Great summer spots in the Western & Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal

The best summer spots according to Getaway staffers.

Overberg, Western Cape
Fatima Jakoet’s pick

The Overberg region is one of my top holiday spots because it offers so many activities, beautiful scenery and is not too far from Cape Town (about an hour’s drive). Favourites include Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond, Hermanus and Arniston. I usually stay in a different holiday house each time, always booking through the same agent.

Holidayscape has a selection of houses ranging from budget to luxury, sleeping from two to 11 people. The houses are always neat, tastefully decorated and usually close to the main centres.

Activities in each area vary, but they’re all quite close, so driving to the next town is fairly easy if you want more options. They range from surfing in Pringle Bay and sandboarding in Betty’s Bay to horse riding, whale watching or paragliding in Hermanus. Arniston’s a bit further away, but has the relaxing atmosphere of a fishing village and most of the holiday accommodation is near the beach.

When I’m not in the Overberg, I head for the West Coast, either to Elands Bay or to Club Mykonos in Langebaan – it’s a great family holiday destination with lots to do. I especially enjoy the Greek-styled kalivas or chalets.

For accommodation in Rooi Els, Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond, contact Holidayscape tel 028-271-5775, e-mail holidayscape@holidayscape.co.za or web http://www.holidayscape.co.za. For accommodation at Club Mykonos, tel 022-707-7000 and for Arniston accommodation, tel 028-445-9657.

Maputaland Bush Camp, KZN
Khumo Ntoane’s top tip

The northern part of Maputaland appears uncharted and vast. The landscape folds, elevates and flattens out. It’s abundantly vegetated with swamp forests and wetlands. It has lakes, rivers and a rich coastline. The attractions in this magical space are simple; it’s a wonderland to anyone with an active imagination. This rustic slice of the past is doing its bit to keep the 21st century at bay.

The camp is on a hill overlooking a hippo pool, 16 kays south of Kosi Bay. Owners Willie and Isabella Labuschagne lived in a tent for six months while they built the camp themselves. Their aim was to have as little impact on the natural surroundings as possible.

The bush camp sleeps 10 to 14 people. En suite huts are made from reeds and thatch. The watersaving shower among the trees is rudimentary. To operate it, you pour buckets of water into a sack-like contraption with a shower head before hoisting it into a tree with a pulley. Solar panels generate power for lights in the evening and gas is used for cooking.

The sound of a vehicle is rare and you need a 4×4 to get there. The Labuschagnes have a stable full of horses for exploring the area. Fishers collect their catches in mekoro and in the elaborate fish traps at Kosi Bay. Reeds are harvested along the edges of the lakes and the fields hoed.

This is a great hiking destination, with only hippos posing some danger. The animals tend to be shy, but there are plenty of birds to be seen. Canoeing on the Siyadla River, well-fed crocodiles surface with calm precision. As one paddler said, ‘Even the crocodiles are happy in Maputaland.’

The locals like to refer to this corner of the country as paradise – and I have to agree.

$$ to $$$$
Self-catering at Maputaland Bush Camp is R200 a person, fully catered is R400 a person and the rate inclusive of meals and activities is R750 a person. In December and April, you can rent the whole camp for R3 000.

Tel 072-727-3079 or e-mail mail@maputaland.net or web http://www.maputaland.net.

Cederberg, Western Cape
Rob House’s favourite

The Cederberg has never yet failed me in delivering a spectacular break. Even in the depths of winter, I’ve hiked up to the Maltese Cross in near blizzard conditions, then retired to a blazing log fire and a bottle of red. In summer, my breaks here tend to be under canvas for a better ‘feel’ of the environment, with the sound of running rivers, warble of birdlife and occasional bark of a baboon.

The Cederberg is so diverse that any lover of the outdoors can’t help but fall under its spell. For hikers, there is an extensive 254-kilometre network of trails. The best-known rock formations are Wolfberg Cracks, Wolfberg Arch, Maltese Cross and Stadsaal Caves. Hidden among these spectacular formations are some of the richest rock art paintings in Southern Africa.

Wildlife abounds, with regular sightings of klipspringer, duiker, grysbok, baboon and grey rhebok. The Cape leopard is the largest predator here, but is very shy. Raptors patrol the skies and Verreauxs’ eagles and jackal buzzards ride the lazy summer thermals. There are more than 100 bird species, so bring binoculars.

I go there to learn how to breathe again, to watch the stars and track satellites across the heavens, to listen to the sound of the wind in the trees and burble of a mountain stream. The best bit? Little or no cellphone reception.

$
Camp at Algeria among shady pines along the banks of the Rondegat River with clear crystal pools. Ablution facilities are good, if basic, and all 48 sites have power points. It costs R150 a night for six people. Five kays beyond Algeria at the foot of the Uitkyk Pass are CapeNature cottages which are fully equipped, with solarpowered lights and gas stoves, fridges and geysers. Rates are from R430 for a four-sleeper. Tel 021-659-3500, e-mail bookings@capenature.co.za or web http://www.capenature.org.za.

Calitzdorp, Little Karoo
Alan Ramsay’s hot tip

The Retreat at Groenfontein, 20 kilometres from Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo, is aptly named. At the end of a dirt road that meanders deep into the Swartberg Mountains, this Victorian farmhouse with its four en suite bedrooms and four adjacent cottage suites has no cellphone contact, no phones or televisions in the rooms, but offers stunning views of the surrounding hills and mountains, great sunrises and sunsets, delicious dinners shared with fellow guests around the family table and a variety of walks.

The old Victorian farmhouse has French doors that lead from bedrooms onto a patio, while the adjacent cottages, positioned on the hill above the house, offer spacious interiors. A second cottage with two double bedrooms has recently been added – book this for the best views (room numbers 8 and 9).

The catering is typically Karoo, including substantial breakfasts with homemade mealiepap (owner Grant Burton’s special recipe using number one grade animal feed!). Local wines are served with dinner – while the area is famous for its ports, it cannot really be ‘rated’ for table wines. What does score points, however, is the local mountain water.

There are four loops of hiking trails around the adjacent hills, ranging from relatively easy to tough. You can also follow the river up the valley and try some skinny dipping. It can be windy in early summer and very hot in mid-summer; when I visited in winter, it was cold, but crisp and ideal for walking.

The Retreat is well situated for day trips to the Swartberg Pass, Meiringspoort and Seweweekspoort, but exploring Calitzdorp itself must be top of the list. The museum, art galleries, various wine cellars (where prices are surprisingly low) and the pubs are all worth a visit.

Make a point of stopping at the old Dutch Reformed Church where Noel-Jean Creil, former Catholic priest and teacher, gives late afternoon organ recitals that delight the ear, helped by the wonderful acoustics of the church, which was built in 1912 and is now a national monument. Next door in their hall, you can view wall hangings crafted by local women that tell the Christian story.

Returning to The Retreat, you can enjoy a dop on your stoep as the sun sets on a great getaway.

$$$ to $$$$
Rates vary from R350 to R770 a person DB&B, depending on the room selected and time of year. Contact owners Grant and Marie Burton on tel 044-213-3880, e-mail info@groenfontein.com, or web http://www.groenfontein.com.

For info on the area, visit http://www.tourismcalitzdorp.co.za.

Cape St Francis, Eastern Cape
Jazz Kuschke’s best

Okay, so maybe I’m slightly biased towards my old hometown, but there simply isn’t a finer place to spend a lazy summer holiday.

Viewed from the top of Seal Point Lighthouse, the town seems asleep – just a sprinkling of cottages scattered among the coastal greenery that fringes the half-moon bay. That’s just the way the dozy locals and regular visitors prefer to keep it. As they’ll quickly tell you, pretentiousness belongs five kilometres up the road at its over-commercialised cousin, St Francis Bay.

Spend your days in the sun on the broad beach, swimming in the Indian Ocean, fishing in the gullies on the wild side (the exposed rocky area west of the lighthouse), surfing the famous Seal Point or hiking and mountain biking the paths of the Irma Booysen Nature Reserve. In the evenings, head to the Full Stop Pub (named after a nasty rock halfway down Seal Point) where the pizza usually isn’t too bad, the music is better, the beer ice cold, the vibe mellow and the regular patrons’ surf reports can be trusted, for the most part.

$ to $$$$
Stay at the Cape St Francis Coastal Resort which offers a variety of accommodation options, ranging from camping (R60 a person a night) to four-star thatched cottages (R2 880 a day for a fivebedroom Village unit with sea view) and five-star luxury Beach Break Villas (R7 000 a unit, self-catering).

Tel 042-298-0054, e-mail seals@iafrica.com or web http://www.capestfrancis.co.za. Enquire about B&B and out-of-season options.