The Western Cape is surrounded by a plethora of thrilling game reserves and small towns with a rustic appeal ideal for day trips.
Here are a few options:
Franschhoek
Majestic mountains, luscious rolling hills and crisp countryside air with a charming European atmosphere, Franschhoek is a quaint town in the Western Cape. About 75km from Cape Town, it is the perfect distance for a day trip. Dotted with beautiful vineyards, original Cape Dutch farmhouses and palatial villa hotels, the options for exploring are plentiful.
You could hop on the wine tram touring some of the country’s best vineyards and taste a range of exquisite wines or indulge in cuisine from some of the culinary gems boasting freshly sourced ingredients and flavours and techniques harnessed from across the globe.
Families can meander Babylonstoren and their many paths that lead you through 15 clusters spanning vegetable patches, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens and even the iconic prickly pear maze.
Paternoster
Paternoster is one of South Africa’s oldest fishing settlements on the West Coast. It is 145km north of Cape Town, between Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay, near Cape Columbine. The town has a population of just over 1 880 people.
The quiet village comes complete with quaint fishermen’s huts, an array of sublime restaurants boasting delicious seafood and the laid-back lifestyle of its inhabitants. Seals, dolphins, and whales can be seen daily. The area’s coastal birds will delight bird enthusiasts.
Langebaan
Langebaan was founded in 1922 as a whaling station but has since been turned into the West Coast’s busiest holiday resort. The town clusters around a small lagoon that’s an hour’s drive from Cape Town.
Langebaan is a haven for water sport enthusiasts, especially kite surfers, boaters, yachtsmen and fishermen, because of the almost year-round sunlight and consistent winds. Whatever your palate desires, Langebaan offers a range of restaurants, monthly artisan markets and art exhibitions.
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