5 Day Trips and reasons to stay as long as you can

Travel

Somerset West is a town in the ideal location to explore beaches and winelands and more without the hectic traffic of Cape Town.

Clarens drive

Recently reopened after flooding this is one of the most breathtaking route in South Africa. It’s a great place to drive and enjoy the sundowner in one of the many  viewpoints. Enroute is the Grill Shack for breakfast or lunch. Some features along the route

  • KogelBaai Nature Reserve – has braai spots and is spectacular beachfront. Watch out for baboons and don’t swim at Dap se Gat side as there are strong rip currents there.
  • Bettys Bay –35 minute drive away
    • Silversands beach has vast expanses and white sand and is an uncrowded beach
    • Stony point has a resident penguin population. Take cash for the entrance fee. There is also a restaurant where you can enjoy seafood and watch the penguins waddle (bring your alcohol)
    • Harold Porter Nature Reserve has beautiful hikes, accessible to most people including a walk to the waterfall.
    • Bass Dam is a large lake not known to many and has small grassy picnic area.
  • Pringle Bay and Rooi Els are smaller towns that offer art studios and restaurants. The rustic Hangklip hotel often hosts live music events.
  • Benguela Cove is a bit of a further drive but it has an excellent quality restaurant, art galleries, wine tasting. They also offer wine safaris where you can explore the farm with a guide and get to interact closely with each cultivar.

Elgin

Just a 30  minute drive up N2 Sir Lowrys Pass is a fruit farming community with many  great adventures to explore. Almenkerk wine farm has a 5km kid friendly walk with fun activities. Elgin Railway Market has curios, food and music and great play areas. Go ziplining through the forests and stop at the Peregrine Food Stall and Houw Hoek for delicious homemade foods, delicacies and local wines.

Hemel en Aarde wine route

This is 45 minutes away on the N2 and you can finish the day with a drive back on Clarens Drive. There are award winning wine farms here, and the region is famous for its Pinot Noirs. Creation wine farm provides a fantastic tasting experience and Bouchard-Finlayson wine farm is a must for discerning wine drinker. There are number of farm stalls with local products and arts enroute. You could consider starting with breakfast at Dassiesfontein, which is a massive treasure trove and some delicious food- their smoked snoek is definitely worth a taste.

Franschoek

A 50 minute drive from us, you can drive through Grabouw and Theewaterskloof Dam and enter via the mountainous pass. Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, offers hikes of various levels and has beautiful views across the town. The town is a haven of good food, fine art galleries and often hosts festivals of various sorts. Leeu Estate has world class reviews and tastings done by appointment. They also have Everard Read gallery and Le Petit Colombe serves offers highest level of dining experience. Haut Cabriere, Leopard Leap, Allee Bleu are just some of the wine farms to visit. There is also the Rupert Car Museum to Explore.

Between Franschoek and Stellenbosch – this route has so  much to taste. Hillcrest Berry Farm, Tokara, Delheim, Boschendal offers picnics, live music, multiple restaurants and also host Galileo outdoor cinema experiences.

Baden Powell route

Visit Vergenoegd -Low Wine Estate – recently renovated this estate is famous for its duck run. They boast 2 restaurants- Geuwels provides South African meals curated by Bertus Basson and offer music events including Christmas carols and jazz on the lawns. Clara’s Barn use indigenous meals and set menus.

Spier wine farm offers a bit of everything for everyone. Its large shaded lawns are a great place to meet up with friends and picnic. There are pizzas, a deli as well as formal dining experiences. There is a beautiful childrens sensory garden and it is a great place to go with children. They also one of the largest collection of contemporary art in South Africa.