Ten days of extravagance and beauty await you at the annual Pick ‘n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival - 3 to 11 July - as the streets of Thesen Island become a taste adventure just waiting to be shucked. But it will be all the sweeter if you head for the hotspots, which I had the privilege of uncovering during my most recent secret-season visit.

"So where exactly are these hotspots?" I hear you asking.

Well, some of the eateries I've identified for their affordability of this fine delicacy include 34' South and the Knysna Oyster Company. The former because it doubles-up as what has been described as the ‘finest wine shop this side of the grape curtain' and the latter because it is renowned for being not only the oldest, but also the biggest oyster farm in South Africa.

Take a look at what is waiting for you at this year's festival...

Your biggest dilemma: selecting between cultivated or wild oysters.

My best piece of advice is arm yourself with as much self-control as you can muster and get ready to enjoy this sumptuous aphrodisiac. Otherwise, ignore the looks from your companions and make the most of it. Gorging might never again be this fashionable.

As you mollusc away to your hearts' delight, don't forget to take in the town's other draw cards, some of which have been cleverly incorporated into the festival.

Heads Up
A visit to Knysna without a cruise on the lagoon is like enjoying an oyster without a bit of champers on the side. And brand new to this year's celebration is the Whisky and Jazz Cruise.

The masked ball is the perfect excuse to party!

Boasting Knysna's own Jazz Quartet, it's an opportunity to enjoy some sweet rhythms while sipping various international whiskies as you cruise the lagoon to the Heads and back. Having had just a taste of this a few weeks ago, it's sure to go large.

Super-duper scuba
If you're brave enough to embrace the lagoon temperatures, book a scuba-diving experience with Hippo Dive Campus at the Knysna Heads. It's an opportunity to explore the inner or rather under-workings of the sea, you might even be lucky enough to spot what could be the lagoons biggest octopus - or so I've been told.

Unwind on the hill
Wind your way up to the exclusive Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, where you can expect to indulge in a 45 minute massage. An experience equivalent only to the first time you tasted an oyster: delicate and painfully pleasurable.

Mardi Gras munching
Another exciting event to consider is the popular Oyster and Wine Mardi Gras. Previously known as the Oyster Cooking Competition, ticket-holders (at R175.00 per person) get to taste a combination of 25 different oysters prepared by a selection of Knysna's top chefs competing for the prize of first place.

Your palette will only be subjected to the very best. Mine certainly was.

The mascots at the Oyster Shucking Competition really get into the spirit of things

Tuk-tuk shuck
Want the skinny on this Garden Route town? Then hop on Mr Bertie Dewberry's Thai looking tuk-tuk. What's so quaint about this fast-paced tour is Dewberry himself.

He prides himself on his local knowledge so much so that he is able to point out a house across the gorge, name the owners and the number of rooms inside before offering a personal tour of the mansion itself.

Work it baby!
The Knysna sun seems to give of her very best even in the month of July; nothing like the Cape Town winter currently undergo - useful to know for those in doubt of the fest's physical, outdoor events.

Look out for the Feather Bed Trail Run or the Nando's Knysna Lagoon Challenge: yes, to be executed in the lagoon. Participants have to paddle to Thesen Island, the Waterfront and the Knysna Quays.

The Canoe Challenge is just one of the exciting sporting events to take place during the Knysna Festival

To add to the fun there is the Salomon Adventure Nights/Petzl Night Run on Saturday the 4 July at 3pm. Armed only with a headlamp, the aim is for the teams to race against the clock on a combo of ‘Marked and Rally style routes' - in the dark!

Designed to test both novice and pro athlete, you'll use your personal Route Book to navigate visited strategically located checkpoints throughout the course as you make your way to the finish. Night running: another world of dynamics...

This just happens to be a selection of the many events on offer, guaranteeing a holiday break of extravagant pleasure filled with laughter and not forgetting mouthfuls of tantalising oysters.

Buon Appétit!