Monkeyland, Birds of Eden & Jukani Sanctuary Tickets, Plettenberg Bay

The Crags: three sanctuaries in one valley

The three sanctuaries sit side by side at The Crags, a rural area on the N2 roughly fifteen minutes east of Plettenberg Bay and under an hour from Knysna. All three were created to give a permanent, more natural life to animals that had previously been kept as pets or in facilities that could no longer care for them, and the visit is built around observing them without any touching or feeding. How to get to the sanctuaries is simple: turn off the N2 at the signposted road at The Crags; there is parking, a restaurant and a shop on site.

Opening is daily from the morning until late afternoon, with the last guided walks starting in the mid-afternoon. If you plan to visit two sanctuaries on the same day, arrive by about 15:00; with the three-day ticket you can spread the visits over your stay. Choose the 09:00 slot when booking and arrive at any time before the last tour.

Monkeyland: a guided walk among free-roaming primates

Monkeyland is a multi-species primate sanctuary where apes, monkeys and lemurs live free in a large tract of indigenous forest rather than in cages. The visit is a guided walk of about an hour along forest paths, during which the guide points out capuchins, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, gibbons and several kinds of lemur, many of them feeding, grooming or dozing within a few metres of the path. The animals are habituated to visitors but remain wild, so sightings vary from walk to walk.

Halfway through, the path crosses a long suspension bridge high in the canopy, one of the most photographed spots on the Garden Route, with views over the treetops where the primates move. Guides lead in English, and a French-speaking guide can be arranged with forty-eight hours' notice. A viewing deck and the restaurant overlook the forest edge for a break afterwards.

Birds of Eden: the free-flight aviary

Birds of Eden is a free-flight aviary covering more than two hectares of forest and gorge under a single mesh dome that rises to about fifty metres so the birds have real flying space. A boardwalk of roughly a kilometre winds through the trees, past a waterfall in a deep gorge and across open water, and you walk it at your own pace, which usually takes between one and two hours. The residents include the Knysna turaco with its red wings and strange call, other turacos, parrots and parakeets, flamingos, cranes, starlings, robins and waterfowl, many of them former caged pets flying freely for the first time.

There is no set route or guide, which makes it the most relaxed of the three sanctuaries and a good choice for small children and for anyone with reduced mobility, as much of the boardwalk is level. A guide can be requested with forty-eight hours' notice. Binoculars are useful but not essential.

Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary: the big cats

Jukani is a sanctuary for big cats that have been rescued or re-homed, housed in large natural enclosures designed around each animal's needs. On a guided walk of one to one and a half hours along the fenced pathways you see lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, as well as cheetahs, caracals, servals and other smaller predators, while the guide tells each animal's story and explains why these cats can never be released. The tour runs in English and is one of the best places in South Africa to photograph big cats at close range in safety.

Jukani is more exposed to the sun than the two forest sanctuaries, so a hat is advised, especially for children, and midday in summer is the hottest time. Visiting it last, in the late afternoon when the cats are more active, works well with the three-sanctuary ticket.