The Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex was officially opened on 3 February 1989, however its can be traced back to the 1960s when the museum was first opened. The museum later became known as the Post Tree museum complex before being renamed again in 1989.
South Africa: Two Angels: A Knysna Retreat Worth Finding
South Africa: Two Angels — A Knysna Retreat Worth Finding
🌊 Situated at the water’s edge of the Knysna Lagoon, this magnificent 6 Bedroom House, plus 3 sea-facing cottages, offers the very best location on the South African coastline
Knysna is a small but rather wonderful town sitting on South Africa’s southern cape coast, strung along that celebrated stretch of road known as the Garden Route — the N2 highway that winds its way between Mossel Bay and Storms River through some of the most dramatically beautiful scenery the country has to offer. The town itself grew up around a lagoon, or more accurately a tidal lake, that connects to the Indian Ocean through a remarkably narrow and notoriously treacherous inlet carved through the sandstone cliffs that line this stretch of the coastline. This gap in the cliffs, where the lagoon meets the open sea, has been a defining feature of Knysna’s identity since the very earliest days of European settlement here. The town was formally established in the early nineteenth century — George Rex, a rather colourful character who arrived around 1804 and is the subject of all manner of romantic local legend (rumours about his being an illegitimate son of King George III have never entirely gone away), built a trading post and effectively put Knysna on the map. By the 1840s it had become a significant timber port, with the vast indigenous forests of the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains providing yellowwood and stinkwood that were shipped out through that narrow, difficult inlet. On the eastern side of that opening into the sea sits an area simply known as the Heads — two great rocky promontories of quartzite sandstone that frame the channel — and it was right here, perched in this remarkable spot with the Indian Ocean crashing below and the lagoon stretching away behind, that our stop for the night was located: the Two Angels guesthouse.
🕐 Arriving at Two Angels
We pulled into Two Angels in the late afternoon, with the sun still out and the light doing that golden hour thing that South Africa does so magnificently — the kind of light that makes even an ordinary car park look good, let alone a property in a setting like this. We have stayed in quite a few guesthouses in our time, and we are not easily impressed, but this one genuinely gave us pause the moment we stepped out of the car. The property is stunning, full stop. We had been booked into a studio room, which came with a balcony — and what a balcony. It looked out directly across the lagoon, with the water spread out before us in that hazy blue-green that you only really get in this part of the world, and the Outeniqua Mountains making a rather satisfying backdrop in the middle distance. The room itself was beautifully decorated in what we’d describe as a European style — tasteful, unfussy, well put together, without any of the faux-African kitsch that turns up in so many South African guesthouses. Robert, the owner — a charming Mauritian who runs the place with the easy, warm hospitality that you tend to find in people who actually love what they do — appeared shortly after we arrived and made us a rather tempting offer: a bottle of wine from a local vineyard at a very reasonable price. Now, we are not ones to refuse a glass of wine at the best of times, but sitting out on that balcony in the late afternoon light with the lagoon below us and a decent Knysna bottle to hand? That was never going to be a difficult decision. The thought of it was really too good to pass up, and we didn’t.
🧭 A Walk Up to the Heads
Before we settled down for the evening with our wine and our views — we are not entirely without willpower, after all — we decided to stretch our legs and walk up to the top of the Heads. The path up is not what you’d call a gentle stroll; it’s a reasonably steep climb that took us somewhere in the region of fifteen minutes of moderately purposeful walking before we emerged at the top. The effort, we are delighted to report, was entirely and absolutely worth it. The Heads sit at roughly 100 metres above sea level at their highest point, and from up there the views are genuinely extraordinary — the kind that make you stop mid-sentence and just stand there looking. Below us, the narrow channel between the two rocky promontories churned with the meeting of the lagoon and the open Indian Ocean, a stretch of water that has claimed its fair share of ships over the centuries. Navigation through the Heads is so treacherous that even today, in the age of GPS and modern weather forecasting, commercial shipping is only permitted through the channel in relatively calm conditions, and the South African Navy has in the past used the entrance for training exercises. Looking down from the cliff tops, it was easy to see why — the channel is barely 65 metres wide at its narrowest point, the currents are fierce, and the sandstone walls on either side leave very little room for error. The views along the coastline in either direction were equally dramatic: the wild and largely empty beaches of the Eastern Cape stretching away to the east, and the calmer lagoon waters behind us reflecting the last of the afternoon light. Quite a spot.
🏡 About the Two Angels
Situated at the water’s edge of the Knysna Lagoon, this magnificent 6 Bedroom House, plus 3 sea-facing cottages, offers the very best location on the South African coastline. That claim, which might sound like marketing puff in many contexts, is actually rather difficult to argue with when you are standing on the premises looking out at the view. This cosy and quiet spot is nestled in a sheltered cove and overlooks the Outeniqua Mountains in the distance, with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean lapping at its feet. The mountains themselves — part of the Cape Fold Belt, a geological formation laid down around 250 to 300 million years ago — form a long ridge that runs parallel to the coast and has historically acted as a natural barrier between the coast and the interior, which is why the forests that cling to their southern slopes remained so remarkably intact for so long and are today protected as part of the Garden Route National Park.
🛏️ Accommodation
The beautifully furnished and well-appointed Main House sleeps 14 guests in 6 en suite bedrooms. It has 2 kitchens, the main one as well as one for self-catering use of the lower ground floor rooms. The whole house can be rented, or certain of the individual rooms as required, which makes it an equally good proposition for a large family or group booking, or for a couple looking for something rather special. The Lovers Nest at the water’s edge is a free-standing self-catering fully equipped Honeymoon cottage sleeping 2 — unique, romantic and as cosy as the name suggests, right at the edge of the lagoon with the kind of setting that does most of the romantic heavy lifting for you without any effort on your part whatsoever. The Oyster Shell is a sea-facing self-catering studio apartment on the upper ground floor of the annexe, sleeping 2, and very much the sort of room we had ourselves: well-proportioned, quietly stylish, with those lagoon views doing their considerable best to distract you from unpacking. The Angel’s Lair is a deluxe sea-facing, self-catering 2-bedroom apartment on the upper floor of the annexe, which steps things up a notch further for anyone wanting a bit more space and an equally spectacular vantage point.
🍳 Facilities
Two Angels does not offer meals, which sounds like a potential problem until you consider that the East Head Cafe — situated right at the Heads in a beautiful setting, a leisurely five-minute walk from the house — serves breakfast and lunch daily, and does so in a spot that is arguably as good as anything you’ll find for miles in either direction. All bedrooms in the main house, honeymoon cottage and apartments have flat-screen TVs with access to nine DSTV channels including News, Sports, Movies, Documentaries and Cartoons. There are three sound systems: one in the Studio Room with speakers in the room itself as well as the main house kitchen; one in the lower ground floor kitchen, with four wall-mounted speakers on the north and west sides of the front terrace; and the third in The Angel’s Lair with two internal and two external speakers — so the soundtrack to your lagoon stay is entirely in your hands.
Best Time to Visit The Western Cape
The Western Cape operates on a Mediterranean climate cycle that turns the conventional travel-planning logic on its head: summer — December to February — brings long, sun-drenched days and reliably dry weather to Cape Town and the Winelands, while winter — June to August — delivers frontal Atlantic rain to the Cape Peninsula and the Boland. Understanding that rhythm is the most useful thing a visitor can bring to planning a trip, because each season has a strong case to make for itself.
🌸 September to November — Spring
Spring in the Western Cape is widely considered the single best time to visit, and for good reason. The rains of winter tail off, wildflowers — including the famous fynbos and the carpets of Namaqualand daisies visible on the edge of the region — reach their peak, and the first Southern Right whales of the season arrive in the sheltered bays around Hermanus and De Kelders to calve and nurse their young. Temperatures rise steadily through the season, from pleasantly mild in September to warm and energetic by November, with very little of the harsh South-Easter wind that can take the edge off Cape Town in high summer. Prices and crowds are noticeably below their December peak, and the general sense of the landscape coming alive after winter gives the whole region an energy that is difficult to match at any other time of year.
Packing: Light layers for the morning chill, a light waterproof jacket for any leftover winter squalls in September, breathable shirts and trousers for warmer October and November days, comfortable walking shoes for the Winelands and flower routes, and high-SPF sunscreen as the days lengthen.
☀️ December to February — Summer
This is Cape Town at its most confident and most crowded: long days of brilliant sunshine, sea temperatures warm enough for a swim at Clifton or Camps Bay, and a social scene that accelerates noticeably as South African domestic tourists join the international visitors. The Garden Route, Hermanus and the Overberg also hit their stride, and the national parks — Table Mountain, Boulders Beach, Cape Point — are all at their most accessible. The South-Easter, the strong south-easterly wind known locally as the Cape Doctor, is summer’s main characteristic: it scrubs the air clean and keeps temperatures from becoming oppressive, but on its fiercer days it can sweep your towel off Clifton Beach and make dining outdoors feel like an adventure. It is, unsurprisingly, the most expensive time to visit, with accommodation prices peaking between Christmas and mid-January and the main coastal resorts booking out well in advance.
Packing: Lightweight, breathable clothing, swimwear, a wide-brimmed hat, high-SPF reef-safe sunscreen, a windbreaker or light jacket for South-Easter afternoons, sunglasses, and sandals for the beach towns alongside a smarter pair for evenings out.
🍂 March to May — Autumn
Autumn brings some of the Western Cape’s most rewarding travel conditions. The South-Easter relents, temperatures ease to a comfortable 20–26°C and the light softens in a way that makes the Winelands and the Franschhoek Valley particularly beautiful. March and April coincide with the wine harvest, when estates are at their most active and many host harvest festivals, farm stalls and cellar-door tastings that feel more genuine than anything on offer in peak summer. Beaches see a fraction of the December crowds, accommodation rates drop perceptibly, and the Cape Peninsula’s hiking trails are far quieter. By May, the first frontal systems begin moving up from the south Atlantic and the weather becomes more changeable, but autumn, taken as a whole, offers an excellent balance of good conditions and relative quiet.
Packing: Layers that can be added or removed through the day — mornings and evenings cool noticeably by May — a light waterproof jacket, comfortable shoes suitable for walking vineyard paths and coastal trails, and sunscreen for the still-strong autumn sun.
🌧️ June to August — Winter
The Western Cape’s winter is mild by most standards — Cape Town rarely drops below 7 or 8°C even on its coldest nights — but it is emphatically the wet season, with Atlantic frontal systems rolling through every week or so and delivering sustained rain that can last for two or three days at a stretch. The Garden Route receives its heaviest rainfall of the year, some mountain passes close intermittently, and the whale-watching season is only just getting started by August. Against all of that, winter has a compelling case for budget-conscious travellers: hotel rates fall to their lowest, tourist numbers thin dramatically and Cape Town takes on a different, more local character. The wine estates are quiet, the souks of the Bo-Kaap are unhurried, and the Cape Peninsula in moody winter light, with clouds tearing across the top of Table Mountain, can be genuinely dramatic. Boulders Beach penguins remain as obliging as ever regardless of the season, and when the sun does break through between fronts, the clarity of the winter light is remarkable.
Packing: A proper waterproof jacket or rain mac, warm mid-layers for cooler evenings and wet days, waterproof walking shoes or boots, a compact umbrella, and at least one smarter warm layer — restaurants and bars in Cape Town tend to be well heated, but the walk between them is not.
Overall Best Time
September to November offers the most consistently rewarding conditions for the widest range of activities — whale-watching, wildflowers, hiking, wine-tasting and beach days can all be combined in a single itinerary without the peak-season prices or the South-Easter’s unpredictability. Travellers for whom cost and crowd levels matter more than guaranteed sunshine will find autumn, particularly March and April, a close rival: the harvest season adds genuine character to a Winelands visit, the weather remains warm and settled, and the Cape Peninsula feels spacious in a way it never quite does in December. Summer is the obvious choice for those whose priority is beach time and long evenings, provided they book well in advance and come prepared for the wind. Winter alone requires a particular temperament — or a particularly good reason, such as catching the start of the whale season — but for the right traveller, it rewards handsomely.
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