Top South African Lifestyle Blog
This is a 3 for 1 post – day 17, 18 and 19 of my 30 day challenge! We have just spent a relaxing night away in De Kelders, which is in the Walker Bay area, before you reach the town of Gansbaai. A pre 40th Birthday present to my man, no technology allowed – so hence the combo post!
Photography: ©FAR Photography ~ Super Mom Blog
As I have mentioned before one of our favourite places for a weekend getaway is the remote area of Jacobsbaai, it is up the West Coast of South Africa, heading out of Cape Town, in the direction of Vredenberg. We have a beautiful family holiday home there, decorated in distinctly beach style decor, which allows the space to be both tranquil and luxurious! It truly is a beach-lovers paradise.
On a recent trip up to Jacobsbaai, we were fortunate enough to have suitable sea-faring weather! Well when I say we, I mean my eldest daughter, her Dad and Grandpa. We have discovered that our eldest has a passionate love of the sea – or should I say of extreme adventure sports, which include boating, crayfishing and boogie-boarding! Needless to say all a bit nerve-wracking for the mother involved – ME! The interesting thing is that I was pretty much the same as a child, it is only recently that I have decided that swimming with sharks actually does sound dangerous and somewhat life threatening.
The boat trip was rather successful and the fisher-folk managed to catch a few crayfish, crabs and a fish! I was rather happy with this outcome seeing as I love crayfish! So the fishing crew returned rather chuffed with themselves and we could all enjoy the bounty that they caught, as an appetiser before dinner – yum!
A few other places to stay up the West Coast include: Langebaan, the quaint fishing village of Paternoster – where you will find lots of lovely B&B’s and self catering accommodation and the beautiful Shelley Point Hotel & Spa.
Images: Collage 1,2 & 3 ©FAR Photography by Super Mom Blog
South Africa is a stunning location, which serves as the perfect destination for a getaway, whether it is romantic, for the family, involving business, or geared to get your adrenaline pumping. At the end of every day, after hours spent building precious memories comes the time when you need to kick off your shoes, relax, take a deep breath and get some shut-eye. For the discerning traveller, I have put together a list of my Top 10 hotels in South Africa.
During the October school holidays we decided to do something a bit different for our family getaway – let’s just say we all like our creature comforts. So we did our version of getting in touch with nature and stayed at the eco-friendly Black Eagle Lodge. There is no electricity in the cottages but they have solar power for lighting and gas for heating water and cooking. I hate to sound like a sissy but camping is not my cup of tea and this is as close as we will probably get to roughing-it!
Black Eagle Lodge is situated off the N2, just before the town of Caledon, nestled in the Overberg Mountains. The drive, from Cape Town, takes you past the turn-off to Hermanus and Botriver, this area is beautiful and mostly farming country. The Overberg has always been one of our favourite places to holiday and spend time exploring. The area has great accommodation and an abundance of great restaurants and wine farms.
The Villa accommodation was luxurious but understated and with its stone-clad exterior blended well into its surroundings. The view from the Villa, was totally amazing, the landscape spreads like a tapestry, of colour, in front of you and all you can hear are the calls from the abundant bird-life in the area. It truly was a return to nature!
The working farm which surrounds you is magnificently kept and boasts wheat fields, flocks of sheep and herds of feisty looking cattle. All there is to do, is leave the city behind you and submerge yourself in the relaxed atmosphere and explore the natural world around you.
Activities on the farm include mountain biking, hiking, fly-fishing, hunting for lizards with the kids and spot the Black Eagles. The stars at night are breath-taking and we spent many a night sitting outside, next to a blazing fire, sipping good wine!
Although you feel like you are completely secluded from the hustle and bustle of city life, you are centrally positioned for fun day trips. We decided to venture out one day and take a trip to Hermanus. En-route to Hermanus, we took a trip through the Hemel-en Aarde valley. The Valley boasts some amazing wine farms – such as Hamilton Russell , Bouchard Finlayson and Whalehaven; a boutique vineyard – to name but a few.
Hermanus, is a beautiful sea side town which we love visiting and if you are lucky you may get to see a few whales when you are there. If you are planning a trip there, the end of September is a good time to go, they host the annual Whale festival then – which is a great deal of fun! It can get very busy during this time, so pre-booking accomodation is essential. There are great restaurants in the area as well – most of them, with a view of the sea. Another popular, rather quaint town to visit in the area is Greyton.
So if you are looking for a relaxing, reinvigorating break, then Black Eagle Lodge, in the Overberg is the place to go!
Images: ©FAR Photography
On our last trip up the West Coast, of Cape Town, we visited the seaside town of Langebaan. Which we frequent because of the lovely beach-side cafes and restaurant’s to dine in. We were fortunate enough to witness, an extraordinary sunset when we arrived; I grabbed the opportunity and shot some wonderful photographs. I love capturing sunsets; there is something truly magical about them and I am always left in awe of the magnitude of beauty that surrounds us.
Image Source : ©FAR Photography by Supermom
