6 minute read
Cover Feature: Get in a ‘good space’ – Cape Town and the Western Cape
Get in a ‘good space’
Cape Town and the Western Cape
The past 18 months have been hard. Confined to your homes for long periods of time, with uncertainty a constant; never have you needed a break from the grind more than now.
Graig Howes
What you need is wide open spaces, clean air, and nature. You need the warmth and humanity of the people around you. You need to find the right space, a good place to put yourself back together. Not only do you need it, but you also deserve it. Thankfully Cape Town and the Western Cape has an abundance of all of that and more. It has everything an aspiring traveller needs to recover from a year like no other. If ever there was a place to find the right space for some much-needed rest and recuperation, it is here, waiting to be found.
Cape Town welcomes visitors with open arms
Cape Town has long been a favourite destination for travellers. But then with the city’s natural beauty, wide array of activities on offer and residents that welcome visitors with open arms, that’s hardly a surprise.
With a history as rich as it is diverse, Cape Town is a place alive with possibility, a tantalising and heady mix of cultures, blended in a tumultuous past, to create one of the world’s most cosmopolitan and enticing cities. One of the most beautiful places on earth,
the Mother City continues to draw the world to its warm embrace, whether it is those seeking adventure and new experiences or merely just a welldeserved break.
But beyond the borders of the Mother City, lie five regions ripe for adventure!
All lay claim to a unique charm and allure, a diversity of place, but all are linked together by their ability to surprise and delight those who are willing to immerse themselves in everything that they offer.
Cape Overberg – a gentleness that allows you to take a breath
Nestled between the Cape Peninsula and the Garden Route, there is a gentleness about the Cape Overberg, an idyllic country feel that allows you to take a deep breath, release the tension in your shoulders and find peace in the tranquillity of it all.
From MTB tracks and wine farms in Elgin, to coastal meanders and sundowners in Hermanus, canoeing in Stanford to walks along the treacherous coast of the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, the Cape Overberg offers something for everyone, no matter what you are looking for.
Cape Winelands – intrinsically tied to the vine
The Cape Winelands has always been intrinsically tied to the vine, famous for its world-class vintages and globally renowned for its tastings and pairings. The mere mention of towns like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek emote visions of fine dining and luxury, the very best that the Cape has to offer.
But the region is so much more than that.
For all its fineries, there is also a ruggedness and natural beauty, as well as a warmth and charm that is often overlooked. From the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve to the awe-inspiring mountain passes of Robertson and beyond, you might think you know the Cape Winelands, but we promise you, you have barely scratched the surface.
Garden Route and Klein Karoo – big adventures, bigger experiences
You will struggle to find a more epic road trip than through the Garden Route and Klein Karoo. Iconic doesn’t even come close when you travel through the coastal towns of Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, stopping over in inland gems like Barrydale and Oudtshoorn.
Big adventure awaits you here and even bigger experiences. Take on the world’s highest bridge bungee jump, swim with seals and ride Dragon Dune – South Africa’s longest sandboard run. You want an adrenaline fix? The Garden Route and Klein Karoo is happy to oblige.
But it’s more than ‘whoops’, ‘hollers’ and ‘screams’, because you can slow things down here as well. Enjoy a moment of peace at a boutique bungalow overlooking the river, savour sundowners on the beach or watch the sky paint a tapestry of stars in the Klein Karoo. There is an untamed magic that you will find here and it’s like nothing you have ever seen.
Weskus – a world apart
The Weskus is a ‘vibe’. It is a world apart, with a diversity of people and spaces like nowhere else on the planet. From the rocky outcrops of the Cederberg to the reef breaks in Lambert’s Bay, from Farmer Burger’s
bungalows to seafood platters on a jetty, this is where you go to immerse yourself in all that is good.
There is a warmth and hospitality that resonates throughout the region and the people will welcome you with open arms, always ready for a ‘lekker kuier (visit)’, armed with stories of years gone by.
The Weskus is a place of rugged beauty and earthy charms, but there is also a burgeoning arts scene, a strong cultural movement and plenty of options for lovers of adventure and those looking for something a little more luxurious.
Cape Karoo – wide open spaces
You want wide open spaces, magical sunsets (and sunrises), clear skies in the day and starry, starry nights? The Cape Karoo is calling. Here you will find beauty in the starkness, the long, winding passes and the centuries-old rock formations that dot this incredible arid landscape. You will also find people with genuine kindness and warmth, ready to welcome you with open arms and a beaming smile.
From the old dame of the Cape Karoo that is Matjiesfontein to freeroaming cheetahs, beers at sunset Karoo to the rocky outcrops, and coastal stretches of the Weskus, the lush green valleys of the Cape Overberg and vineyards of the Cape Winelands, to the sheer splendour of the Garden Route and Klein Karoo, there is the perfect spot for everyone to enjoy some much-needed downtime.
or a glass of wine at the fire, this is a place that is tailormade for escaping the city grind, to unwind and to recover. It is a land where time moves slowly, happy with the small pleasures, jubilant in its almost magical silence, but it is also place of incredible history and culture, artistry, and gourmet food.
Come find your ‘good space’
Whether you’re exploring the Mother City or the five regions outside its limits, there is a diversity of people and experiences that is quite simply breathtaking. From the vast open spaces of the Cape So, come find your space and find yourself!
Get in touch with us:
E: hello@wesgro.co.za T: +27 (0)21 487 8600 W: www.wesgro.co.za/travel
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