South Africa: Oudtshoorn & Surrounds

Jemima's Restaurant

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Restaurant | "Treat Yourself"

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While staying just outside Oudtshoorn, in South Africa's Klein Karoo region, we decided to go into town for dinner one night. We had only spent a brief time in the town that day, enough to discover that it wasn't a particularly exciting town and there didn't seem too many restaurant that stood out. Consulting our guide books we all noted that Jemima's on Baron van Reede Street was recommended by all the different books, so decided to book there. There were nine of us eating on a Thursday night. At the time of visiting the rate of exchange was R11.50 to the UK pound sterling, and R7.50 to the US Dollar. We had garnered from the guide books that this wouldn't be the cheapest meal we had eaten....Read More

While staying just outside Oudtshoorn, in South Africa's Klein Karoo region, we decided to go into town for dinner one night. We had only spent a brief time in the town that day, enough to discover that it wasn't a particularly exciting town and there didn't seem too many restaurant that stood out. Consulting our guide books we all noted that Jemima's on Baron van Reede Street was recommended by all the different books, so decided to book there. There were nine of us eating on a Thursday night. At the time of visiting the rate of exchange was R11.50 to the UK pound sterling, and R7.50 to the US Dollar. We had garnered from the guide books that this wouldn't be the cheapest meal we had eaten.

As we arrived we spotted that they did cocktails so asked for a menu. They brought one, but that isn't particularly helpful for nine people. It was an extensive menu but not easy to find what you wanted. I believe a typical price is R40 for a cocktail, but they did vary.

I didn't have any starters but they had a good selection starting at R45 for the the veggie starters (soup, salad, potato skins) going up to R75 for the beef or ostrich carpaccio, with other options including mussels and duck liver parfait.

As a main course I opted for the only veggie option which was Roast Butternut and Capsicum Cheesecake (R95) which was beautifully presented, served on a ratatouille base with vegetable and sauces placed attractively round the plate. This option was popular with everyone, not just the vegetarians and in fact they run out and came back to us with an alternative, which was pasta based. Fortunately others volunteered to have that and I was glad to have the cheesecake as it was delicious. Other popular choices were the Catch of the Day (Kingklip I think) at R130 and the Meat Sampler (R160-180) where you could choose from ostrich, venison and/or beef grilled with sauces of your choice. They also offer grilled meats of various sizes, and a number of lamb dishes. Everyone was happy with their selection, and those that had grilled meats were particularly impressed.

I wasn't going to have a dessert but I was intrigues by the Chocolate Salami (R65). It was again extremely well presented and rather unusual. It was mottled like a slice of salami but actually contained 70% dark chocolate with nuts and fruits and was served with ice cream and fruits. It was extremely rich and sadly in this instance my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Other desserts eaten in our party included a lovely apple tart (R60) and crème brulee (R65). You could also have a trio of ice creams for R45.

As well as cocktails, they had a good selection of local wines, as well as beers and spirits.

We were seated at the back of the building and the room held two large tables. It was styled like someone's home. There were family photos on the mantelpiece, a roaring fire (it was winter) and lots of well thumbed books on the shelves which diners are free to browse, which I think is a nice touch. The front of the restaurant seemed to be more of a traditional dining area, and there are also tables outside for when the weather was warmer.

The ladies lavatories are brightly decorated, situated off a large space where the sinks are along with a sofa should you fancy a sit down for whatever reason.

We had no complaints about the service. Our waiter was very friendly and courteous.

Overall I spent R225 on my two courses, with a drink and service. This may not be over-priced for a nice restaurant in the UK, but it was one of the more expensive meals I had in South Africa. Saying that the food is first class – an original menu, that is well cooked and presented makes this meal worth the money. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 18, 2011

Jemima's Restaurant
94 Baron van Reede Street
Oudtshoorn, Western Cape 6620

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Cango Caves

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Attraction | "Cave Adventures"

Cango Caves Photo - Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

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The Cango Caves were one of my highlights of my holiday in South Africa. They are situated just outside the Western Cape town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo region. The caves apparently began forming 20 million years ago, but the stalactites and stalagmites didn't grow until three million years ago. Although ancient man had used the caves they were re-discovered in 1780 by a Dutch farmer looking for his missing flock. It became South Africa's first tourist attraction and is still one of the most popular today. The caves are open every day except Christmas Day and they run two types of tour. The Standard tour costs R60 (£6/US$9.20) and lasts an hour, and leave from 9am to 4pm on the...Read More

The Cango Caves were one of my highlights of my holiday in South Africa. They are situated just outside the Western Cape town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo region. The caves apparently began forming 20 million years ago, but the stalactites and stalagmites didn't grow until three million years ago. Although ancient man had used the caves they were re-discovered in 1780 by a Dutch farmer looking for his missing flock. It became South Africa's first tourist attraction and is still one of the most popular today.

The caves are open every day except Christmas Day and they run two types of tour. The Standard tour costs R60 (£6/US$9.20) and lasts an hour, and leave from 9am to 4pm on the hour. There is also an Adventure tour of 90 minutes for R90 (£7.80/$12) which run from 9.30am to 3.30pm on the half hour. There are discounts for children and groups.

The entrance to the ticket complex has lots of pictures on the walls and some examples of the small gaps that you may have to face if you do the Adventure tour. They recommend a degree of fitness for this tour, as well as needing to be on the lean side. There are in fact four sections of caves at Cango, but only the first group are open to the public at present. Some later sections are still under water.

I decided to do the Adventure Tour with some others in my group, but most went for the Standard tour. The first part of my Adventure Tour over-lapped with the Standard Tour. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the caves themselves was that is was warmer than I expected and quite humid. I was concerned that it may have been chilly and that I would need a sweater, but a T-shirt was fine. As I was going to be scrambling about on my knees I also wore jeans, but this wouldn't be necessary on the Standard tour. I recommend wearing trainers or similar footwear if you are doing the Adventure tour. The lights are dim as you enter the caves to give you an idea how it would have been for Jacobus Van Zyl who allegedly discovered these caves, but the guide turns the lights on to show you the details in the caves The first cave is named after him. The size of the caves are impressive, great cavernous spaces, surrounded by an assortment of stalactites and stalagmites, we also visit Botha's Hall. Although the website says that the start of the Adventure tour and the Standard Tour is the same, we didn't linger in these early caves and moved on swiftly in order to tackle the more challenging caves. My friends who did the standard tour did have more time in these parts and learnt more about the caves and many also considered it a highlight.

Our guide Cedric (I believe he is a former mountain goat who has now taken human form) asked us if we were claustrophobic and none of us were entirely sure! Knowing we would be crawling through some small spaces, I think this would be the time to find out if we really were claustrophobic and most of us were quite apprehensive. I was lucky that the group had only six people in it, so you didn't have long to wait for your turn to squeeze through a gap. The first challenging section we faced was Lumbago alley which is a low ceiling corridor of 86m, of which 15m was below 1.2m. As I am petite, I didn't have a problem with a lot of this and just kept my head down, but I had to bend over during the lowest part but it wasn't far. Cedric was very good at telling us what we would be facing so we were prepared. The Tunnel of Love follows this, and is a narrow passageway – I didn't find the ceiling to low, but a taller person my have a problem in parts. It is 30cm wide in places so you mat have to go through sideways.

This part of the caves has to be repeated on the return journey but after the 'Coffin' you do a circular route so don't need to go back on yourself. Climbing into the coffin is quite disorientating and you crawl out into another section that looks closed off. There seems to be nowhere else to go, except that tiny hole in the corner, and surely we are not going through there? Um...yes we are. This is the Devil's Chimney and I found I the hardest part. Getting through the small awkward gap wasn't the problem, you were inside a 45cm wide tunnel that went 3.5m upwards at about 60-70 degrees which you had to climb up. Being petite I struggled to clamber up myself and get my right foot up by my left ear. Taller people managed better but I needed a shove from behind by the guide, and pulled out at the other end by a friend. You have a short time to catch your breath before moving onto the Postbox which you have to crawl through before sliding on your belly (or back if you prefer) and 'posting' yourself through the 27cm high gap head first (or feet first if you can turn around) as your guide helps you slide down the slope into an ungraceful and giggling heap on the floor.

I really enjoyed the challenge of the adventure tour, and I had an impressive range of bruises and aching limbs to show for it at the end. It is recommended for those on the lean side due to the narrow gaps (people have got stuck before) and obviously you need to be fairly fit and able to cope with confined spaces and heights (there is a narrow iron staircase). The only real disadvantage for me is that I didn't always take in my surroundings as I was too busy focusing in the challenge ahead. Saying that the part of the caves that are visited on the standard tour are amazing and an hour in them would also be time well spent.

There is also a gift shop here as well as a cafe-bar for refreshments. There is a short film of about 15-20 minutes you can also watch, although I spent the time getting my breath back and drinking a cold drink. The toilets are large, clean and plentiful and I do recommend taking a change of clothes if you are thinking of doing this tour as my jeans and T shirt were grubby and sweaty from all the clambering about.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 18, 2011

Cango Caves
Oudtshoorn
Knysna, South Africa

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Cango Ostrich and Butterfly farm

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "You too Cango to an Ostrich Farm"

Cango Ostrich Farm Photo - Cango Ostrich and Butterfly farm, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

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On my trip around South Africa's Western Cape we stopped at the Cango Ostrich Farm near Oudtshoorn. They do 45min tours at a cost of R65 (£5.65/US$8.65) for adults (reduced prices for children and groups). Whilst this farm doesn't actually farm ostriches for meat or other by-products, it does incubate eggs which are then taken to other farms where they may be farmed conventionally (i.e. for the meat and skin). In the introduction of our tour we were shown examples of ostrich skin products before being taken around the farm. We saw the incubation room where the eggs are kept, but it was empty as it was out of laying season. Outside we got to visit with a dwarf ostrich and another ostrich called B...Read More

On my trip around South Africa's Western Cape we stopped at the Cango Ostrich Farm near Oudtshoorn. They do 45min tours at a cost of R65 (£5.65/US$8.65) for adults (reduced prices for children and groups). Whilst this farm doesn't actually farm ostriches for meat or other by-products, it does incubate eggs which are then taken to other farms where they may be farmed conventionally (i.e. for the meat and skin). In the introduction of our tour we were shown examples of ostrich skin products before being taken around the farm. We saw the incubation room where the eggs are kept, but it was empty as it was out of laying season. Outside we got to visit with a dwarf ostrich and another ostrich called Betsy. Most ostriches can be aggressive, but Betsey is friendly and can be hand-fed However on the day we visited she seemed to have a bit of a grump on, and the guide thought it best we left her alone.

We saw a few other ostriches and we could have a 'neck massage' from them. I stood with my back to them with a bucket of feed and they lent over me and fed from the bucket, with their necks either side of mine. It was an odd sensation but the guide only lets us stay for a few seconds.

If you are so inclined then you may ride an ostrich. There is a weight limit of 75kg on this, and whilst the guide was at pains to assure us the ostriches were not hurt by it, they plainly do not enjoy it so I passed on this activity. Two 'handlers' rounded up an ostrich by working as a team to put a bag over the ostrich's head (with his beak sticking out). Once the bag was on the ostrich was immediately calm and could be led to the area where the willing tourist could mount the ostrich. If you didn't want to ride the ostrich you could just sit on it. For those that rode the ostrich, the bag was removed and the ostrich ran off with the person on its back, who soon fell off. The handlers stay close, especially if there is a child having a ride – they held onto her arms so that they more or less lifted her off rather than she fell off. One of the handlers gave a brief demo of how it can be done, using the ostrich's neck as a kind of joystick.

There are some ostrich eggs that you can stand on if you wish for a photo opportunity. There is also a gift shop here selling a variety of South African and ostrich themed gifts. The ostrich leather bags and purses are extremely expensive (although I think that is the case generally) for those so inclined but you can get ostrich feather dusters quite reasonably. I understand that there are refreshments available here, but I wasn't really looking as we had plans to go elsewhere. I didn't use the lavatories here, but generally the farm is disabled friendly.

In all honesty I found the experience quite gimmicky, especially the riding part. I did learn a little bit about them from the tour, and it was nice to know that all the ostriches were cared for and some were rescue creatures, so they were not in danger of being killed any time soon. I don't think it would have made any difference to my holiday if I hadn't have come here however.

I note that the attraction is listed as an Ostrich & Butterfly Farm. There are no butterflies here anymore. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 18, 2011

Cango Ostrich and Butterfly farm
P.O.Box 1418
Oudtshoorn, Western Cape 6620
27 (0)44 272 462

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De Poort Country Lodge

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Hotel | "Divine De Poort"

De Poort Country Lodge Photo - De Poort Country Lodge, Oudtshoorn, South Africa

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One of the favourite places I stayed during my trip to South Africa's Western Cape is De Poort Country Lodge, just outside Oudtshoorn, on the Mountain Route. You would need your own transport to get here, as it is about 15km from town, but it is a well appointed country lodge with lots of charm. While remote, it is set amongst some beautiful countryside. There is also a pool here, but the weather was not on our side. When we arrived we were met by the owners' daughter Leonrita (her parents are Leon and Rita) who took us through some basic house rules. Some rooms are outside the main house with their own entrance, but mine was inside the house and up some stairs. I had a twin room to m...Read More

One of the favourite places I stayed during my trip to South Africa's Western Cape is De Poort Country Lodge, just outside Oudtshoorn, on the Mountain Route. You would need your own transport to get here, as it is about 15km from town, but it is a well appointed country lodge with lots of charm. While remote, it is set amongst some beautiful countryside. There is also a pool here, but the weather was not on our side.

When we arrived we were met by the owners' daughter Leonrita (her parents are Leon and Rita) who took us through some basic house rules. Some rooms are outside the main house with their own entrance, but mine was inside the house and up some stairs. I had a twin room to myself, with a small heater (it was winter), wardrobe with extra towels, and case rack. The bathroom had a good sized shower, toilet and sink. My toilet had an eco-flush and I had a problem with it at first, it kept re-filling (which didn't seem particularly economical or ecological) but Leonrita soon sorted it for me. The room style was very 'African lodge' with a wooden roof and beams, and wooden headboards and furniture. Décor was kept simple and tasteful, yet modern. I understand there are more facilities such as tea and coffee making equipment in the outer rooms.

Upstairs in the main house is an honesty bar where you help yourself to drinks and list what you had in order to settle up later. This is also wooden and African Lodge style – with animal skins draped across the bannister and casual, comfy chairs and tables. The communal dining room is simple, with one large table, and a number of smaller ones and a view into the family kitchen.

As a party of ten they catered for us on the first night. This isn't always the case and is something you may have to arrange. I am not sure exactly what I paid for dinner and drinks but it seemed very reasonable. As a starter I had a lovely vegetable soup and I could pick up the seasonal butternut squash. Main course was a filo parcel with stir fry veg (meat eaters had ostrich) and dessert was a fruit pudding and custard. I thought the standard of food was very good and well presented. Breakfast was self service of hot and cold foods – cereals, toast, sausages, fruit salad, porridge etc.

I really liked this lodge – I loved the décor (admittedly not to keen on the animal skins) which really suited the lodge and was consistent and well thought out. The food and welcome were warm. I had two great nights sleep in the comfy beds and I was cosy, in spite of the winter weather and think this four star lodge would be a welcome retreat for anyone in the area with access to their own vehicle Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 10, 2011

De Poort Country Lodge
Route 62, Cango Valley
Little Karoo, Oudtshoorn

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Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden

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Attraction | "Karoo"

Karoo Botanical Gardens Photo - Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, Worcester, South Africa

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On South Africa's Western Cape's 'Mountain Route' (the inland equivalent of the Garden Route') also known as Route 62 is the Karoo Botanical Gardens. The area is known as the Klein Karoo (which means 'dry') and is based near the town of Worcester, which is approximately 100km from Cape Town. We visited early on a crisp, dry August morning, about 9am and we had the park to ourselves. Although the time of year was winter in this part of the world, the late-winter to spring period is apparently a good time to visit. The plants here are mainly succulents (water-retaining) which suit the arid soil conditions, and is apparently the only garden of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.. The Ga...Read More

On South Africa's Western Cape's 'Mountain Route' (the inland equivalent of the Garden Route') also known as Route 62 is the Karoo Botanical Gardens. The area is known as the Klein Karoo (which means 'dry') and is based near the town of Worcester, which is approximately 100km from Cape Town.

We visited early on a crisp, dry August morning, about 9am and we had the park to ourselves. Although the time of year was winter in this part of the world, the late-winter to spring period is apparently a good time to visit. The plants here are mainly succulents (water-retaining) which suit the arid soil conditions, and is apparently the only garden of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.. The Gardens are made up of an attractive landscaped area as well as natural plains which can be accessed through walks. We didn't really have the time to do any of the walks, but we enjoyed the landscaped area.

I am no plant expert and really don't know the names or varieties of very many plants, but a lot seemed to be similar to the aloe type plants as well as lost of large, pretty orange flowers (which I subsequently discovered to be namaqualand daisies). There were some interesting small trees too – spikey and sometimes a bit cactus like. Going to an arid, desert-like botanical garden I would normally expect to see cactus plants, but actually there were very few, compared to the other varieties and I was impressed by the wide range of plants and bushes to view. There were often boards telling you what the plants were, but I am sure I missed as many as I read. Not having heard of the plants before meant that some boards didn't really mean that much to me, but I understand that whilst most plants are naturally occurring in the region, some are endangered. It is also a good place for bird watchers.

Even though I am no plant aficionado, I did enjoy my visit here. The plants, trees and flowers are stunning and very different from what we are used to in the UK, so I found it very interesting to wander around, and took some lovely photos. Obviously it may not be as appealing in the rain, but if the weather is on your side, this is a worthwhile stop on the Mountain Route.

There is a Braille trail here with a rope that can be held and Braille descriptions. Although the landscaped area is paths, they are not smooth paths but shingle, so wheelchairs would find it hard going I think. There are smaller narrow paths and some steps if you wander of the main path into some of the other sections of the landscaped areas. There are two small toilets in the gardens, which are very basic. There was also a restaurant here but it was closed, and didn't look like it was re-opening any time soon, so don't bank on being able to get a drink or snack here.

Open daily from 7am to 7pm.
Admission is free except during Spring Blooming period (1st August - 31st October) when is it R17 (£1.50/$2.25) for adults (concessions available). Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 9, 2011

Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
Roux Road, Panorama
Worcester, South Africa

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