REGION: The Boland Kontrei, The Overberg Kontrei
PLACES: Including Paarl, Rawsonville, Worcester, Bonnievale, Robertson, Caledon, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch
Day 1: Cape Town to Merwenstein Guest Farm. DBB
You will be met at your Cape Town accommodation or airport in the Fairest Cape region and drive through Paarl, one of the oldest towns in the Berg River valley in a region of the Western Cape Province called the Boland.
Paarl is the only place in the world with such a prominent monument erected for a language. The Afrikaans language monument was built to honour Afrikaans, the youngest language in Africa.
We start our visit to Paarl with a conducted tour of the Afrikaans language monument.
Driving down Main Road of Paarl is an architectural tour in itself because the main designs in South Africa are represented here. We drive via the Du Toit's Kloof Pass, built by Italian prisoners of war, to Rawsonville. In Worcester we visit an art galery showing the work of South African artists and stop for lunch at a winery along the road to Robertson. We visit a distillery to participate in the art of making brandy.
Time permitting we visit one of the thoroughbred stud farms.
Arrive late afternoon Merwenstein to settle down and enjoy a guided walkabout on the farm. Dinner in the spacious farm kitchen with the family.
Day 2: Merwenstein DBB
Experience farm activities from harvesting to grafting of wines to planting of new orchards and if interested also a tour through the wine cellar.
The vale is a green oasis wrapped around the Breede River with a dorp at its heart. Bonnievale came about when in 1906, Christopher Forrest Rigg constructed about 72 kilometers of irrigation canals bringing year round water for fruit farming.
It is believed that the name is related to the home of Rigg's grandfather in Scotland. Christopher and Lillian's daughter, Mary Myrtle, contracted meningitis when she was 7 and asked her father to build a small church for the people of Bonnievale. It was completed in 1921. Visiting this place will be your first "dorp" experience.
Select your experiences from others like: Breede River Goose cruise with fishing options for bass and carp, historic cellars for wine tasting, the local le Roux museum, a local "Market on Main", the Outdoor Arena for outdoor activities, The Timjan factory where the natural healing, aloe related juice is produced, and lunch at the Bonnie People Project, managed by your hostess, where up to 80 children from a disadvantaged community are being taken care of.
Farmhouse dinner with your hosts, Hugo and Heidi.
Day 3: Merwenstein - Cape Town via Caledon, Genadendal and Franschhoek
We drive via Riviersonderend deeper into the Overberg kontrei and via Caledon to Greyton and Genadendal where lunch can be enjoyed in the historic settings of the old mission station. We will drive via Franschhoek in the Boland kontrei to enjoy a bit of French flair, and arrive late afternoon in Cape Town.
