One good thing about our world being turned upside down may be that many of us now find ourselves working from home. And this brings with it a whole lot of opportunities!
If you can now work from anywhere you want then Knysna may just be the perfect spot for your working holiday staycation!
All you need to get working
When looking for somewhere to work remotely, there are a few essentials to consider; from internet and cell phone connectivity to a comfortable space to work, travel connectivity for when you absolutely have to get back to the city, and affordability. While an escape to nature where you can be unplugged may cut it for the weekend, a remote working space needs a reliable internet connection and the modern amenities you would expect to make a home office work.
Beautiful Knysna Villas includes home away from home properties tucked into the residential areas of Knysna, upmarket Alkira Lodge remotely situated in its own nature reserve, and Beacon House Luxury Apartments on the water at the Knysna Heads. Along with the views, our properties offer comfortable spaces and are equipped with top-of-the-range kitchens, TVs, and of course the free uncapped high-speed WiFi, ideal for a virtual working getaway.
For those looking for company, Knysna is home to friendly people happy to find a reason to meet up with like-minded individuals, drink coffee, and share ideas at any of the Knysna’s many coffee shops and restaurants. For active types you will discover a community of sporty and outdoorsy people happy to include friendly newcomers in their activities and adventures.
Lots to do on the Garden Route
Those of us who have embraced the remote working lifestyle know that work isn’t everything. We also want to stay in a place that offers fun and activities. When you’re not tapping away at your keyboard, Knysna has plenty of mountain biking and hiking trails to keep you busy, there are a variety of golf courses nearby, or you could take to the water for a canoe, SUP, sail, or snorkel. The nearby towns of Sedgefield, Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay, George, Oudtshoorn, and Jefferey’s Bay, make for ideal weekend breaks so you can extend your ‘flexcation’ with a number of different getaways in the region. So many options and all these new words!
Knysna locals know that the Autumn months are the best-kept secret of the Garden Route with minimum wind and sunny days. Even in the depths of winter, you can enjoy 10 hours of daylight and enjoyable average temperatures of between 10 and 24°C, ensuring that those who don’t just want to hunker down with a book in front of the fire can remain active and outdoors.
The relative safety and easy lifestyle of the Garden Route region means that Knysna has always been an easy holiday choice and the ideal spot for families to get away together. Recently however there is a growing trend among those who are now in a position to work and school remotely, to combine work with pleasure, and to choose Knysna as the perfect location for a staycation!
Knysna schools including Oakhill Private School have adapted to accept children for short-term schooling giving families an alternative to online schooling. Either way, the whole family has an opportunity to enjoy new experiences, learn new skills, and make new friends.
Our Unique Offering
At Beautiful Knysna Villas we have really thought long and hard about how we can add value and when you book your staycation talk to us about childminders and tutors and we will happily introduce you to our network of skilled individuals. At many of our properties, when school is out, our in-house qualified guide steps in so that while you work, your children can experience awesome walks, water experiences, forest experiences, and a variety of other learning opportunities of a different kind, without even leaving the neighbourhood.
Our team can also arrange a meal dropoff or in-house chef or even wellness therapies in your private house or apartment. While you may have to work you do not also have to entertain the kids or prepare the dinner, and when it’s time to play all you have to do is step out of the front door.
A new visa for digital nomads
In order to draw a different type of tourist to South Africa, the country is considering the introduction of remote working visas. This will allow international tourists work while they vacation and in so doing to extend their stay in South Africa. The tourism industry is adapting fast as it recognises this change in travel behaviour and many traditionally holiday accommodations are offering remote workers affordable long-term stays. If you are a local resident, consider adopting and adapting quickly to take advantage of everything your beautiful country has to offer you before international travelers return and demand starts to drive availability down and pricing up once again.