Hi, I’m Anton from Blue Gum Country Estate in Stanford in the Cape Overberg, Western Cape.
STANFORD IS BEST KNOWN FOR its bird life.
GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN on a river cruise down the Klein Rivier River by Tim Hague of the Platanna. Not only is he an amazing guide but he is also an amazing photographer.
THE BEST shark cage dive PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT White Shark Projects in Kleinbaai.
OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT any of the beautiful, picturesque places of Stanford.
WHEN THE WEATHER’S GOOD, I LIKE TO do a wine tasting tour of the area. On Fridays a lovely local market is held at the Village Green and is well worth a visit if the weather is good.
WHEN THE WEATHER’S BAD, I LIKE TO sit by the fireplace at the Blue Gum Restaurant and drink some of the wine I bought.
I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS July to April, BECAUSE the whales return to breed on our beautiful whale coast.
MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS the Perergrine Farmstall.
FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST Madres Kitchen at Sir Robert Stanford Estate. Madres offers delicious, hearty food with an excellent play area for the kids. Try the Sir Robert Stanford Shiraz.
MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS Marianas, TRY anything on the menu, it is all to die for! You have to book pretty far in advance to get a table here though.
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM Hennies Pub and Grill. It stays open very late. Look for the green traffic light and you will know you can go in!
MY FAVOURITE wine tasting SPOT IS Raka Winery along the R326. Beautiful wines, wide range of varietals and great price!
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY Hennies Pub and Grill. Enjoy a beer with the man himself.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO KC’s Restaurant.
Stanford’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS Graze Restaurant. Only open on Friday’s, with amazing, fresh food using only local ingredients.
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS go to the Birkenhead Brewery for a beer tasting and some pub grub.
FOR SOME LIVE MUSIC, I LIKE TO GO TO Gecko Bar in the Hermanus New Harbour.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO sit on the deck at Blue Gum Restaurant and look over our vineyards and the beautiful Klein Rivier Valley.
IF YOU’RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY Shark Cage Diving at Kleinbaai.
MY FAVOURITE HIKE IS Salmonsdam Nature Reserve.
MY FAVOURITE coffee SHOP IS Coffee on the Rocks at de Kelders.
MY FAVOURITE whale WATCHING SPOT IS Coffee on the Rocks in de Kelders.
IF YOU’RE HERE IN September, JOIN IN THE FUN AT Whalecoast Whale Festival.
MY FAVOURITE GALLERY IS the Art Cafe. CHECK OUT THE amazing art by local artists whilst enjoying a delicious meal.
MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS any number of beautiful cottages, FOR their amazing Cape Victorian and Edwardian architecture.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS the Klein Rivier cheese factory. It has a lovely and extensive playground as well as a petting zoo for the kiddies and delicious cheese, wine and picnics for the adults.
BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS Birkenhead Brewery. Do a beer tasting for R20 and taste all 7 of their beers and then have a delicious (and generous) portion of battered Calamari and chips and a Honey Blonde Ale.
WHEN MONEY’S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO go to the Marine Hotel in Hermanus for some amazing, fresh seafood.
THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS a Leopard in the Klein Rivier Mountains.
MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS Franschhoek. Only a 45 minute drive from Stanford.
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I take our leftover food from our restaurant to “Food 4 Thought” – An amazing group of local Stanfordians who offer food and assistance to poverty stricken and marginalized members of the community. They operate a soup kitchen that caters mainly to children and the elderly of Stanford Township.
I Love Stanford BECAUSE it is still a quaint and charming small town with a huge sense of community. There is so much to do in the area that caters for kiddies and adults alike.
Useful Stanford Links
- Stanford Attractions
- Things to Do in Stanford
- Stanford Hotels
- Stanford Accommodation
- Western Cape accommodation
Desirable Digits
Klein River River Cruise: +27 (0)28 341-0929
White Shark Projects: +27 (0)76 245-5880
Stanford Evening Market: +27 (0)83 604-0808
Blue Gum Restaurant: +27 (0)28 341-0116
Evergrine Farmstall: +27 (0)28 341-0386
Madres Kitchen: +27 (0)28 341-0647
Mariana’s: +27 (0)28 341-0272
Hennies Pub and Grill: +27 (0)28 341-0701
Raka Winery: +27 (0)28 341-0676
KC’s Restaurant: +27 (0)28 341-0701 or +27 (0)79 580-0617
Graze Restaurant: +27 (0)82 491-8317
Birkenhead Brewery: +27 (0)28 341-0183
Gecko Bar: +27 (0)28 312-4665
Klein River Cheese: +27 (0)28 341-0693
Food 4 Thought: +27 (0)28 341-0401
