Second only to wine, strawberries are Stellenbosch’s next biggest export product and the town hosts a great Strawberry Festival every October. The Festival of Music and Art happens every September, and for a cultural experience, township tours, where you can buy original African curios and experience a genuine African-style welcome, is also offered to the visitor. There are six outstanding golf courses to select from; during the summer months outdoor live entertainment is offered at Spier and the Oude Libertas amphitheatres where you can take wine and picnic baskets and have a wonderful, enchanting evening. Throughout Stellenbosch there are seven theatres complementing a wide range of restaurants, many of which are on wine farms, which offer fantastic food. One of these magnificent farms is Lanzerac Manor & Winery, a distinguished wine estate with a history spanning 300 years, offering 5 star service with a bewitching atmosphere.

The gastronomic capital of South Africa, Franschhoek (French Corner) is where French cuisine, joie-de-vivre and good wine come together. Bastille Day is celebrated annually in this quaint little town, and the French Huguenot Museum offers insight into the picturesque valley’s French origin. Fairy lights twinkle along the main road at night with excellent restaurants offering a wide range of tastes, and during the day several activities like golfing, wine tasting on horseback, mountain biking or hiking. Situated in the centre of the enchanting village is The Franschhoek, a luxury boutique hotel offering 5 star service. Visitors can explore a wonderful arrangement of shops, including a chocolaterie. There are also excellent fly-fishing facilities at the 1st Bells Fly Fishing Academy, or as an alternative wild river fishing along the beautiful Berg River. With twenty-nine wine farms and a variety of accommodation facilities from self-catering to four star, Franschhoek is the idea location from which to explore the winelands. Situated among the vineyards outside the village is Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, an ideal place to rest and unwind boasting a destination Camelot Spa.

To some, the world renowned wines produced along the Paarl Valley Wine Route are some of the best wines produced in South Africa. Residing in the beautiful Drakenstein valley of Paarl is Grande Roche, a 5 star luxury hotel homestead with a heritage that dates back to 1717. Horseback riding, 4x4 and mountain bike trails, hot-air balloning over the beautiful Berg River Valley, canoeing on the Berg River, fishing for trout or black bass, visiting the Bird Santuary or playing golf at the signature Pearl Valley Golf Estate, hiking to view ancient granite rock formations in the Paarl Valley Reserve, are several of the day time activities worth enjoying. Butterfly World, the Drakenstein Lion Park, Die Vonds Snake Centre, Wiesenhof Wild Park (with picnic facilities), Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm or Animalzone, are all child-friendly places to visit. The Paarl Taal Monument (Language Monument) is an impressive monument set up hills, commanding a stunning view of the valley and a wonderful place to picnic. Flanked by the majestic Simonsberg Mountains is the Santé Winelands Hotel & Wellness Centre, a 5 star holistic spa established on a working wine estate.

The Somerset West wine region serves as a gateway to the remainder of the wine regions, also offering visitors the opportunity for hiking or picnicking, or even catching a glimpse of the endangered Bontebok (Antelope) at one of the three nature reserves. Surrounded by the majestic Hottentots and Helderberg Mountains, playing golf, tennis, cricket, squash, visiting pistol shooting range or the cheerful Monkey Town are just one of several things to do.

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