The best in Western Cape

The Independent (UK): “Best Garden in the Western Cape” http://ow.ly/11jQP

Quality pays off

Despite economic recession and its impact on tourism in South Africa there are also tourism enterprises that are doing relatively well. Tradition almost is that Soekershof, Private Mazes & Botanical Gardens In South Africa publishes on January 1 of each year its visitors statistics of the previous year.
You can read these here: http://soekershofwalkabout.blogspot.com/2010/01/wrapping-up-2009-and-celebrating-2010.html
Significant however are the comments on this blog post from all over the world.

Metaphorical jewels along Route62

Seldom we read an article about Robertson where the phrase “free wine tasting” is not mentioned. But the small town Robertson in the Western Cape, South Africa, has more to offer. Travel journalist Carol Lazar wrote a 5 page article about Robertson with the emphasis on the town itself (history, countryside, sphere, etc.), the new Robertson Small Hotel and Soekershof. It was published in the travel section of The Star (October 17, 2009); a publication of Independent Newspapers that is distributed in Gauteng (J’burg, Pretoria). The article is about a very personal experience but it at least shows a side of Robertson that is commonly unknown: “quality of life in one of the most surprising countrysides in the Western Cape”. Robertson is about the joy of life; good food and a glass of good wine go very well together with it. Or as Lazar describes it: “… unknown magical mystery destination filled with metaphorical jewels….”

Quality of life of a bee

Bees are  ants alike: busy, busy, busy. But there is at least one bee that enjoys other aspects of life. Somewhere along Route62 a photographer followed one of the pollinators of a private maze and botanical garden in South Africa. See for yourself how this bee pollinates, cuddles a co-workers and has a break:

Top SA musicians in Montagu

For performances of top musicians one does not always have to go to the ‘big city’.

The Montagu Music Society (Montagu, Western Cape) organised last Saturday October 3 a concert of Trio Hemany with three of South Africa’s top (classical) musicians of international fame in the local museum.

The tango was brought back to its pure roots and Mendelssohn’s Trio in D minor ‘refreshed’ for piano (Malcolm Nay), cello (Marian Lewin) and flute (Helen Vosloo).

Saturday 17 October there is a performance of another known musician: Ben Schoeman (piano) winner of the UNISA International Piano Competition. Location: Montagu Museum, Long Street, Montagu, 08.00 PM.

Memorable visit

Feedback via third parties is better than a visitors book as is diverse contributions in the ‘Social Network’ on Internet (Facebook, Flickr). Personal e-mails from visitors sometime after their visit is also very useful.
Here is one that The Green Cathedral of South Africa recently received.

 

It says all.

Upmarket farm stay

Wine maker Freddie de Wet comes from the land to welcome his guests and guides them around his estate.

Excelsior in Ashton, Western Cape, South Africa is a superb farmstay and invites you to stay for at least a couple of nights. Lots of activities in and around the guesthouse; from occasional concerts to wine blending, dining, swimming, golfing (oh, yes; all on the farm) etc. Nearby are also a few nice attractions but just ask Freddie, Karen, Lizl and their staff. Excelsior is a very professional managed guesthouse but with a cosy personal touch. It’s a great four star farm atmosphere with a surprising synergy between days of old and contemporary times.

An intriguing little enterprise near Robertson

Soekershof; Private Mazes & Botanical Gardens in South Africa offers more than the average perception expects after reading or hearing the name. Far from being ‘boring’ the owners of this 10 hectare large  “Green Cathedral of South Africa” (in Klaas Voogds West; 8 kilometres East of Robertson in the Western Cape) provide their guests with a hugely entertaining ‘experience of life’ with a “surprise around every corner”. It’s a day-outing and visitors may bring their own picnic. “Unraffling the mysteries of a cycling Dutchman and a womanising German” leaves you with a smile in your heart and a memento in your pocket.

The succulent gardens (with SA’s oldest cactus; anno 1910) displays one of the globally largest outdoor collections of succulent plants from all continents (>2500 registered species/subspecies/varieties/etc.) and all plants in the gardens and in the own nursery are organically cultivated.

See their website for road directions, times, etc. on the homepage and the ‘useful link’ section let you browse into the other web/blogsites of this intriguing enterprise but also directs you to the ones of accommodation in diverse price classes in the region.

‘Rubbish’ from Barrydale in White House

 ’Green’ it might have been in the beginning but after the transport via Los Angelos and New York to the White House ………

MagPie in Barrydale is a collective that recycles ‘rubbish’ into once-off objects and gimmicks. And they are fairly successfull with it; with clientele around the globe. Recently they became global news when the Obama family acquired two of the chandeliers for their private quarters in the White House.

Except for a regional newspaper in South Africa media national media hardly showed any interest. It’s unfortunately true or as Erica Elk of the Cape Craft and Design Institute stated: “The work of local creatives is increasingly recognised internationally ……”

There is Quality in South Africa; yet the majority of South Africans still have to discover it.

Bavarian adventure in Robertson

South Africans don’t have to travel to Germany to experience the hospitality and the ‘haute cuisine’ of the Bavarians. Two hours drive from central Cape Town Gunther and Balbina have their Bavarian ‘Gaststube’ Gubas-Dehoek in Robertson. Great getaway! The couple can tell you more about ‘what to do in Robertson’ than the average ‘born and breed’ Robertsonian. And since Gunther is a recognised German ‘Meister Chef’ guests can be assured that ‘private dining’ at Gubas-Dehoek is a culinary adventure.