Excited for the unknown…
Leaving our home town of Paarl in the Western Cape, our first stop was Barrydale, a small town in the Klein Karoo. Lunch at the Country Pumpkin was a delicious selection of homestyle South African fare and the outside area was perfect for our first home schooling session on the road. We stretched our legs, exploring the interesting restaurants, curio shops and even a microbrewery along the main tourist stretch before we got back on the road.
Our first overnight destination was Oudtshoorn and it wasn’t long before we concluded that this is a place where a family can easily spend a week! We stayed at Ou Tol, in a small house/rondawel (no 2) – in our opinion the best unit on the premises. The rondawels are situated on the edge of a small river, perfect for swimming. We countered the 40 degrees’ afternoon heat lounging in the shallow rapids that form a ‘natural jacuzzi’, with an ice cold (locally sourced) craft beer in hand.
The kids loved the extensive range of animals that gravitate towards Ou Tol: blue macaws, donkeys, chickens, peacocks, meerkats, dogs roam the premises. Most interesting was the wild Steenbokkie that would come down from the cliffs to the water’s edge that even allows a quick touch, if you are lucky.
Out of the many activities to choose from, we settled on a visit to the Cango Caves and the Safari Ostrich Farm. The Cango Caves is a must, especially if you have kids. We made a point to educate them in advance about stalactites, stalagmites, how cave dwellers lived, etc. so when we finally set off for our visit, they were well and truly excited. The hour or so we spent on the introductory tour was a once-in-a-lifetime, mind-blowing experience for them.
If you are brave (and not claustrophobic), the Adventure tour offers even more fun and excitement. We did not have this option due to Covid 19 regulations in place but suspect we may be back as the boys search for thrills in their teenage years.
Safari Ostrich Farm is one of several ostrich farm experiences in the region. What makes them unique is that they offer a tractor ride where you get to meet ostriches face to face and this really proved to be a positive point of difference for the kids. The tour guide gave interesting facts, was open and engaging with a clear passion for her job. The highlight of the tour was taking photos while standing on ostrich eggs.
