Travelling along the N2 highway with picturesque scenes of rolling canola fields, majestic mountains and lush forests is something I have always enjoyed, not to mention exploring interesting towns and villages along the way. Growing up in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, we travelled on the N2 highway through the scenic and world-famous Garden Route on a number of occasions, sometimes staying over in beautiful places such as Knysna or Wilderness.
Living in Cape Town, we still travel along the N2 to Port Elizabeth to stay with family and it’s usually a day trip there with a few pit stops along the way. So when the opportunity came along to explore a different part of the Western Cape, I jumped at the chance to do a family getaway. No surprises there!
We started our road trip on the first day of Spring and stopped in Riviersonderend for a much needed caffeine fix! I always head straight to Ou Meul Farmstall. Have you been there? They have an amazing selection of tasty treats and goodies and are pretty famous for their homemade mouth-watering pies. It was far too early in the day for sweet treats for me so I ordered a cappuccino and we hit the road again.
Reason #1 – Baleia Wines
So where were we heading for the weekend? Before I tell you that, I must share the fantastic wine tasting experience I had with Abraham De Klerk, the passionate winemaker at Baleia Wines. The Tasting Room is located a short distance outside Riversdale beside La Bella Deli & Restaurant.
I first discovered their wines on a road trip that hubby and I did last year (see Roadtrippin’ with my favourite ally). The farm, Dassieklip, is home to the Baleia vineyards and was specifically selected for the vineyards because of its limestone rich soil and close proximity to the ocean. I’ll be honest and say that the first time I really tasted white wines was at Baleia last year and their multiple award-winning wines are of an exceptional quality.
From their Sauvignon Blanc 2016 with fresh, ripe lemon flavours to their Inge Chardonnay 2014 that exudes ripe tropical fruit notes and lovely hints of butterscotch and toffee to their lighter bodied Erhard Pinot Noir 2013 and their nutty, spicy Tempranillo 2015 filled with black fruit aromas, you are bound to find a wine (or wines!) to suit your palate.
One of my absolute faves is their Rosé 2016 bursting with raspberry and strawberry flavours. Tastings are only R35 per person and you get to keep your stunning crystal tasting glass too. Be sure to pop in and taste their superb range of wines and stock up. But that’s not all! They also produce their own extra virgin olive oil in 500ml bottles, as well as four different flavour table olives including plain, garlic, chilli and rosemary.
Reason #2 – La Bella Deli & Restaurant
And if you’re feeling hungry and have had your fill of bland, boring takeaway food (I won’t mention any names!), then La Bella Deli & Restaurant is right next door. They serve fresh and tasty homemade food, along with yummy cakes, pastries and coffee. It’s the perfect place to stop and stretch your legs, enjoy a delicious meal and a drink (if you’re not driving) and the outdoor kids play area is great fun for the little ones.
Plus they have an amazing selection of goodies you can buy from their gift and curio store. You could easily do your Christmas shopping in one spot! We enjoyed a truly delish lunch and decided we would go back again on Sunday.
We have often driven past the Stilbaai boat at the start of the R305, but never driven down that stretch of road before. But that day we did and discovered a beautiful and historic place called A Farm Story Country House.
Reason #3 – A Farm Story Country House
Situated on a working dairy farm (they make delicious Kasselshoop Cheese), this romantic 1800’s homestead will capture your heart. It is unlike any other place I have stayed at before. It felt as if we were in a museum surrounded by a host of interesting historic artifacts. In fact, our 9 year old son didn’t know what some of the things actually were! It was funny to see his reaction when we told him what each item was.
The accommodation, however, is luxurious and stylish yet affordable. We were immediately made to feel welcome. There are 3 spacious bedrooms in total, each with their own en-suite with a bath, shower and toilet. One of the double rooms has a fireplace, perfect for those cold winter nights and there are electric blankets on each bed.
The outdoor braai facilities are housed in an old dam and the kitchen is available for self-catering. As they have no liquor license, you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks. Lunch and dinner is available by prior arrangement. Included in your stay is a delicious farm-style country breakfast that is served in the Cape Dutch style dining room.
Kassie and Liesel Kasselman were our gracious hosts and are only too happy to share the history of the farm and country house. The Kasselman family are the owners of the well-preserved estate and have been for five generations. The house itself played an important part in the history of the Cape, as the stables were used as a hospital during the most southern skirmish in the Anglo-Boer war in 1902. The homestead still retains the original yellow wood beams and ceilings.
Reason #4 – Kasselshoop Cheese
I couldn’t wait to begin exploring the surrounding area so after we’d stopped to say hello and feed some grass to the cutest baby cows ever, we drove the short distance to Kasselshoop Dairy. Traditionally handcrafted cheese made with love and passion is what they are all about. Four generations of Kasselman’s have been breeding Jersey’s that are known for the rich and creamy milk they produce.
I decided to try the Cheese and Wine pairing while hubby had their Cheese and Beer pairing on the outdoor patio. Both were super delicious! A Cheese and Carmien Tea pairing is also available.
My personal favourites? The Nettle Natural Cheddar and Smoked Natural Gouda – absolute taste sensations! You have got to try them when you visit the Tasting Room. Their delectable range of cheeses are available countrywide from Checkers, so you can sample some before you visit Kasselshoop Cheese. And remember to buy some directly from the Tasting Room to take home.
Besides the amazing and tasty cheeses they produce (natural and flavoured Gouda and Cheddar), I’m impressed with how they pride themselves on everything from the crafting of their innovative and exceptional cheese to the high levels of service they continue to give to the retailers and food service professionals in the country. They strongly support sustainable agriculture and manufacturing practices and share the success of their business with their employees, clients and the local community. A number of their team members have had the great fortune to travel to Burgundy in France to hone their cheese making skills. The Kasselman Dairy philosophy is to breed happy, healthy and functional animals – the Jersey cows are exclusively raised on pasture and only get hay and minerals as supplements.
It was a perfect evening so we decided to enjoy some time beside the fire and have a lekker (slang word for pleasing or enjoyable) South African braai (barbeque).
Once the sun had set and the moon and stars came out, we were surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature.
What a pleasure to just sit, slow down and enjoy real conversations with loved ones without any distractions. If you fancy a roaring fire but feel far too relaxed to actually cook, be sure to ask Liesel Kasselman to arrange a divine Kasselshoop cheese and meat platter for dinner (prior arrangement is required). Trust me; you do not want to miss out on this yummy platter!
The next morning, we awoke to the delightful sounds of birds chirping away in the trees. Yay for no alarm clocks! The kitchen was filled with the delicious aromas of wholesome cooking and we were soon tucking into a hearty traditional farmhouse breakfast.
Reason #5 – Stilbaai
Next up was our much anticipated visit to the pretty seaside village of Stilbaai, also known as the Bay of the Sleeping Beauty. Situated along the banks of the Goukou River estuary where it meets the Indian Ocean, this is the perfect holiday destination and a dream come true for water lovers. Thanks to the shallow bay, the clean sandy beaches (“Lappiesbaai” has Blue Flag status during the busy December – January holiday season), the calm lagoon and the 15km long navigable Goukou River, one can enjoy every kind of water-related activity imaginable – swimming, sunbathing, surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, angling, walking, sailing, canoeing, boating and water-skiing.
The sun was out and although it was still pretty chilly, that didn’t stop my hubby and son from splashing around and taking a dip in the crystal clear waters of the lagoon. We spent a few happy hours beside the lapping waters before heading back to A Farm Story to enjoy the sunshine, feed the baby cows and just relax.
There is plenty of open space for kids to run around and play. There are no TVs but who really needs that while on holiday? After hours spent playing outside, we set up the laptop so our son could watch a movie or two in bed.
All too soon, it was Sunday and time to check out. I honestly could’ve stayed for another day or two. A Farm Story is a very special place to create special memories. It will soothe your mind, body and soul and a relaxing and tranquil time is guaranteed. Enjoy a unique stay and experience true country living and old world charm with your family or group of friends, not to mention genuine hospitality.
Before we headed back home to Cape Town, we had arranged a night’s stay at Breedezicht Estate in Witsand, another seaside village along the coast that we had never visited. But first – lunch! La Bella Deli & Restaurant was the obvious choice as their food and service is great. Even though we had lunch there on Friday, we enjoyed it so much that it made sense to go back again for more!
Reason #6 – Witsand
About an hour’s drive from Riversdale, we found ourselves in the small coastal town of Witsand at the mouth of the mighty Breede River. The area is another water- sports haven where you can enjoy everything from swimming, surfing, windsurfing, deep sea and river fishing, rock, boat and fly fishing, river cruises, canoeing, sailing, spear-fishing, snorkeling and skiing. Kite surfing is also very popular.
Witsand is widely considered to be the whale nursery of the South African coastline and has the largest concentration of Southern Right whales found on the South African coast. Only land-based whale watching is offered as no boat-based whale watching license has been issued due to the nursery being regarded as a sanctuary for the whales.
We quickly settled in to our accommodation for the night – a luxurious and spacious self-catering 3 bedroom house complete with all mod-cons and a lovely view of the Breede River.
I felt like taking a walk to stretch my legs and explore the Estate. There are some beautiful homes in different design styles and I spotted my perfect beach house almost immediately! Breedezicht Estate is a quality development for homeowners looking for a lifestyle investment, with only a few houses available to rent. It won’t be long before all the homes have been sold so book your stay now for a few nights.
Despite the strong winds, we enjoyed a lovely braai in the sheltered area before calling it a night. The following morning was just beautiful with barely any wind so we headed straight for the beach after breakfast. We spotted whales almost right away but unfortunately didn’t have binoculars to see them up close – I know, rookie mistake!
The beaches are untamed and pretty deserted and one can walk for miles and miles taking in the scenic beauty while whale watching. We spent a few happy hours exploring the rock pools before heading further down for a walk to the Breede River Mouth.
It may look close but it is definitely not! Both hubby and son decided it was too far for them so I continued on my own and boy, did it take a while! But it was worth it to see the Indian Ocean colliding with the churning waters of the river mouth.
All that fresh, ocean air and walking had made us very hungry so we popped into The Anchorage Beach Restaurant & Bar for a quick bite. They are idyllically situated on the beach of San Sebastian Bay only 30 metres from the water line so sit back and relax with a cold one while whale spotting or watching the waves. Don’t expect gourmet fare but simple food made really well. My calamari strips were super tender and tasty while hubby devoured his homemade beef burger. I’d definitely go with ordering from a wide variety of fresh seafood but then again, I am a seafood lover!
Witsand is very quiet when it isn’t the holiday season, but before you think that nothing ever happens here, let me tell you about the Witsand Explorers Festival! Witsand, also known as Port Beaufort, will be celebrating their 200 year Bicentennial celebrations from Friday, 29 September to Monday, 2 October 2017 with a plethora of various events.
The Festival will celebrate history, culture, the great outdoors and adventure with a programme of unique events catering for every member of the family and a diversity of interests.
Sports enthusiasts, cultural games, talks, music, families, fishing, food lovers and those who want to explore the cultural history and natural beauty of Witsand, Port Beaufort and its surrounding area will have a blast at the Festival. Events will cater from the very active to the not-so-active, young to the old. Make sure to pop in to the Breedezicht Estate show house over the weekend for a complimentary glass of wine.
What a wonderful family weekend we had exploring the beauty and diversity of the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. We enjoyed a bit of the country life as well as the beach, my happy place. The accommodation, the people, the history, the food, the wines and natural beauty all contributed to a #localislekker time away. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and visit this often unexplored part of the Western Cape while creating your own special memories.
Have you visited any of these stunning places and spaces? I’d love to hear your experiences so please add them in the comments section 🙂
Please note: Our stays at A Farm Story Country House and Breedezicht Estate were enjoyed at no cost for review purposes. All views and images are my own (except for the Explorers Festival image).
