With many people concerned about the cost of travelling now, it makes more sense than ever to indulge in “staycations” and on the Garden Route we are blessed to be able to pop out to a neighbouring town without guzzling tanks of fuel.
If you live in Knysna it’s half an hour to Plettenberg Bay, an hour to George and half an hour further to Mossel Bay.
A visit to any one of these towns, each with its own vibe, offers plenty to do for a day trip, but there’s every reason to stay a night or two so that it feels like a proper getaway.
I recently spent two days checking out the greater Mossel Bay area and there’s such a wide variety of activities, I barely scraped the surface.
Mossel Bay Tourism’s Easter initiative, Eggs-capade, was back for the second year after being so popular last year.
It was the perfect opportunity to explore the area and, just for fun, do an Easter egg hunt.
You buy a bindle bag containing precious maps from the Mossel Bay Tourism offices for R80.
Then visit every spot on the maps, get a sticker from each place — including chocolates branded with the name of each area.
The goal is to get every sticker (and chocolate) and when you hand it in at the tourism offices, you get a big bunny and an entry to a prize draw.
The places on the Easter maps embrace Route 12, which is the greater Mossel Bay area comprising Vleesbaai on the west of the coast, with Fransmanshoek, Boggomsbaai, Danabaai, Mossel Bay, Hartenbos, Kleinbrak River and Grootbrak River included.
It also includes Glentana in the east, with Friemersheim, Ruiterbos and Herbertsdale making up the inland legs of the journey.
Route 12 is home to multiple award-winning game and wine farms, and there are countless activities available for families, nature lovers, adrenaline junkies and cultural enthusiasts — not to mention an array of entertainment, dining and accommodation options.
Though it is possible to get all your stickers in one day, I would re
commend doing it over two days, so each place gets the attention it deserves.
We ensconced ourselves at the Diaz Ocean View Hotel & Spa, a stone’s throw from the beach and within walking distance of Diaz beach.
It’s still actually safe to walk around in Mossel Bay without worrying about being mugged so given my recent attack in Knysna, not having to carry pepper spray in my bag was a highlight.
The hotel is small and homely, rather than a sprawling resort, with 16 rooms and a penthouse; it has a restaurant overlooking the sea, an accredited South African Spa Association facility, a gym which is being souped-up and the highlight for couples and families is the heated indoor pool.
General manager Sulani Grobler, who arrived in Mossel Bay last year, said the feeling they wanted to cultivate was “not a stuffy four-star, but rather an easy space where families feel like they are at home”, and the vibe vouches for this.
There is a room with wheelchair access. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the chef pops out from time to time to check that her meals are hitting the spot.
Walk-in diners are welcome. The sea views from the Diaz Ocean View Hotel & Spa can’t be beaten and you won’t get better chicken livers anywhere.
It’s the perfect place from which to explore the town.
Up and on the go early, we got our first sticker and chocolate from VW Mossel Bay.
Oh Hey Café & Bakery in town, Reed Valley en route to Herbertsdale, Misty Valley Farm on the way to Ruiterbos, Eight Bells Mountain Inn and the Western Cape Butterfly Sanctuary, both in Ruiterbos, form half the trip.
The other six hops are to the Village Lodge at the Botlierskop Game Reserve, Brothers Coffee Roastery outside Grootbrak, Glentana Café in Glentana, Twin Trees Restaurant in Grootbrak, Hart & Bosch Village in Hartenbos and De Kleine Loerie in Kleinbrak.
It’s impossible to properly kuier at each place so here are some highlights:
The Western Cape Butterfly Sanctuary in Mossel Bay, which opened in 2023, is absolutely worth a visit.
Tour guide and butterfly specialist Lionel Reesberg knows his stuff.
There are about 200 butterfly species in the Western Cape and about 150 in Mossel Bay.
First, he takes guests to a room where dried butterflies are on display, and shows us the species from the tiniest butterfly to a giant Emperor.
Without giving it all away, do a tour with Reesberg and you will come away knowing that some butterflies change their pattern depending on the season while a male is usually more colourful than a female, but not always.
On to the aviary or dome, and you walk among the butterflies. These flying spectacles have an interesting life of a few weeks to six weeks for the bigger species.
Reesberg explains how, unlike a moth, a butterfly’s life starts as an egg, it becomes a caterpillar, then a chrysalis until the butterfly emerges.
They don’t eat, rather they drink nectar from plants through an elongated appendage called a proboscis which works like a straw. When not in use, it is coiled up like a spring under the insect’s head.
Just as well butterflies are being bred and the species monitored because just about everything from spiders to dragonflies, lizards and frogs eat them.
We have an exciting moment as a praying mantis catches a butterfly and wolfs it down.
There’s also a breeding area which is being extended and this sanctuary in Mossel Bay will be the biggest in Southern Africa once it is finished.
Misty Valley Farm on the road to Ruiterbos is a must, offering a restaurant, a deli with fresh breads, preserves, meats, a gin distillery and loads of space for children to play.
They also do a mean wood-fired pizza.
Misty Valley’s craft gin, produced on site at the Harmony Distiller, is made using indigenous botanicals such as honeybush and aloe ferox.
I did a tasting of their three signature gins, the Honeybush Gin, the Aloe Ferox Gin and the Old Tom Gin, with Tukelo Thatho.
He assured me that I would never get a hangover from the Aloe Ferox version.
I don’t usually drink spirits and Thatho’s tasting includes sipping it neat, then with ice, then with lemon or cucumber and then only with tonic.
Truth be told, I almost saw double butterflies.
We stop for lunch and a rest at Twin Trees Waffle House, Pizzeria, Restaurant and Wine Boutique in Great Brak River.
One of the towering trees after which it is named has fallen down.
This story began with a forgotten house, built in 1930 in the Early Edwardian architectural style.
Over time, the house, which was used for various purposes, fell into disrepair, hidden among overgrown bushes, waiting to be rescued.
This is when Laurette and Willem Swanepoel saw its beauty and potential.
A leap of faith combined with a passion for restoring old homes has rendered Twin Trees very special.
It’s a hub for locals, offering a wine boutique which is Laurette’s pride and joy.
The property also offers a stylish space for weddings or functions.
Their Belgian-style waffles (both sweet and savoury) became the drawcard though the menu has expanded to steaks and burgers.
Guests are invited to a curated wine experience from the boutique. It’s got a lovely vibe.
Make time for a cup of coffee at Brothers Coffee Roastery in Grootbrak and one at Oh Hey Café & Bakery in the town of Mossel Bay.
Both venues import their own beans from coffee nirvanas such as Brazil and Uganda and roast and grind them, and have that wonderful aroma of coffee in the air.
Happy as a child, I got to take our completed maps with all the stickers back to Mossel Bay Tourism.
The Easter Eggs-capade is on until May 3 and it’s a fabulous experience.
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