The West Coast Wanderlust 4 Star (4 Days) WES003

Departing from your hotel in the City of Cape Town, or Cape Town International Airport, this adventure begins by heading north along South Africa’s iconic West Coast toward Langebaan, the base for the next 4 days. On the way, guests can travel back in time at the !Khwa ttu San Culture And Education Centre, located within an exceptionally significant historical and archaeological landscape, on an 850 hectare Nature Reserve. The Centre, an Award-Winning Heritage Centre, a very different kind of museum, tells not only the story of the San, but of mankind as well. South African and international academic, museum and exhibition design experts created the centre, and it’s linked to some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world, including Harvard and Oxford museums. After lunch in the Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve, and a leisurely game drive with a high possibility of seeing lion, buffalo, white rhino and giraffe, guests can relax, perhaps enjoy a spa treatment. Dinner is at your hotel overlooking Langebaan Lagoon.
Overnight:  The Shark Bay or similar

In 1829, the ‘Columbine’, was wrecked on the West Coast. In 1936, the first South African lighthouse to be seen by ships sailing from Europe and South America, and the last manned lighthouse was built on Castle Rock within the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. This rugged tower compliments its barren landscape. The Cape Columbine Nature Reserve’s peninsular, the most westerly destination in the Western Cape, covers 263 hectares of wild coastline. Huge rocks line the bays and ocean vistas. Dolphins and whales are often seen here. Kayaking the numerous inlets and coves is a particular delight. The Reserve is home to the well-known West Coast fynbos, Karoo succulents and, in Spring (September to December), vast fields of Spring wildflowers. This lighthouse and reserve are the first stop after breakfast on the drive to one of the West Coast’s oldest fishing villages – Paternoster. A town famous for its unique architecture, pristine white beaches, the challenging-to-harvest rock lobster and other straight-from-the-ocean seafood. Enjoy walking the waterfront with local arts and crafts to take home. After lunch, it’s time to travel back 5 million years at the West Coast Fossil Park, a National Heritage site. It’s one of the most diverse Mio-Pliocene records in the world. Fossils from bears, saber-tooth cats, short-necked giraffes, and early mammoths have been found here. The guided tour reveals fossils lying exactly as excavated. Bokkomlaan in Velddrif is the place to find Bokkoms, a West Coast specialty. Salted, silvery mullet is strung into bunches and hung to dry. This old, timeless, and quaint fishing village of Velddrif is so inspiring the West Coast Gallery displays art from over 100 artists, many being the local fishermen striving to capture the stark beauty of the landscape in both word and on canvas. Back at the hotel and before dinner, there is sufficient time to enjoy a spa treatment or the view.
Overnight:  The Shark Bay or similar

After breakfast, an ever more beautiful drive awaits through Die Swartland, the ‘Black Land’. It is striking contrast to the rugged and windswept landscapes of the West Coast. Here, from the glistening turquoise waters of the Atlantic, over pristine beaches towards the hinterland, are soft, undulating hills dominated by wide, sprawling, fields of wheat, encased by mountain ranges. The ripe yellow wheat fields which make this area the breadbasket of Cape Town, are intercut by thriving vineyards, fruit-heavy orchards, olive plantations, and rooibos and vegetable farms interspersed with mountain passes and quaint farm villages. The Swartland and the Riebeek Valley are so beautiful that artists and those looking for a slower, more country-based lifestyle are constantly drawn to the area. Exploring can be thirsty work, which is why a beer tasting at the Darling Brew Tasteroom is the next stop. The family and dog friendly craft brewery offers the full craft beer experience. In the West Coast National Park lies the heart of the West Coast – the azure Langebaan Lagoon, with its huge and diverse birdlife, white dunes, unspoilt beaches, sheltered islands, rare fynbos, green wetlands, and salt marshes. Walk in the footsteps of a lady now called Eve who lived in the area 117 000 years ago at Kraalbaai. Arriving in the Park for lunch, the Geelbek Restaurant, set in a beautifully restored 300-year-old Cape Dutch homestead, serves delicious dishes telling the story of the rich local history. The menu is influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Italian and Malay who all played a part in history of the area. After lunch, there’s so much to see and such beauty to be enjoyed in the Park like the beautiful tough vegetation and wide stretches of beach in the Park which line the Atlantic shoreline. In Spring, which in South Africa is between September and December, you can wander through fields of dazzlingly multi-coloured wildflowers and encounter a myriad of wildlife. Back in Langebaan, champagne on a sunset cruise is a great aperitif before dinner at your hotel.
Overnight : The Shark Bay or similar

As you transfer back to Cape Town, or Cape Town International Airport, you will be planning your return to satisfy this wanderlust of overwhelming abundance of visual beauty, ancient roots and delicious food.