You’ll be hard pressed to find a moment to put your feet up and relax in “couch potato” fashion if you are planning to spend time in the Cape Winelands. That’s not to say you won’t be relaxing … there are plenty of things to do that require minimum input for maximum return … but you certainly won’t be watching much television!
Start your day on a Hot Air Ballooning trip with Winelands Ballooning, which will have you floating cloud-wards in a musical silence across the peace of the Winelands. Your colourful craft launches at sunrise and you will be laid back to earth after an hour of hot air ballooning, where a retrieve vehicle will collect you and return you to a breakfast spread in Paarl, at the Grande Roche Hotel. Simply magical!
If heights are not your thing, try a sedate horse-drawn carriage ride around Rhebokskloof Estate and stay for lunch afterwards or get pampered at any one of the excellent Spas (the Camelot Spa at Le Franschhoek is a personal favourite) or if you prefer something more active but none-the-less relaxing, try an outride with an optional picnic (for you and the horses if you like) at Spier Wine Estate.
That you should visit a wine estate and do some wine-tasting probably goes without saying, or get to know the story of the South African wine industry by booking yourself on a Walking Wine Tour in the Stellenbosch Wine Region. For adrenaline junkies, head on over to Shootopia Shooting Range … beginners are welcome to shoot the breeze while experienced shooters are welcome to put big holes in small targets.
There are Farmers Markets a plenty to stock up on all thing yummy, good and organic, or stop and smell the flowers at the beautiful Botanic Garden in Stellenbosch before you head off for a memorable luncheon at another fabulous wine estate.
The Franschhoek Motor Museum will appeal to all motor car enthusiasts and although people normally associate Franschhoek with wines, the Dieu Donné Microbrewery might make for a pleasant change … and if none of these suggestions quite “pop your cork”, check out more suggestions at Things to Do in the Cape Winelands.
For more destination information see
