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| Africa > South Africa > Mar 4 - 6, 2006  2 slideshows
 1 blog
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Back to South Africa,
Africa Prev: Cape Town Next: Hermanus |
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Overview:
We spent 2 nights in Stellenbosch, including an all-day wine tour. Scroll down for the stories, or skip directly to a section: Arrival, Winery Tour, Departure |
South African Rand (ZAR) ZAR 1 = US$ 0.1624 US$ 1 = ZAR 6.16 check current rates Telephone: +27 |
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Satellite Photo:
See this satellite map
of the Stellenbosch area with pushpins and then zoom in at least once.
Or the South Africa satellite map. |
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Arrival:
We arrived in Stellenbosch, a university town in the winelands,
in the late afternoon by rental car from
Cape Town.
There are many towns in the winelands, but the big three are Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl.
These towns are close together; within an hour of Cape Town, a day trip is feasible.
The scenery is wonderful, with vineyards and mountains as backdrops. |
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We stayed at the
Stumble Inn Backpackers,
where we "slummed" it in a private room without an en-suite bathroom (Susan was a trooper on this one;
outside of Cape Town, it was easy to find backpackers with private rooms but not en-suite ones).
The backpackers was a cluster of converted houses, with a decent sunny courtyard in back
next to the open air lounges (roof but few walls). The bar closed and the music stopped at 23:00,
making it easier to sleep. Plus the heart of town is in walking distance. |
R160/night They call the dorms and private rooms "dormage" and "shaggage" :-) |
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Our first restaurant choice from our Lonely Planet guidebook (an inexpensive vegetarian resto) was closed,
the first of several to have gone out of business since the guidebook went to press.
So we enjoyed a very nice
dinner
in town at the upscale Wijnhuis (literally "wine house").
This second story resto had open air tables, plush loveseats and armchairs instead of chairs,
and a romantic atmosphere. The food was excellent, and my springbok (a type of antelope)
was outstanding!After dinner we were too tired to go out, even if it was a Saturday night. |
Dinner: R237 + tip |
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The next morning, we enjoyed a tasty but big-enough-plate-for-two
breakfast
from the "shack" in the garden at the backpackers; at the bar was a real espresso machine! |
Breakfast: R27 pp + drinks |
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Winery Tour:
The Easy Rider (based at the backpackers) all-day wine tour
left at 10:30 one grumpy hungover driver and about 15 passengers in the "school bus"
(which meant there were a few empty seats for extra room). We had four wine tastings and a lunch stop (actual locations vary; this is where we went): 
1. Scenic
Delaire
winery, on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, for an outdoor wine tasting
and a description of the wine making process (normally there would be a cellar tour
but it was harvest season).2. Wine tasting at Dieu Donné in Franschhoek (literally "French corner") with a nice view back into the Franschhoek valley. |
R250 pp inc. 4 tastings & lunch before R45 pp discount for tour w/ 2 nights accom. |
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3. Lunch at ??? in Franschhoek (inc. a glass of wine);
there were tortoises near the parking lot (no, they weren't on the menu!).
4. Wine & cheese tasting at
Fairview
winery in Paarl,
with a live goat in a tower next to the parking lot
(one of their labels is "Goats Do Roam").5. Wine tasting in a "cave" at Seidelberg winery in south Paarl, with a view all the way back to Table Mountain in Cape Town. |
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We returned to the backpackers about 17:00; I had a great time and was definitely drunk,
as I was also finishing Susan's wine tasting glasses.
An hour later my body decided to reject the alcohol (I was just trying
to fit in with the backpackers crowd: when in Rome...).
While I slept it off, Susan fetched some fast food for dinner.
Afterwards, she chatted with the backpackers owner about
BEE (Black Economic Empowerment)
and how he was "supposed" to get a Black business partner, even though he did not need a partner. |
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The next morning we enjoyed another breakfast in the sun (this time we shared one!)
before checking out and walking to the Tourist Info centre down the road;
we wanted to find more info on some wineries that a friend of Susan's had suggested.
Armed with a winery map, we headed 15 min south to the huge estate of
Vergelegen
winery in Somerset West, where Susan bought a pricey vintage bottle for her friend. |
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Then we drove to Franschhoek for lunch, backtracked to the old
Boschendal
winery (fairly equidistant of the 3 main towns) for a lovely outdoor wine tasting
under a huge tree. |
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Departure:
We finally left the winelands via the scenic steep road behind Franschhoek's valley,
heading south for 2 hours through rural areas and back/dirt roads to
Hermanus
on the coast. Along the way we enjoyed baboons on the road and a big dammed lake. |
Theewaterskloof Dam if you must know |
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