Exploring the Cango Caves in South Africa

22/09/2019 By Sabs 2 Comments

The Cango Caves are the biggest show-case cave system in Africa and also South Africa’s oldest tourist attraction. Any visitor to Oudtshoorn will make a stop at the Cango Caves.

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How to get to the Cango Caves

The Cango Caves are just outside Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Unless you are visiting the Cango Caves as part of a tour group, the easiest way to get there is using a car. The nearest airport is the George Airport, approximately 50 kilometres away.

History of the Cango Caves

The Cango Caves started receiving visitors in the 1800s, but the visitors damaged the stalagmites and stalactites on the cave to have a souvenir from their visit to the caves.

The Governor of the time, Lord Charles Somerset issued the Caves Regulations in 1820 to protect the Cango Caves as an environmental resource by banning the collection of souvenirs from the cave. As part of Lord Somerset’s regulations, the entry to the cave became expensive at an equivalent of R500 ($33).

The first full-time guide, Johnnie van Wassenaar, discovered many of the sights in the caves. Although there are many chambers in the Cango Caves, only Cango 1 is open to the public.

Practicalities of a visit to the Cango Caves South Africa

The Cango Caves are open throughout the year, except for Christmas Day. Tours are available every hour from 9:00 – 16:00.

The Cango Caves offer two guided tours to choose from. The Heritage tour is an easy that anyone can do, regardless of age. The Adventure tour is slightly more expensive – the Adventure tour is perfect for those who don’t mind crawling through narrow spaces. Both tours take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete.

It is important to note that neither of the tours are suitable for wheelchairs, children under 8, pregnant ladies or anyone suffering from claustrophobia, high blood pressure, asthma or muscular ailments.

The tour guides are experienced and accredited guides. Tours are offered in different languages, including English, Afrikaans, German and French. When we were there one of the tour guides spoke Mandarin, so different language options are available – it is best to enquire when you get there!

It is best to book a tour in advance as the Cango Caves are a popular sight and the number of people per tour is strictly controlled for safety reasons.

The Cango Caves can be slightly stuffy and humid, it is best to wear lightweight clothing, especially during summer times. The temperature inside the cave stay constant at 18 degrees celsius.

The Heritage Tour

Since I am slightly claustrophobic and had two young girls with us, we opted for the Heritage Tour. I was pleasantly surprised when we entered the caves as it did not feel narrow and confined, but spacious. Breathing was not difficult as there is sufficient oxygen inside the cave.

The Cango Caves have different chambers. As soon as you enter the caves, you are in Van Zyl’s hall, which is a spacious hall with many stalactites. From here the tour goes to the Botha’s Hall where the giant eagle formation is visible.

The stalagmites and stalactites inside the Cango Caves are amazing. Nature is a wonderful artist. The lighting in the cave also adds to the ambiance and highlights specific features inside the cave beautifully.

The Cango Caves were inhabited from the early stone age. They depict scenes of this early life throughout the cave. There are cave drawings on some walls in the cave.

During our tour, our guide switched off the lights inside the cave. It was very dark inside the cave which is probably why there are bats that inhabit the cave. While the lights was off, our tour guide sang a song to show us how amazing the acoustics inside the caves are! This was such a unique experience!

There are many steps in the Cango Caves. When the steps are wet, they can be slippery. So, be careful!

Other bloggers’ experiences in the Cango Caves

I found it difficult to find other bloggers’ posts about their visit to the Cango Caves, but here are two very different posts:

My Caving Story including the survey of the Cango Caves – Helen Berrisford

Exploring the magical Cango Caves

More information on the Cango Caves South Africa

The best website for information on the Cango Caves and the two tours on offer is the Cango Caves website.

Accommodation near the Cango Caves

The closest town to the Cango Caves is Oudtshoorn where there are many accommodation options available.

To see what is available on AirBnB, click here!

Have you visited any amazing caves on your travels? Please share any experiences you have had!

Best things to do at the southern tip of Africa

17/06/2019 By Sabs 2 Comments

I always thought that Cape Point was the southernmost tip of Africa, but while planning another road trip along the coast of the Western Cape, I discovered that the southern tip of Africa, and therefore of South Africa, is located at L’Agulhas.

We spent a day in Mosselbay and from there we were going to Cape Town for a few days to explore the Mother City. Visiting L’Agulhas was an opportunity we could not pass by despite the additional hours required to drive there.

How to get to the southern tip of Africa

Getting to the southernmost tip of Africa requires a car. L’Agulhas is not en route to anywhere. Visiting L’Agulhas has to be a conscious decision as it ads several hours on any road trip in the region.

Driving from Cape Town to Mosselbay or the other way around means following the N2. To get to L’Agulhas, one has to get off the N2. If you are coming from Mosselbay, you will most likely turn off towards Bredasdorp/Struisbaai after leaving Swellendam. From Swellendam, it will take another 90 minutes.

If you are coming from Cape Town’s side, you will leave the N2 after reaching Caledon. From Caledon, it will take about 90 minutes to get to L’Agulhas.

L’Agulhas and Struisbay are two small towns next to each other. They appear to not be quiet during non-peak times.

Things to do near the southern tip of Africa

For such a small area, there are many things to do. What follows is not an exhaustive list, but features the highlights of the area.

Climbing to the top of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse is in the Agulhas National Park. Entrance to the Park is free, but there is a small fee for entering the lighthouse. Before purchasing your tickets, bear in mind that the steps to the top of the lighthouse are steep. The view from the top of the lighthouse is unbeatable!

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse is near the entrance to the Agulhas National Park, and parking is available. The lighthouse is the third oldest lighthouse in South Africa. It is also the second oldest lighthouse still in operation (the Green Point lighthouse is the oldest operational lighthouse in South Africa). The Cape Agulhas lighthouse was declared a national monument in 1973. Currently, the lighthouse keeper’s house now features a museum and a restaurant.

Visiting the southernmost tip of Africa

The southern tip of Africa is near the Cape Agulhas lighthouse. Be warned; it is probably the busiest attraction in the Agulhas National Park! We had to wait 20 minutes before we could take our pictures at the marker as there was a constant stream of people wanting to capture their visit to the southern tip of Africa with a photograph.

Near to the southernmost tip of Africa is a map of Africa, which is missed by many people since they are so focused on the marker at the southernmost tip. The Map of Africa is only a few meters from the marker and worth seeing.

The Meisho Maru 38 shipwreck

There are many shipwrecks along the Agulhas coast. The easiest to spot from the shore is the shipwreck of the Meisho Maru 38. This shipwreck is Instagram worthy, especially at sunset.

There is a shipwreck museum in Bredasdorp, which is a town near Struisbaai. Unfortunately, we did not visit the museum, but it is something to add to our list for a future road trip!

Eating at Sea Shack

Eating at the Sea Shack is quite an experience. The Sea Shack’s tables stand on the beach; you can drag your feet through the beach sand while eating. We were there for lunch, and the place was quiet. I imagine evenings may be busier and livelier, especially during peak season.

The food was fresh and tasty and the prices were reasonable – we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The portions were large – don’t be tempted to buy extras!

Worth the extra hours on the road?

We found the visit to the southern tip of Africa worth the extra hours on the road. The roads to Agulhas were in good condition and not too busy.
We did not spend a night in Struisbay or L’Agulhas, but that would have given us some extra time to explore the area as there are many things we did not get to do and see. There are several hiking trails in the Agulhas National Park I would love to explore. Spending a relaxing few days in L’Agulhas or Struisbay could be just what the doctor ordered!

Have you ever visited the southernmost tip of Africa? Did you try any of the other sights and activities in the area?

How to spend a day in Mossel Bay, South Africa

28/01/2018 By Sabs 3 Comments

While on our road trip through the Garden Route in South Africa, we left Oudtshoorn early in the morning. We arrived in Mossel Bay just in time for brunch. While doing our research on visiting Mossel Bay, we realized that there were plenty of recommended restaurants in Mossel Bay and we could not wait to start trying them out!

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Brunch at the Sea Gypsy Restaurant

According to reviews on TripAdvisor and speaking to friends and colleagues who have been to Mossel Bay, the Sea Gypsy is a must-visit restaurant in Mossel Bay. The Sea Gypsy restaurant is near the Mossel Bay Harbor. It is an authentic place and fits the harbor area like a glove with decor reminding me of a fishing boat. The Sea Gypsy has wooden tables and benches as furniture. On the beams hang shipping memorabilia and fishing items, such as fishing nets. My type of place – somewhere you can kick your shoes off and just sit and relax without worrying about appearances.

Mossel Bay - Sea Gypsy Restaurant — The decor at the Sea Gypsy Restaurant in Mossel Bay

The Sea Gypsy was empty when we arrived. The service was quick and efficient. It was not long before we were all sitting and eating Calamari and chips, for which the Sea Gypsy is known. The portions were large, the calamari, fish and the chips freshly fried. It was the perfect way to start the day in Mossel Bay, eating good food while watching and smelling the ocean from the large windows.

Visiting the Bartholomeu Dias Museum Complex

Not far from the Sea Gypsy is the Bartholomey Dias Museum Complex. We decided to stop here to give the kids a bit of an educational element to their holiday.

According to the website of the complex, King João (John) 11, of Portugal wanted to discover a sea route to the tip of Africa. He sent Diago Cão in 1482, but he did not find the tip of Africa. Bartholomeu Dias followed later in 1487. Apparently, Dias sailed past the southern tip of Africa without realizing it. He eventually changed his course to find land again and ended at the Gouritz River. When the waves calmed down sufficiently for him to land, he landed at Saint Blaize. Saint Blaze became Mossel Bay.

Mossel Bay - Caravel at Dias Museum — A replica of the life-size caravel Dias used to sail to the tip of Africa – featured in the Dias Museum Complex

Many years later a settlement was established at Mossel Bay.

In the complex, there are five National Monuments of which 4 are buildings that date from between 1830 to 1902. The one building features a life-size replica of Dias’ Caravel, which was probably the highlight for us and the most popular item in the complex. Not only is it a life-size caravel, but everyone gets to walk on the Caravel and go down in the galley to see the sleeping quarters.

Cape St Blaize Lighthouse

When the kids heard that there was a lighthouse in Mossel Bay, they wanted to visit it immediately. I was keen too. We parked in a parking lot at the bottom of a road leading to the lighthouse. There is a nice little hike to the top of the mountain where the Cape St Blaize lighthouse is situated. There are various stopping points, and the views were magnificent. It had rained the night before, and the sand was mud, which made it slightly slippery, but there are bricks and rocks in-between to give you a firm footing.

The ocean in this area was wild with high and rough waves breaking on the rocks at the bottom of the hiking path.

Along the way, there are signs with some information on the sea life, the lighthouse and its history – very informative.

View along the way to the St Blaize Lighthouse

When we arrived at the top of the hiking path, we were disappointed to find the lighthouse was completely fenced in. We tried walking around, but it appears to be inaccessible to the public. This was a big disappointment for us all.

A lazy afternoon on one of Mossel Bay’s blue flag beaches

In the late afternoon, we decided to take the kids to the beach. It was a lovely summer’s day, but there was a chilly breeze, so we thought even if they didn’t swim much, they could at least build sand castles. We went to Santos Beach, which was closest to our hotel. The beach was not busy. The location is convenient; there are some restaurants located close to the beach.

Mossel Bay - Santos Beach sandcastle — Building sand castles on Santos Beach

The kids were brave and swam despite the cold breeze, while we built sand castles. The perfect way to spend a few hours in the sun to get much needed Vitamin D.

Traditional South-African food at Kaai 4

After the day’s exploring of Mossel Bay, we were quite tired and hungry. We decided to go to Kaai 4 for supper. Kaai 4 is located near the Sea Gypsy in the harbor area. Kaai 4 has wooden tables, and benches for sitting on and the whole place has a rustic look and feel. You can sit there barefoot with your toes dipped in the sea sand under the tables.

Mossel Bay - Kaai 4 decor — The decor at Kaai 4 in Mossel Bay

At Kaai 4 all the food is cooked on an open fire. They serve many traditional South-African dishes such as roosterkoek and potjiekos. The prices are reasonable.

Mossel Bay - Kaai 4 meat dishes — Meat options at Kaai 4

We were mistaken for foreigners by the cashiers and had to sit through a lesson on South African dishes before we could order. This was amusing!

How to spend a day in Mossel Bay South Africa — Please pin if you liked this post!

The end of our day in Mossel Bay

All too soon our day in Mossel Bay came to an end. We were all tired from all the walking and exploring. One thing we all agreed on – Mossel Bay can be considered for a much longer visit on a future holiday!

Have you been to Mossel Bay or the Garden Route? What did you enjoy most about your visit there?

The Franschhoek wine tram: a charming wine tasting experience

07/08/2017 By Sabs 8 Comments

During our most recent family holiday, we explored the Western Cape Region. One experience we wanted to do was the Franschhoek wine tram.

Getting to Franschhoek

Franschhoek is a small village in South Africa, about 90 minutes from Cape Town.

The easiest way to get to Franschhoek is by car. We rented one from Cape Town International Airport, and it was an easy drive to Franschhoek. It is a scenic drive with the vineyards and beautiful mountains surrounding the road.

An alternative way to get there is to arrange for a transfer when booking your wine tram tours. The wine tram website offers transfers at a rate of R550 per person.

What is the Franschhoek wine tram?

Although the website states that it is a wine tram, this is not completely true. Depending on the wine estates you choose to visit, transport will involve using both a traditional tram and a trolley bus. The trolley busses are something in-between a typical bus and a safari type of vehicle. Although this may sound a little bit dangerous, it is quite safe.

The wine tram itself only runs between Rickey Bridge and Grand Provence. So, make sure Rickety Bridge is one of your stops.

Routes of the Franschhoek wine tram

The routes seem to be regularly updated. While I was doing my research for our trip, I noticed that other bloggers spoke about there being only two routes, but when we arrived in Franschhoek, we could choose from 5 different routes (blue, green, red, purple and yellow). There is some overlap between the routes, which make it a bit easier to choose the route featuring the vineyards that you want to visit.

When you book your tickets, you also get a brochure with details of each vineyard and the times that the trolley bus will be stopping there.

Booking the tickets for the Franschhoek wine tram

It is possible to buy the tickets for the Franschhoek wine tram online on the Franschhoek Wine Tram website. Since we did not know which route we wanted to take, we decided just to buy it in Franschhoek.

We arrived in Franschhoek on a Sunday and drove through the village. Franschhoek is not a large place, and it took less than 10 minutes to drive through the main area. Sundays seem busy; there were cars parked in almost every parking spot we saw. Franschhoek is considered the culinary capital of South Africa by many people. It has a large variety of well-known and highly-rated restaurants, which are popular over weekends.

We eventually managed to find a parking spot almost in front of the Franschhoek Wine Tram ticket booth! While planning our trip, we had decided that we should speak to the cashier about the different routes as we were not sure which route would be best for us. We did not know any of the wine estates and had never tried any of their wines before. The cashier asked us what types of wines we liked. We told her we loved light, fruity wines and she suggested taking the red line. So, we bought the red line tickets for the next day.

Starting the tour

The next morning our tour was due to start at 10:30, so we decided that it would be a good idea to have breakfast first. Drinking wine on an empty stomach is never a good idea!

When we booked the tickets, we were given red stickers to identify us as taking the red tour. The tours depart from the ticket booth and our trolley bus arrived right on time.

We boarded the trolley bus and sat right in the back to allow us to take photos without being in anyone’s way.

Tip 1: Take a jacket with!

Even though it was just the start of autumn, the Western Cape is known for its windy and unpredictable weather. Standing still and walking around were pleasant, but sitting on the trolley bus without any sides or windows was freezing! Always take a jacket with!

Lucky we had brought jackets even though we had thought it was not necessary. We were pleased that we did!

How the Franschhoek wine tram works

The Franschhoek wine tram works like a hop-on-hop-off bus. You can choose to visit any of the estates on your chosen route. There are, however, fixed pick-up times from each stop. The schedule usually gives you about an hour at each wine estate you visit. Should you want to spend more time at a particular vineyard, you can spend 2 hours there, but it does mean that you will have less time to get off at other wine estates along the way.

We found the hour sufficient if you just wanted to do the wine tasting. At several of the wine estates, it is possible to order snacks or food but this could mean that you needed to stay longer than the allocated hour.

It is important to bear in mind that the wine tram ticket does not automatically give you a free wine tasting. We had to pay extra for wine tasting at most of the vineyards we visited.

The red line tour of the Franschhoek wine tram

Unfortunately, we did not know any of the wine estates on our route. We just read the descriptions and decided based on the ones we thought sounded the nicest.

Franschhoek Wine Tram: The Red tour's schedule of stops — Franschhoek Wine Tram: The Red Tour’s schedule of stops

Our stops included the following wine estates:

1. Eikehof

The red tour stopped at Maison first, but we decided to start at Eikehof. Eikehof appeared to be quite small and had only one building which served as a shop. Since we had breakfast before starting the tour, we did not order any of the platters on offer.

Eikehof is a lovely vineyard. There were some long wooden tables and chairs outside the shop, and we all got seated there. The owner’s wife served us for the wine tasting and gave a brief history of the vineyard. Her husband was the fourth generation owning the estate. We tried three different wines here and found them tasty enough to order a few bottles to be delivered at home.

From Eikehof the next stop was Leopard’s Leap. Leopard’s Leap was the one estate I would have liked to visit, but since it was a Monday, it was closed.

Tip 2: Check which estates are closed on which days

Some of the estates close on certain days; some on Mondays, others on Tuesdays. Bear this in mind when choosing your route, especially if there is a specific estate you want to visit.

2. Dieu Donne

From Eikehof, we drove past Leopard’s Leap and arrived at Chamonix. It looked like a charming vineyard, and one of South Africa’s best chefs has a restaurant there. We decided to rather continue to Dieu Donne since it was supposed to have a stunning view of Franschhoek!

We were not disappointed! Dieu Donne is a modern, beautiful wine cellar. We chose to sit outside and admired the view. Dieu Donne is located on the slope of a mountain which gave us a beautiful view of the entire village below.

We also enjoyed the wines at Dieu Donne; they were lovely, light, and reasonably priced. The cashier also explained to us what each wine was and how they were different from each other.

3. Franschhoek Cellar

From Dieu Donne, we decided to go to the Franschhoek Cellar. My daughter was with us and was getting a bit impatient with us tasting wine all the time!

Franschhoek Cellar is also quite modern. They offer cheese and wine or chocolate and wine tastings. We decided that one of us will have the cheese and wine and the other the chocolate and wine and that we will then share the chocolate or cheese that accompanies the wine. The wines are the same whether you have the chocolate or cheese.

The pieces of cheese and chocolate were large enough for each of us to have a decent bite of each. For me, this was the loveliest experience of the day. A staff member explained the cheese/chocolate and wine pairings.

We decided to have lunch here as well. It was a family friendly place with meals for kids and a big play area. It was lovely sitting under the trees and just enjoying some good food.

Tip 3: Booking lunch in advance

To book lunch at some of the wine estates, you need to book in advance. This also applies for picnic baskets.

4. To Rickety Bridge with the wine tram

We wanted to experience the wine tram and decided to take the trolley bus to the Rickety Bridge.

The wine tram is a beautiful vintage tram. The distance between the Grand Provence platform and the Rickety Bridge was not very long, but long enough for us to enjoy the experience! Driving through the vineyards on the tram was an enjoyable experience!

When we arrived at Rickety Bridge, we decided that we really could not do any more wine tastings. We stayed until the tram returned and enjoyed the ride back.

The end of the Franschhoek wine tram tour

From there we boarded the trolley bus again, and it took us back to the ticket booth in Franschhoek. Even though it had been a cloudy and relaxing day, we were feeling tired.

Our view of the Franschhoek wine tram tour

For South Africans, it is probably not the cheapest way to spend a day, especially since you have to pay for most of the wine tastings. Foreigners coming from countries with stronger currencies should find it significantly more affordable.

Going on the Franschhoek tram was a lovely experience. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. My daughter is a teenager – too young to drink and too old for play areas, so I think for her the day was a bit of a bore. You can always do fewer wine tastings to accommodate the older kids if you have any.

The Franschhoek wine tram is worth doing if you are a wine lover!

The Franschhoek wine tram is worth doing if you love trying different wines! Click To Tweet

Have you been to Franschhoek? Would you enjoy doing something like the wine tram tours? Have you ever done anything similar?

6 Day trips from Cape Town to experience the region

23/06/2017 By Sabs 14 Comments

If you ever get tired of the hustle and bustle of Cape Town, there is a variety of day trips from Cape Town IF you have a car at your disposal. These are the day trips from Cape Town we have done and enjoyed.

Day trip 1: Driving along Chapman’s Peak and visiting Cape Point, Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach

This is one of the day trips from Cape Town where you don’t leave Cape Town, but since it takes more than an hour to get to Cape Point from Cape Town’s city center, I have included it here.

A drive along Chapman’s Peak never disappoints, the ocean and mountain views from this road are simply fantastic.

Day trips from Cape Town - Chapmans Peak Drive — The view of Hout Bay from Chapman’s Peak Drive

From Chapman’s Peak drive you can either go to Cape Point first and then go to Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach or the other way around. Both ways have the same spectacular views.

Cape Point is a nature reserve at the most southwestern point of both Africa and South Africa. If you are into hiking, you can easily spend a whole day here. Most people go to Cape Point for one reason only: to walk to the point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

Day trips from Cape Town - Cape Point — Cape Point

From Cape Point Nature Reserve the next stop is Boulders Beach where you can see hordes of African penguins.

Day trips from Cape Town - Boulders Beach — Boulders Beach with its many penguins

Simon’s Town is not far from Boulders Beach. Here you can spend some time in the Naval Museum if that is something you find interesting.

Day trips from Cape Town - Simons Town — Simon’s Town with its Naval Base

Day trip 2: Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch offers visitors many attractions. There are many hiking trails in Stellenbosch and plenty of art galleries. Apart from being pretty, the town center is historic and includes an old shop called, Oom Samie se Winkel (Uncle Samie’s Shop), the beautiful Moederkerk (Mother Church) and plenty of museums covering early life in the Cape – there is something for everyone! Stellenbosch is well-known for its wines. There are many wine cellars to choose from, and most offer tasting tours.

Day trips from Cape Town - Stellenbosch — Cape Dutch style buildings in Stellenbosch

Day trip 3: Franschhoek

Franschhoek means French Corner. The name came from the French who fled from France due to religious persecution and came to settle in the area. The Huguenot Memorial Museum honors the memory of these settlers.

Day trips from Cape Town - Franschhoek — Franschhoek as seen from Dieu Donne

Franschhoek is a beautiful town to visit and is known as South Africa’s food and wine capital. If that does not convince you to visit, there are also many galleries and antique shops in the town. The town also has a wine tram, offering you the opportunity to visit a few of the many vineyards in Franschhoek while traveling on a tram.

Day trips from Cape Town - wine tasting in Franschhoek — Wine and cheese, wine and chocolate tasting at Franschhoek Cellars

Day trip 4: Paarl

Day trips from Cape Town - Paarl — Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl

You can visit almost any of the town in this region and enjoy good food and wine and Paarl is no exception. What sets Paarl apart is that it is the birthplace of Afrikaans, one of the official languages spoken in South Africa, mostly by the descendants of the Dutch that came to South Africa after Jan van Riebeek. Paarl’s most well-known landmark is the Afrikaans Taal Monument (Afrikaans Language Monument) – quite a striking monument.

Day trip 5: Darling

Darling is a tiny town about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Darling offers vineyards, wineries, and olives. There is also a museum about the history of the town. Most South Africans who visit Darling go there for a unique experience called Evita se Perron (Evita’s Peron), a play on Evita Peron from Argentina.

Day trip from Cape Town - Darling - Evita se Perron — The restaurant at Evita se Perron

Evita se Perron included a restaurant selling traditional South African food such as bobotie (mince mixture with baked egg custard on top), a theater and a museum with a twist. The museum depicts some historical events that occurred in South Africa, but in a humorous way.

Day trip 6: Driving up the West Coast up to Paternoster

Driving along the West Coast is quite a treat. The West Coast National Park is located on the way to Paternoster and offers hiking trails and beaches. It is a beautiful park and worth seeing.

From the West Coast National Park, you can stop in Langebaan for lunch. If water sports are your thing, spending some time in Langebaan is a must. You can find anything from kite surfing to windsurfing here.

Day trip from Cape Town - Langebaan Beach — Langebaan Beach

After Langebaan, Paternoster is another 30 minutes’ drive. Paternoster is an old fishing town on the West Coast. It has lovely little white houses to stay in, quirky shops for souvenirs and a few good restaurants. When visiting Paternoster, it feels like time is standing still.

Day trip from Cape Town- Paternoster — Quirky shops in Paternoster

As you can see, there are many options for day trips from Cape Town. Any of these day trips can easily be extended to include an overnight stay, giving you more time to explore the beauty of the Western Cape.

Have you ever done any of these day trips from Cape Town? If not, which of these day trips would you like to try? Have you done any other day trips from Cape Town that I have not mentioned?