Easy Weekends

Find accommodation in South Africa.

A wedding invitation arrived in the post last week. It looked very pretty, but why do we still send wedding invites by snail mail? We schedule the rest of our lives electronically with Outlook meeting requests, iPhone calendars and Facebook events? I know some may say it’s tradition, but so is eating goat’s testicles in some countries. Or am I just being “unromantic”? Either way, I have totally digressed from the topic.

The wedding is in Robertson (where they hold the Whacky Wine Festival each year in June), at a beautiful little boutique winery called Wolfkloof. Now the drive from Cape Town is by no means far, but I thought traveling back to Cape Town at 1am with my tie around my head and reminiscing about the awesome air guitar I performed on the dance floor earlier, is probably not the best idea. So making a weekend of it and staying two nights in the Breede Wine Valley sounded like a sensible decision. 

From previous experiences, I’ve learned that the more affordable weekend accommodation gets snapped up as soon as the wedding invitations arrive. I also wanted to find the closest possible guest house or self-catering unit to the wedding venue.  

Most accommodation booking websites aren’t particularly helpful when you want to search for weekend getaways in South Africa, with an exact location in mind. Easy Weekends allows you to do exactly that using Google Maps. It can also filter the accommodation according to how much you want to spend.  So if you click on the R 201 – R 500 button, it only shows you accommodation in that price bracket, on the map. I like. 

On the flip side, if you have no idea where you want to go for a weekend getaway, use the map on www.easyweekends.co.za, and discover that little farm cottage, mountain lodge or beach house that you never knew existed. It’s also a great office time waster… Good times!  

Cheers,
Chris

Stellenbosch on Two Wheels

A Stellenbosch-based adventure sports company has launched guided bicycle tours through the historic town and surrounding winelands.

"It is something different. You actually have an opportunity to experience Stellenbosch and its surroundings, and not just sit in a bus," says the Adventure Shop's Raino Bolz.

You don't even have to be in peak condition to join in. Bolz advises tourists to travel light and cycle in comfortable gear such as shorts and t-shirts. The guides carry a snack pack for each rider. From here, tourists cycle through Stellenbosch to interesting historic sites.

The tour kicks off in Stellenbosch, at the tourist information centre where riders collect their mountain bikes and helmets.

En route the guides will point out other prominent landmarks such as the 'moederkerk', and the theological seminary.

Heading into the countryside

Next, the group heads out to the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, just outside Stellenbosch. Cyclists might work up a bit of a sweat on this part of the route, but the beautiful mountain fynbos should offer enough of a distraction.

The tour follows a winding road through oak and poplar forests to two wine estates in the Jonkershoek Valley. At Lanzerac Wine Estate, cyclists are also treated to chocolate and wine pairings, the ultimate indulgence.

Ending a perfect day out

After the tasting, the group cycles back into Stellenbosch, which is mostly downhill.

Bolz says that there are some variations to this route, and that the tour can be tailored to suite the group's cycling ability. The duration of the tour is four to five hours and cyclists depart at 9.30am from the Stellenbosch tourist information centre, where the Adventure Shop is located.

The cost is R490 per person, which includes a guide; bicycle and helmet rental; two wine tastings and a snack pack and drink.

Visit www.adventureshop.co.za to find out more.

For the full article, click here.