Fabulous place. A bit worried at first that it was not walkable from the town but actually the majority of guest houses are some distance. It was a very easy and quick drive down to town (or cheap taxi ride).

As the guest house was high up on the hills we have a fabulous view from the balcony. It was a wonderous place to watch the stars at night. We had a delicious breakfast brought to our balcony most mornings although we were given the option of the dining room.

The guest house was stunning, filled with African artifacts and our hosts could not have been more welcoming and accommodating.

All in all a very beautiful place and 5 days was not long enough.

We stayed at the Villa Afrikana for two nights while traveling the Garden Route between Cape Town and a game reserve beyond Port Elizabeth. We had stayed in Camps Bay (Cape Town, lots of fun) for the most part of a week and wanted somewhere a bit more relaxing as a change of scenery. I had only ever driven through Knysna before so I was looking forward to hanging out there for a couple of days.

Villa Afrikana is a stunning property, up in the hills in a nice suburban area on the way into the town of Knysna. Recently rebuilt/developed it is luxurious, sleek, modern, lots of glass, white walls and well chosen funky pieces of furniture. Impressive views over the lagoon and surrounding headland.

The owners, Bianca and Ross are great hosts, friendly, helpful and welcoming. Ross gave a recommendation for dinner (Lush - loud, fun interior design, good food and enjoyable!) for us on the second night and made the reservation for us. Both were knowledgeable about traveling all around the area and Bianca made some other recommendations about possible places to visit/stay on our route ahead which also worked out really well.

The only thing I would say was a slight discomfort was that in our room the curtains were very light, they looked great but it meant that I woke each morning at sunlight, as the room became flooded with light due to the large windows. This wasn't in any way terrible as I did get to see an amazing sunrise over Knysna.

Overall a very pleasant relaxing stay at Villa Afrikana. The best value and most luxurious stay of our trip to South Africa.

It took a few minutes driving around to find this gem perched high on a hill overlooking Knysna, but the search was well worth it. From the moment Ross greated us in the driveway to the long kitchen chat before leaving, our stay was wonderful and memorable. A lovely large room, great balcony overlooking the lagoon and huge lux bathroom meant we never wanted to leave. Public spaces are unique, uncluttered and shine. Great breakfasts can be taken in the meals area or bought to your room. On our first night we enjoyed a home cooked dinner sitting on the balcony - it started to rain, but no way was i going inside. The cool air was a real tonic after a days driving. A few downsides - stairs need to negotiated, but there is plenty of staff for the luggage. And the wifi didn't work (so Ihad to relax instead of work). Not on the lagoon which may bother some, but all the better for it I believe. Ross and Bianca are great hosts and born hoteliers, and although only just open, Villa Afrikana will be a huge success.

Immaculately clean with beautiful and tasteful decor, this villa is a fantastic choice on the garden route. The views on the balcony are amazing and the rooms are big, comfortable, with huge bathrooms equipped with all of the luxurious amenities. The best thing is to wake up with the wind blowing through the curtains, opening up to a picturesque view of the Knysna lagoon and mountains. The hosts are excellent and tremendously warm and helpful.