Phantom Forest

Hidden in private woodland above Knysna’s lagoons, 14 eco-chic treehouses with fine restaurant and freshwater pool

Bungy-jumping, sailing, surfing, canoeing, kloofing… anyone touring South Africa’s Garden Route would think that terra firma had gone out of fashion. If so, then Phantom Forest is the place to be seen (or not seen, given its camouflage), for here you sleep in a wooden house perched halfway up to the jungle canopy. Thanks to tall stilts and huge windows, you can sit face to face with a Knysna woodpecker in the comfort of an armchair or bathtub.

Bathtub? Up a tree? Oh yes, just because this is the monkeyzone, don’t think it has to be primitive. Fully-equipped bathroom, spacious sitting area, sumptuous double bed - it’s all there, thanks to the ingenious design and décor of Alan and Kit Stewart, who still run the reserve today. You’ll even find a jacuzzi, massage area and gourmet restaurant, housed in thatched huts situated along elevated walkways. Not to mention a freshwater pool with views over the lagoons of Knysna. Tarzan never had it so good!

Highs

• The sense of being in the middle of the forest – even when having a bath!
• The feeling of isolation – you have to leave your car at the road and walk up, or take the jeep-shuttle
• The excellent cuisine and post-dinner conversation with other guests around the fire

Lows

• It is often booked up, especially from December to March
• The civilised atmosphere (pre-dinner cocktails, massage parlour) may seem at odds with the simple, natural setting
• There can be mozzies- but repellent is provided