Western Cape, South Africa Days 16 - 19

Plettenberg Bay

Day 16: Check out of apartment, begin seven day exploration of the Western Cape choosing Plettenberg Bay as furthest eastern destination. This part of the trip (7 days) we left unplanned in order to allow for some flexibility. It’s always an adventure to travel this way but certainly manageable on the cusp of the “off season”. Manned with our trusty Eyewitness Travel guide book as well as The Greenwood Guide to South Africa and Namibia (acquired in Cape Town), our daughter’s cell phone with an SA sim card, a list of suggested venues and activities provided by friends who live in Cape Town and a very good road map, we set out.

We took the Garden Route and drove along the coast as far as Hermanus where we stopped for lunch in a café with magnificent ocean views but very forgettable cuisine and a brief tour of the main shopping street (very touristic, beachy, resort town, fine for lunch and a walk about but I wouldn’t choose to stay longer). We continued on to Cape Agulas, the southernmost tip of Africa driving through some of the most spectacular countryside imaginable, often on gravel farm roads. We pressed on to a lovely little Dutch Cape Colonial town nestled in the shadow of the imposing Langeberg Mountains called Swellendam (established by the Dutch in 1742) and checked into an incredibly charming B&B, the Augusta Mist Country House at 3 Human St, which we found in our Greenwood guide book (called and booked two rooms en route). This was a great find! The proprietors were warm, welcoming, and very helpful in their recommendations of local points of interest. The main building dates back to the early 1800’s and is a Cape Dutch National Monument. The rooms are enchantingly decorated with art and period antiques from the area. The Inn also serves as an intimate restaurant. Steps from our bedroom door we were served a delicious multi course dinner in the warm and cozy candlelit dining room which consisted of regional specialties comprised of organic, locally grown and farmed products garnished with herbs and spices from their expansive kitchen garden. Everything was homemade or locally procured (the meat, the cheeses, the bread, the soup, the vegetables, the salad, the wine, even the ice cream!).

Day 17: Swellendam to Plettenberg Bay. Before continuing our drive further east we stopped at Swellendam’s Dutch Colonial museum whose main building, the Drotsky was built by the East India Company in 1747 as the seat of the landdrost or magistrate, well worth the two hours we spent there and the $6.00 entrance fee.

En route to Plettenberg Bay we stopped for lunch at Wilderness Beach. We ate at a seaside restaurant called Salinas which served up very good local seafood and pub fare. The restaurant was an easy stop off the main road and allowed us to take a long walk along the gorgeous beach before resuming our drive.

We located a lovely B&B through our Greenwood Guide,Bitou River Lodge which was very reasonably priced and consequently booked two nights there. The lodge is located on the banks of the Bitou River and is situated in a peaceful, bucolic setting absolutely teeming with bird life. The owner’s uncle was a renowned birder and author of many birding books which are available for perusal in the comfortable, Provencal style main lounge. The breakfasts were homemade and delicious. The owners also provide canoes for paddling up the river, a must, especially at sunrise or sunset. The environment is magical and a gentle departure from the busy, touristic scene in the town of Plettenberg Bay.

Day 18: Bitou River Lodge Plettenberg Bay: There are many things to do in this upscale beach resort town which has great restaurants, shopping and lovely beaches. Two must do’s: Make dinner or lunch reservations at Emily Moon, a restaurant located across the river from Bitou River Lodge and a short drive away. Emily Moon is also a very high end Lodge which was a bit pricey for us, but the restaurant was very reasonably priced and had fabulous food. The biggest features, however, are the setting which is spectacular and the dramatic ambience of the whole facility with its exotic African decor. They also have a shop in the main lodge building that has beautiful local arts and crafts for sale. We enjoyed the magical, candlelit atmosphere and the food so much that we ate there both nights of our stay in Plettenberg Bay.

Day hike of Roberg Peninsula: Most of this hike is fairly easy but there are some more challenging parts so be prepared with good sturdy shoes and carry a day pack with water, snacks, extra clothing and sun block. The coastal environment is simply spectacular and offers dramatic views (which include great white shark siting’s, whales in season, sea birds and lots of seals) from every vantage point.

Day 19: Oudtshoorn to Congo Caves to Montagu: We began our drive back toward Cape Town along the northern route (R 62, road of the four passes tour, the little Karoo) with planned stops in Oudtshoorn (late 19th century capital of the ostrich farming industry), the Congo Caves and ultimately Montagu for the night. This was a very long driving day but it encompassed incredibly beautiful and varied scenery.

Lunch and shopping in Oudtshoorn: Jemimas at 94 Baron van Reede Street was a charming restaurant with excellent food. My husband reluctantly included the Congo Caves, which was a bit off of our route, in the afternoon itinerary. He felt that it wasn’t worth the trip but our daughter and I agreed that the drive was beautiful and the tour of the caves, although very touristic, was well worth the side trip.

We arrived after sunset at the Montagu Country Hotel in Montagu where we spent the night. The hotel is decorated in both the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles and feels very 1920’s/30’s. The staff was warm and welcoming but our dinner was very mediocre and the rooms we booked on late notice (there was a large bus group of German tourists taking up most of the hotel) were ho hum. Montagu is a one horse town and was a good place to stop for the night en route to somewhere else, but not worth more time. 

Lyell Franke 2012