Karatara is a forest village that exists because of timber. It lies deep in the Knysna-Tsitsikamma forest belt, on the road that Thomas Bain pushed through the Outeniqua foothills, and for years its people worked the great yellowwood and stinkwood forests that surround it. The sawmills have quietened, and the community has shifted toward crafts and the careful use of the forest, but the sense of a settlement built around the trees is still strong.
The surroundings are among the most remarkable forests in South Africa. The indigenous Knysna forest, with its towering yellowwoods, its tangled lianas, and its cool, green gloom, covers the lower slopes and hides one of the country's most elusive animals, the Knysna elephant. Only a tiny number survive, and sightings are rare. Birdlife is easier: Knysna turacos flash crimson in the canopy, and Cape parrots, rarer, are sometimes heard rather than seen. After rain the forest steams, and the whole road smells of damp earth and bark.
The ride through Karatara is a quiet, rural one. This is the less-visited stretch of the Seven Passes, where the road leaves the polished tourist belt and becomes narrower, rougher, and more remote. Some sections are gravel, and the surface can be loose, corrugated, or muddy after rain, so a road bike with thin tyres should proceed with care, and an adventure bike will be more comfortable. Speeds are low, and the corners are tight, with wooded drops beside the road. There is little traffic, and the silence in the forest is deep.
Do not count on fuel or a full meal. Knysna, about twenty-five kilometres away, is the sensible place to fill up, and George, a bit farther, is the larger town. The village has basic shops, and it is a good place to stop and buy water, but it is not a tourist stop in the usual sense. Mist and rain are frequent, and the light under the trees fades early, so aim to be through the forest before dusk. A warm layer is helpful, because the air is cool and damp even in summer, and the quiet makes it easy to linger.