On the Road

Some of my favourite stops when travelling between the Garden Route & Overberg

Have a look at some of my most favourite places to stop over whenever I have to travel between the beautiful Garden Route and the historic Overberg.

Coffee @ Work

MOSSEL BAY

Travel Garden Route Overberg — Chill at Coffee @ Work

To kick start my trip, I stopped at my favourite coffee shop in Mossel Bay for a cup of Java before hitting the road. Coffee@Work won my heart (and taste buds) over instantly when they opened their doors in May 2015.

Besides serving some of the best coffees I’ve ever tasted, they also offer mouth-watering quick and healthy meals from breakfast to lunch. The coffee shop has a unique atmosphere and you can look forward to some interesting finds on their retail shelves.

Owned and managed by a passionate husband-and-wife team, Hennie and Soney, Coffee@Work has won numerous awards including the Mossel Bay Small Business of the year Award in 2017.

Be sure to pop in at 65 Marsh Street in Mossel Bay or visit their website at www.coffeeatwork.co.za.

Tip:Their Cappuccino with condensed milk on a cold rainy day will instantly take the winter blues away.

Kasselshoop Cheese

STILL BAY

My next stop was Kasselshoop – a working dairy and cheese farm just a few hundred meters off the N2 on the road to Still Bay. A definite must if you live in the Garden Route or if you’re ever passing by.

Here you can enjoy a cheese tasting like no other for as little as R100.

Kasselshoop is owned by Kassie and Liesel Kasselman, who began crafting and curing traditional hard cheeses in 2002 and speciality flavoured cheeses in 2009.

Their flavoured Cheddar cheeses include black salt, olive, Pepper Thom, pepper, pickled onion and nettle while their flavoured Gouda cheeses include a chilli and, my ultimate favourite, smoked flavoured Gouda.

Using only their own Jersey milk, they distribute their cheeses and cheese spreads to retail outlets in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Southern Cape and Johannesburg.

Pairing each of the cheeses with wines from the area ensures an unforgettable experience that everyone will enjoy.

For more information, visit www.kasselshoop.co.za or email info@kasselshoop.co.za.

Ikigai Coffee Bar & Deli

RIVERSDALE

Ikigai, situated on the N2 as you pass through Riversdale, has become my favourite mid-way stop when heading to and from Hermanus.

Their menu includes a variety of eats and treats. My favourite remains the gourmet sandwiches – whether you decide on the pulled pork, Greek lamb, grilled chicken, bacon or creamy mozzarella; you will not be disappointed. And to top it all off, they make a mean cup of coffee to keep you awake for the road ahead.

Their Curio shop is stocked with everything from handbags to an assortment of teas and gifts and in March this year, Ikigai opened a second café in the beautiful town of Swellendam (about 90km further).

Pull over for a bite to refuel your body at either of their stores. For more information, email ikigaicoffeebar@gmail.com or visit www.ikigaicoffeebar.co.za.

Baleia Wine

RIVERSDALE

I’ve always been a wine-lover, which is why a wine and olive oil tasting at Baleia Wines was high on my priority list on this trip. Conveniently located next to the N2, just before Riversdale, Baleia Wines is owned and run by the passionate Joubert family.

With a glass in hand, I was armed for what happened to be one of the best wine tastings I’ve had thus far. From their Sauvignon Blanc and Inge Chardonnay to their Sebastian, Rosé and Tempranillo – it’s one big taste sensation.

My favourites included the Erhard Pinot Noir as well as the 2015 Syrah with its notes of chocolate and roasted cinnamon!

Since Baleia also produces Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil, I decided to give it a try. Smooth at first with a stronger peppery aftertaste, this buttery olive oil has distinctive aromas of green tomatoes and artichokes with lemon.

My wine and olive oil tasting at Baleia Winery was an experience that I will remember for years to come and I ensured that my wine cabinet was stocked by the time I left. For more information, contact them at 028 713 1214 or visit www.baleiawines.com.

Breedezicht Estate

WITSAND

Witsand – a place where time stands still, where all your worries melt away and absolute tranquillity washes over you. This small coastal town at the mouth of the Breede River is popular for its fishing as well as kite and wind-surfing.

I therefore couldn’t pass on the opportunity to stay over for a night at Breedezicht Estate – a new property development with picturesque views of the sea, mountains and river. Both completed houses as well as stands are for sale.

There are a variety of house plans to choose from, including Cape Heritage, Modern Beach, New England and Vermont. Attention to the finest detail ensures that each design is as authentic as possible.

I stayed in a traditional Fisherman’s Cottage with charming features and rustic finishes. The kitchen is definitely the heart of this design with the outdoor stoep promising many nights of chatter and chilling around the fire place.

Breedezicht Estate is fully-serviced and well-managed making it the perfect lock-up-and-go holiday house and a fantastic investment opportunity. For more information, contact Hugo la Grange at 082 823 9777 or visit www.breedezicht.co.za

For great savings on life’s little pleasures visit Bargain Buys! Know somebody who is getting married, Wedding and Function can assist. Have kids, then you need to visit Kids Connection.

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About us

Actually, Home Food and Travel offers a lot more than just reviews of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities. We also visit great destinations, receive advice from interior designers and stop to smell the roses and taste the coffee.

Our team of journalists are seasoned travels and love visiting the myriad of exciting places around South Africa. Whether it is off the beaten track or in the heart of the top attractions of the country, we’ll be there,

Home Food and Travel advice on finding the right accommodation

So what is the right accommodation? Well more often than not, it’s your travel budget that dictates the type of accommodation that you choose.

Expensive is not always better. Our team at Home Food and Travel will tell you that they have camped in areas with limited ablutions and had a wonderful holiday. They have also spent a night in a five star hotel only to be disappointed because their expectations exceeded the experience.

The reason for your travels will also affect your choice. A business trip requires different amenities to a beach holiday.

Our articles, reviews and experiences can certainly help you make your decision.

Restaurants with a good mix of service, food and ambiance

To my mind a great restaurant offers three things – excellent service, great food and a wonderful ambiance. Of these, service is the most important.

No matter that the food is delicious and the setting delightful, poor service can ruin the occasion. However, great service combined with mediocre meal and a plane jane restaurant can still be a pleasant night out.

We’ve eaten in restaurants that are really dirty but with incredible food and couldn’t help but give a rave review. We’ve also hardly noticed what we ate because the setting was just amazing.

However, the best restaurants come with the best of service, food and ambiance.

Spas are the ultimate relaxation aid

How do you know when you have had a great spa experience? The answer, of course, is when you doze off on the treatment table.

Well that’s our theory anyway. It also doesn’t take a grand location with enormous facilities for a spa to be really good

A small, personal spa that is owner run can result in the best massage you have ever experienced. However, the grand spas in five star hotels offer unsurpassed facilities in an environment that just makes the stress in your shoulders and neck melt away before you even finish checking in.

Adventure!

You don’t have to be an adrenaline junky to enjoy an exciting experience. In fact, what are commonly termed adventure activities usually have incredibly high safety standards and unblemished safety records.

Ziplining, bungy jumping and shark cage diving are all very safe. It’s just that our mind tells us we are craaazzzzyyyy to be doing this.

On the road to great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities

If you’re driving, be safe and make use of all the wonderful farm stalls that populate South Africa’s open roads.

If you overhear somebody asking a lot of questions or see someone taking photos of empty bedrooms chances are it’s one of our Home Food and Travel team members.

We’re out looking or those great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities.

See you on the road!