The southernmost province of South Africa, with Cape Town ‘The Mother City’ being its capital. Cape Town has one of the most dramatic natural settings in the world, stretching across a peninsula cradled between the cold Atlantic Ocean and the warm Indian Ocean, providing stunning contrasts of scenery. It is one of the top ten destinations in the world.
Main areas of interest, close to Cape Town are the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Paarl, and the coastal towns of Langebaan, Saldanha Bay and Hermanus.
Then moving to the ‘other side of the mountain’ is the Overberg, Langeberg and Breede Valley where you can visit the southernmost tip of the African continent at Cape Agulhas and the very pretty historical towns of Swellendam (3rd oldest town in South Africa), Montague, and Barrydale.
In the Little Karoo region, more inland, you can experience some of the most spectacular mountain scenery, in the heart of the Swartberg Range. Here you will also find the town of Oudtshoorn, world-renowned for Ostrich farming, where you might wish to stay at one of the elaborate homes described as a ‘feather palace’. Just outside Oudtshoorn, in the foothills of the Swartberg, lies a fascinating network of limestone caverns known as the Cango Caves, one of the world’s natural wonders.
(The Garden Route)
Although a region in the province of the Western Cape, this magnificent area needs a section all to itself (my favourite). The Garden Route stretches along 227 kilometres of southern Cape coastline, with rolling cliffs, quaint bays, lakes, lagoons, wetlands and a string of white beaches. Nature’s spectacular Garden!
The town of George is the gateway to the Garden Route and is set against the magnificent backdrop of the rugged Outeniqua Mountains. Some 10 kms east of George lies Wilderness, a sought-after holiday destination, with its unique beauty. From Wilderness, you travel through the ‘slowest tourist route’ in Sedgefield to the attractive town of Knysna. Here you can visit the sandstone cliffs, known as The Heads, which guard a huge tidal lagoon that opens to the sea through a narrow treacherous inlet. Knysna offers many leisure options for its family visitors. Continuing from Knysna, you can visit Plettenberg Bay and then the Tsitsikamma National Park, where two of South Africa’s most popular hiking trails traverse, the Otter Trail and the Tsitsikamma Hiking Trail.
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