel once again at how lavish it is. Made of stone, wood and glass, it opens up to the dappled forest light, with a king-sized bed at its centre. It has an elegant sitting room with a homely fireplace that we enjoyed to the full last night. After gently nudging my partner awake, I enter the bathroom; it’s spacious with a deep, freestanding bathtub and twin basins. Once we’re both ready, we walk along the elevated, tree-flanked walkways to the main lodge, which is designed to look like the restored ruins of an ancient African civilisation. We’re impressed by the majestic entranceway into a foyer supported by heavy columns, as well as the dining room and glassed-in lounge with its earthy colours and handcrafted decor. But it’s the daily breakfast on the deck – suspended over the forest floor with breathtaking views of rolling valleys and distant hills – that we look forward to the most.
Heading back into the room to awaken my slumbering partner, I marvel once again at how lavish it is. Made of stone, wood and glass, it opens up to the dappled forest light, with a king-sized bed at its centre. It has an elegant sitting room with a homely fireplace that we enjoyed to the full last night.
After gently nudging my partner awake, I enter the bathroom; it’s spacious with a deep, freestanding bathtub and twin basins. Once we’re both ready, we walk along the elevated, tree-flanked walkways to the main lodge, which is designed to look like the restored ruins of an ancient African civilisation.
We’re impressed by the majestic entranceway into a foyer supported by heavy columns, as well as the dining room and glassed-in lounge with its earthy colours and handcrafted decor. But it’s the daily breakfast on the deck – suspended over the forest floor with breathtaking views of rolling valleys and distant hills – that we look forward to the most.
From breathtaking views to unique architectural design, gourmet food and excellent service, Tsala Treetops Lodge delivers on every front. The sheer luxury of its magical location is what really astounds though, nestled as it is in lush forest along the glorious Garden Route. Dining here is real pleasure; indulgent breakfasts on the edge of the forest and sumptuous food in the dining hall or Zinzi restaurant, with its distinctive African decor, mud chandeliers and luscious velvets. The lodge also does its part to protect and conserve the surrounding indigenous woodland – the largest tract of natural forest in South Africa. We loved discovering its beautiful ferns and ancient trees: magnificent Outeniqua yellowwoods reaching over 50m in height, and ancient ironwoods and stinkwoods, many of them numbered to help you identify them.
From breathtaking views to unique architectural design, gourmet food and excellent service, Tsala Treetops Lodge delivers on every front. The sheer luxury of its magical location is what really astounds though, nestled as it is in lush forest along the glorious Garden Route.
Dining here is real pleasure; indulgent breakfasts on the edge of the forest and sumptuous food in the dining hall or Zinzi restaurant, with its distinctive African decor, mud chandeliers and luscious velvets.
The lodge also does its part to protect and conserve the surrounding indigenous woodland – the largest tract of natural forest in South Africa. We loved discovering its beautiful ferns and ancient trees: magnificent Outeniqua yellowwoods reaching over 50m in height, and ancient ironwoods and stinkwoods, many of them numbered to help you identify them.
The weather in the Western Cape, and along most of the Garden Route, is almost the inverse of the rest of South Africa. These warmer summer months are the driest time of the year. The beginning of summer ushers in the end of the whale-watching season, but game drives in Addo Elephant Park and Bushmans Kloof can be even more rewarding as the vegetation dies back. For ideal beach weather, you should look to be here between January and March.
If you’re from the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll find that winter in the Western Cape and Garden Route is much like spring back home: mild, sunny days interspersed with wet, windy ones. At it’s coldest, from June to August, daytime temperatures are usually 14–18°C. Southern right whales migrate into the Cape’s waters from June to November to give birth and nurse their young, with peak calving season being in July and August, easily seen from land.
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Discover the scenic Garden Route and rock art of the Cederberg on this nine-night itinerary in the Western Cape, one of South Africa’s best safari itineraries. It includes tented camps, forest stays and luxury suites, with game drives, walking safaris, boat trips, flower trails and rock-art excursions to keep you…
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