Wine buffs are increasingly drawn to the area, as South African wines grow in reputation and popularity on the world stage. Lovers of history too, come to enjoy the wonderfully distinctive Cape Dutch architecture of the majestic homesteads that dot the valleys and hills. The Cape Winelands are perfect to visit as part of a tailor-made holiday to South Africa, or to explore on your own South African travel adventure.
Whether it’s just a day trip from Cape Town or a few days spent touring the sights, there is plenty for you to see. If you are lucky enough to be on a luxury holiday to South Africa, you should include a few nights of decadence on a specialised wine tour, staying on a grand Cape Estate. You will revel in the famous Cape hospitality, with world-class cuisine and, of course, a mouth-watering selection of local wines!
If your budget doesn’t stretch to luxury, there are many other ways to enjoy a tailor-made holiday to South Africa: View things from a different perspective and hit the open road on a Cape sidecar motorcycle, whizz around the countryside with the wind in your hair as a passenger, or take charge and drive your own! The area is also criss-crossed with hiking trails of all levels, and you can spend an afternoon strolling through rolling pastures and vineyards – stopping for a quick (or leisurely) taste on the way! You can also visit one of the many local cheese or chocolate factories.
The scenic route around the Cape Wineland region takes in a number of quaint towns and is easily explored by car or coach. Each town has its own distinct personality and any tailor-made holiday to South Africa should include a visit to at least one, or all of them.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s second oldest town. It is renowned for its splendid Cape Dutch architecture and charming oak-lined streets. It’s also the starting point of a major wine route, which encompasses twenty glorious estates and wineries within a concentrated radius. For this reason, it is included in the itinerary of most tailor-made South African holidays but its wonderful alfresco cafes and great shopping facilities do not disappoint the casual visitor either!
Franschhoek
From Stellenbosch, the tiny town of Franchhoek is reached by a picturesque mountain route. This scenic road is one of the most beautiful drives in South Africa. Travel along the twisting, winding Helshoogte Pass (with its endless mountain vistas) and arrive in the town just in time for lunch! Franschhoek is famous for its fabulous restaurants and you can dine on wonderful food while enjoying panoramic views over the valley and the pass.
Paarl
Paarl -"the pearl of the Cape" – is home to the original Afrikaans language and the largest of the towns in the Winelands. Nederburg – South Africa’s best known wine estate is located in Paarl, but over and above the obvious choice of wine-tasting, there are a host of other activities to try. The mountains around the area are a designated nature reserve and there is a network of hiking and horse riding trails, as well as fly fishing facilities and some of the best golf courses in South Africa. Travel companies offering balloon flights and helicopter rides can treat you to a birds-eye view of the region that will take your breath away.
If you are planning a luxury holiday to South Africa, you will definitely not be disappointed by the Winelands. But whatever your priorities, while you travel South Africa, you will be embraced by the magic of this wonderful country - and as you explore the Cape Winelands, you will be entranced by the history, amazed by the food and wine, and warmed by the hospitality.
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Boutique Hotel Stellenbosch
Showing posts with label stellenbosch boutique hotel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stellenbosch boutique hotel. Show all posts
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Cape Winelands goes Cheesy – Stellenbosch Guest House
It was time of the year when people flock to the Cape Winelands in abundance for one single event: the renowned South African Cheese Festival. This is one event of the year that you not only have to go to, but cannot for the world miss. So with my two closest friends, Bronwyn and Ryno, we set off on our little adventure to Stellenbosch where we booked into our Stellenbosch guest house, Villa Grande, before heading off for our first day at this beloved event.
What to expect…
When you first get there you are met by queues and queues to not only get in, but to be helped. This is not a place for sissies. You have to put on your patience-gear and know that you are going to bump into the odd impatient idiot. But luckily the people of the Western Cape, for some undeniable reason are quite peaceful people. So let’s move on, next the three of us decided that in order to make sure we get a taste of all, we should start at the one end, and work our way through. Sure this sounds like a great plan, but somehow you always get distracted or people tend to wander off in the wrong direction.
After about four hours of cheese tasting, meeting the makers, learning exactly why it is that certain cheese just goes better with olives and other with bread, we headed in the direction of the wine. I made it my personal duty to not only teach the very little knowledge that I had of wine to my dear friend Bronwyn, but to try and persuade her to learn and love it as much as both me and Ryno do. But we only got as far as Rosé, which although a very good one, was not yet where I would’ve liked to have been with this stubborn friend of mine. So while she kept to her rosé, Ryno and I shared a very delicate bottle from the Paarl region. Such is the taste of earth’s nectar, so sweet and full of joy.
A night in…
It was getting later, so we decided it a good time to head back to our guesthouse and have a good night’s rest before coming back for seconds (Yes, greed is a sin, but so is missing out on this festival). So when we arrived at the guesthouse with our day’s shopping, we basically fell into the chairs in the luxury room, pure exhilarating exhaustion. And thanks to the day’s cheese tasting none of us had much of an appetite, so we spent the rest of the evening in front of the fireplace chatting about the day’s events and quarrelling about which cheese is the superior one. Quite sad really how people can quarrel about silly things like cheese, but it’s more about personal taste really than to prove a point. Eventually after our nightcaps, everybody was ready to turn in for the evening, and we all set off to our separate rooms.
I woke up the next morning feeling quite tired still. Amazing how a day of so much fun and eating can leave you feeling so tired and in some actual physical pain. My legs were killing me, but not enough to stop me from going back for more. So after a quick shower I went downstairs for breakfast with Bronwyn and Ryno. Both looking as exhausted as I was feeling, we ordered some of the Villa Grande’s special breakfasts. A cup of freshly brewed coffee was exactly what the doctor ordered.
As I finished up my breakfast, I sat back to looked at the view from the patio and came to realize that Stellenbosch truly is beautiful. With its surrounding majestic mountains and winelands, you come to understand why the people of Stellenbosch are all so friendly and laid-back. This very old town has the atmosphere of youth and happiness, and as we were on our way back to the cheese festival, I paid more attention to scenic drive. And in that moment all was full of bliss.
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What to expect…
When you first get there you are met by queues and queues to not only get in, but to be helped. This is not a place for sissies. You have to put on your patience-gear and know that you are going to bump into the odd impatient idiot. But luckily the people of the Western Cape, for some undeniable reason are quite peaceful people. So let’s move on, next the three of us decided that in order to make sure we get a taste of all, we should start at the one end, and work our way through. Sure this sounds like a great plan, but somehow you always get distracted or people tend to wander off in the wrong direction.
After about four hours of cheese tasting, meeting the makers, learning exactly why it is that certain cheese just goes better with olives and other with bread, we headed in the direction of the wine. I made it my personal duty to not only teach the very little knowledge that I had of wine to my dear friend Bronwyn, but to try and persuade her to learn and love it as much as both me and Ryno do. But we only got as far as Rosé, which although a very good one, was not yet where I would’ve liked to have been with this stubborn friend of mine. So while she kept to her rosé, Ryno and I shared a very delicate bottle from the Paarl region. Such is the taste of earth’s nectar, so sweet and full of joy.
A night in…
It was getting later, so we decided it a good time to head back to our guesthouse and have a good night’s rest before coming back for seconds (Yes, greed is a sin, but so is missing out on this festival). So when we arrived at the guesthouse with our day’s shopping, we basically fell into the chairs in the luxury room, pure exhilarating exhaustion. And thanks to the day’s cheese tasting none of us had much of an appetite, so we spent the rest of the evening in front of the fireplace chatting about the day’s events and quarrelling about which cheese is the superior one. Quite sad really how people can quarrel about silly things like cheese, but it’s more about personal taste really than to prove a point. Eventually after our nightcaps, everybody was ready to turn in for the evening, and we all set off to our separate rooms.
I woke up the next morning feeling quite tired still. Amazing how a day of so much fun and eating can leave you feeling so tired and in some actual physical pain. My legs were killing me, but not enough to stop me from going back for more. So after a quick shower I went downstairs for breakfast with Bronwyn and Ryno. Both looking as exhausted as I was feeling, we ordered some of the Villa Grande’s special breakfasts. A cup of freshly brewed coffee was exactly what the doctor ordered.
As I finished up my breakfast, I sat back to looked at the view from the patio and came to realize that Stellenbosch truly is beautiful. With its surrounding majestic mountains and winelands, you come to understand why the people of Stellenbosch are all so friendly and laid-back. This very old town has the atmosphere of youth and happiness, and as we were on our way back to the cheese festival, I paid more attention to scenic drive. And in that moment all was full of bliss.
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