Van Loveren's Exquisite New Tasting Room

Van Loveren is proud to announce the opening of their brand new tasting room. With nearly a year spent upgrading their facility, their passion and dedication for the prefect presentation and taste of wine is obvious. They are now open 7 days a week including public holidays there is no excuse not to visit their exquisite winelands. They now not only offer their renowned wine tasting that never fails to impress but now they have added a new twist to the mix. Food and Wine pairing is a new trend sweeping the farms in and around Cape Town. Specialists have paired the most delightful pairing of cheese and wine, chocolate and wine or charcuterie and wine. These superb pairings will take you to absolute heavenly bliss.

Van Loveren also has Garden and Cellar tours where you can immerse yourself in the life of the winemakers. Go behind the scenes of the cellars where this spectacular wine is matured. The Fish Eagle hiking trail is now a fully biodiversity interpretation trail so you can learn as well as enjoy the fascinating beauty of the trail. They have mountain biking trails for the family as well as a longer more grueling 15km trail. End the day off by enjoying a fantastic meal at Christinas @ Van Loveren bistro with delicious thin crust pizzas and juicy burgers. 

Villa Belmonte Wedding Venue and Planner

Planning a wedding is such an exciting time, but can be very stressful too. One of the biggest factors, that can either make or break the day, is the venue. Every bride has a specific idea in her mind where her perfect setting for the ultimate would be. If you are thinking of having an intimate wedding and enjoy the no fuss, no stress approach the internationally acclaimed Villa Belmonte is the perfect venue to have your fairy tale wedding. Villa Belmote will organise everything, down to each tiny detail. They have contacts and good relationships with many well-known businesses and designers that will assist with every part of your wedding planning. Villa Belmonte wedding services include

• invitations
• marriage officer
• marriage certificate
• translator for German or French prior to and during the ceremony
• designer dresses
• hair styling and beauty make-up
• flowers
• chauffeur-driven classic limousine
• photographer & videographer
• wedding cake
• live music
• accommodation
• catering,
• as well as flights, tours, travel itinerary for clients in other places in South Africa and overseas.

Villa Belmonte is a perfect venue for your wedding.The tranquil 5 star setting suits almost any client’s needs and can be used for both the ceremony and the reception. With a variety of classic styled rooms your guests can stay at the hotel too.  Right in the heart of Cape Town city you will be able to sight see and enjoy all that Cape Town has to offer, from its beautiful picturesque mountains which can be clearly seen from the Villa Belmonte rooms, as well as the crystal blue ocean. Once you are behind Villa Belmonte doors, another world opens up and you forget about the city immediately. Their gardens which are fit for royalty and their luxury rooms make you feel like you have stepped into a mid-century castle.

Augusta de Mist Unique Pan African Cuisine

If unique fine dining is your thing then look no further than Augusta's African Kitchen at Augusta de Mist Country House in Swellendam. With meals like Springbok Carpaccio, Duck Confit, Kenyan Groundnut Chicken Curry, Tunisian Coucous and Malawian Peanut Soup its no wonder their motto is "Anything but Average". Augusta de Mist is single-handedly turning the small historical town of Swellandam into a destination town.


What started out as a Cape Dutch East Indian outpost, Swellendam is now being transformed into a food destination by the excellent menu and brilliant service of this superb restaurant. Attached to the Augusta de Mist hotel, Augusta's African Kitchen is something to revel in. Fresh produce is selected daily and a new menu selection is created daily to preserve the uniqueness and experience of the menu. The restaurant goes to great lengths to ensure that the meal you are served is a celebration of African flavour and colour. Some vegetables and herbs are grown in their own gardens and ceps are picked in the forest only in season to uphold their promise of quality and prefect African cuisine.

Agustas Decadent Lamb Curry
Image Courtesy of Augusta de Mist

Why not finish your scrumptious meal off with wine tasting? Augusta de Mist has its very own handmade wine. Again, they have not been afraid to be unique and, if you are up for it, you can give their blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot a try. Called Le Belle Dame Sans Chapeau 2011, the wine is delightfully fruit-driven and beautifully aromatic. To end of your day you can take a walk through their olive orchard, herb, fruit and vegetable gardens which make you feel as though you are in a fairy tale. Augusta de Mist takes fine dining to a whole new level and we are sure you will enjoy the experience as much as they enjoy making it.

Drikus Horse Trails Sunset Trails

Close your eyes and imagine horse riding along the beach with the sun setting over the sea. This can become a reality with Drikus Horse Trails. What better way to spend a weekend away relaxing at a getaway resort along the coast and enjoying a glass of champagne at the end of your sunset horse ride along the beach. 

Image courtesy of  Bali Star Island

Now with the wet season approaching your experience can become even more beautiful as the Flamingos come in to roost. Get as close to 100 meters away from these birds and sit back and enjoy the serenity of your surroundings. Hundreds of flamingos flock to the waters of the Western Cape. 

Image courtesy of Pink Wallpaper

You can also enjoy night trails for a little night time animal spotting because Drikus Horse Trails is situated on a farm that was converted back to natural vegetation in 2006 so it is now habitat to small game and wetland birds. you can take the opportunity to spot rare birds such as the Secretary Bird, Sacred Ibisis and the Blue Crane. This is truly a getaway that will give you the opportunity to escape and take time out to enjoy wildlife and the beauty of the Western Cape. 

Meet the Meerkat Mob with Meerkat Adventures and De Zeekoe Lodge

Image from Meerkat Adventures

Meerkats have gained a lot of notoriety in recent years with the popularity of the reality TV show Meerkat Manor and some meerkats such as Flower have been elevated to celebrity status with a book dedicated to her.

At the De Zeekoe Lodge Devey Glinister’s Meerkat Adventures are very popular among foreign and local guests. Many people seem to share a fascination with these gregarious animals that can usually be found in large groups known as “gangs” and “mobs”.

The name meerkat is derived from Afrikaans and literally translates into “marsh cat” even though meerkats do not live near marshes and are not cats. These squirrel-sized animals are in fact a subspecies of mongoose and are known for their upright posture. They can often be seen standing on their rear legs with their front paws hanging over their bellies, starting into the plains of southern Africa where they live. 

Image from Meerkat Adventures. 

Meerkat mobs are highly organised, hierarchical communities. Meerkats work together in numbers to ensure their survival. A few members of the mob typically act as lookouts, watching the sky for prey birds. While the lookouts guard the group, other members of the gang will forage for foods that make up their varied diet.

Meerkats aren’t morning animals. They often sleep late and only emerge from their burrows during the late morning hours because of their fast metabolisms. Meerkats lack insulation and can lose as much as 5% of their body weight when exposed to cold conditions.

Each meerkat gang usually has a dominant alpha male and an alpha female. Gang members who have abandoned their duties or who have shamed the gang can be cast out from the gang. Outcasts often live on the edge of the territory in which a gang hunts.

For meerkat lovers, MeerkatAdventures is a great way of getting up close and personal with these fascinating creatures. Have a look at the website for more information on booking your tour and also visit the De Zeekoe Lodge to book your stay in meerkat territory. 

Image from Meerkat Adventures. 

Planning for Your Travel Adventures in the Cape

Few things are as exciting as packing your suitcase and setting off for your annual holiday at a Cape Country Routes destination. But without a definite plan of action your holiday is not likely to be a yearly reality. Here are some of our best holiday planning tips that can help you ensure that you regularly get to visit some of the dreamy destinations that are part of the Cape Country Routes portfolio:

1.      Get excited!

One of the main reasons many people put off doing things is because the idea of doing them doesn't excite or inspire them. If you an idea of where you would like to travel to, but haven’t done anything to make that plan a reality in a while, then it is time to reignite your travel plans and to inject some fresh excitement into them. There are a few billion ways in which you can do this. Get some brochures featuring the place that you’d like to go to and cut out pictures to stick where you can see the often, make a list of things that you’d like to do while you’re there and share your plans with someone who will be just as excited as you are about your upcoming holiday. This will keep you fired up to go out and make your plans a reality.

2.      Determine the Cost

Once you are adequately excited it’s time to work out what it will cost to travel to your dream destinations in or around the Cape. Travel and accommodation will be your two biggest costs so it is advisable to focus on these first. Keep in mind that airfare changes depending on the season so this can affect the price of your journey significantly especially if you are travelling from an in-land destination. Petrol prices also fluctuate constantly so it is important to budget for unexpected increases as well. In addition to these costs you also need to work out how much you will spend on food, sight-seeing, public transport or care hire, and other miscellaneous expenses.

3. Create a Budget

Once you know how much it is going to cost, it’s time to draw up a plan to get the money together. Set apart a certain amount of money each month to contribute towards your holiday. Most of us don’t have disposable income to use for travel and therefore setting up a carefully planned budget is crucial to making our holiday plans a reality. Opening a savings account and organising an automatic payment to go into it each month is a good way of making sure that you build up the funds that you need to travel the Cape.

What are your best travel planning tips? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Evergreen Manor and Spa Emerging Touch Treatment

Touch Treatment is an emerging therapy for people suffering from stress, fatigue, injury, grief and even severe ailing illnesses. When we are ill, just the simple touch of another human being is enough to make us feel even just that little bit better. Touch Treatment is the use of a persons natural energy to help promote the bodies natural ability to heal. It teaches us how to amplify and focus life-force energy by combining various breathing and energy awareness exercises. Many spas and beauty centers have started using this therapy in sessions. The treatment is totally noninvasive and can even be done fully clothed unlike other massages. The therapists use Touch Therapy to encourage the client to go into deeper states of relaxation connection and healing.

Image courtesy of Redondo Beach Massage

When we are stresses or injured our natural energy is depleted and off balance and congested around the body and we often notice that our bodies react by muscles becoming tighter, neck pain, exhaustion and headaches. With Touch Treatment the body relaxes and endorphins are released which allows the body to heal and regenerate energy. 

It is not the same as a normal massage where the muscles are manipulated and put under pressure  Touch Therapy therapists use light gentle touches or even sweeping motions over the skin. Evergreen Manor and Spa in Stellenbosch offers this treatment and is set in blissfully relaxing surroundings. Visit their website today for bookings and prices. 

Rockwell launches Jazz evening and restaurant naming competition.

We have added a pianist to this wonderful ensemble so join us from 5 pm for piano music, free wine tasting and then the jazz and restaurant naming competition.

Ceres Zip Slide Tours

Image courtesy from Ceres Adventures

Ceres is named after the Goddess of Fertility and it’s no secret why. Entering the valley through the windy Boland Mountain pass only 150km outside of Cape Town, your breath is taken away by the sheer beauty of the place. There is no better time to experience the greenery of Ceres in the months of December to April when the orchards are blooming with peaches nectarines, apples, apricots, pears and cherries. 

Why not enjoy the ‘Eden of the Cape’ from a bird’s-eye view. Ceres Zip Slide Tours offers the experience of zip lining 1.4km over the Schurweberg Mountains where you can enjoy the view of the surrounding fynbos and rugged sandstone mountains. There are special rates for groups of more than 10 so bring the family or your colleagues along for a day of fun and adrenalin filled sightseeing.

Image courtesy of Ceres Adventures

Agulhas Country Lodge Whale Watching

Image from Margret River Discovery 

With winter creeping slowly towards us, most of us are starting to moan and groan but there is something spectacular to look forward to. The colder months of the year bring along with it the whale-watching season. The whales migrate annually to the shores of the Western Cape between the months of May and June to calve and nurse their young. With South Africa being the 5^th fastest growing whale-watching destination in the world, this is truly a magnificent sight to see right on our doorstep.  Boat-based whale watching is becoming a popular way to see these magnificent animals up close but watching them from the shoreline can be just as fulfilling. Agulhas Country Lodge is a perfect spot to take a midyear break while enjoying the breath-taking view of the whales. Agulhas Country Lodge has special discount winter rates meaning the whales won’t be the only thing leaving a smile on your face. A short trip to the nearby Struisbaai sandy beach for a sundowner cruise is another option to wind down and relax while watching the whales breaching into the sunset.