Do you have one of those friends with amazing, jealousy-inducing stories from their home countries? I certainly do. Meet South African-Adelaidian Leanie Delport, student, artist and general 'making people everywhere want to travel to Africa' girl.
And she was kind enough to put together a little something just for me about the splendours of George and Oudtshoorn.
So, why travel to George and Oudtshoorn?
Things to do in George, Oudtshoorn and the surrounding areas:
And she was kind enough to put together a little something just for me about the splendours of George and Oudtshoorn.
So, why travel to George and Oudtshoorn?
- It’s malaria free! Yay!
- Less crime! Yay! (no one likes getting mugged or hijacked)
- You can have most of the South African adventures all in one place, not kidding! (see list below)
- Get checked for Ebola at the OT airport
- Tip people - waiters and people who watch your car while you’re at the shops (Warning: know your price, do not tip more than R20)
- Be swarmed with beggars or people trying to sell you stuff
- Hide your wallet and keep your handbag close
- Eat ostrich and local antelope meat
- Power outages everywhere (lots of them, at least once a day)
- People are super friendly (unless you are unfortunate enough to cross a taxi driver from Joberg)
- See lots of signs in Afrikaans
- See amazing sights ( e.g. 15 people on the back of a ute/bakkie/pickup truck standing, that’s right)
- Go with a bit of extra weight
- Plan before hand (where you want to go, what you want to do etc.)
- Take more cash just in case
- Think of where you might want to hide that cash on your person (shoe, bra, get creative)
- Pack clothes that you’re ok with being stolen
- Organize a car to rent or borrow
- Do NOT pay R400 for a shirt, that’s ridiculous!
- Definitely buy a wire beaded statue and little wooden statue
Things to do in George, Oudtshoorn and the surrounding areas:
- Visit Buffelsdrift game lodge –get married in the lodge chapel (or sit there dreaming about it), try their amazing burgers (made out of traditional Afrikaans roosterkoeke), try their peanutbutter milkshake (it is the best) whilst viewing hippos in the dam, and if you want to splash some money you can sleep in their luxury tents overlooking said dam and hippos and expect frequent visits by thirsty antelopes with an eagle soaring above.
- Visit Botlierskop Day Safaris - 3 hour game drive (see rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, kudus, lions, rare black impalas, various indigenous birds, fields of proteas etc. Warning: go to the bathroom before, it’s a long drive! You can also do the tour on horseback), walk with or ride African elephants (expect to get your clothes dirty, these elephants are friendly Warning: don’t wear a necklace that an elephant would love to wrap its truck around) or walk with the lions!
- Visit Cango Wildlife Ranch – Experience a guided tour in a rain forest scene, swim with Nile crocodiles (not in winter), view a huge variety of rare animals and bring along lots of extra dough as you can have a one on one experience with cheetahs! Might add, you can try some crocodile meat if you’re up for it. Definitely buy a little hippo statue or something in the curio shop (good prices)
- Bungy jump at the Bloukrans with Face Adrenalin (if you are brave or crazy)
- Go canyoning/kloofing at Plettenburg bay – abseil, swim, slide, jump, zip line (requires no experience, book beforehand, and remember you have a choice of 2 to 4 hours trips with professional guides)
- Go to the famous Mossel Bay and do some Great White Shark cage diving and viewing with White Shark Africa Ocean Extreme! – Sensational safari tour viewing the famous breaching Great Whites of the Cape and other ocean wildlife
- Visit the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn (a South African landmark)
- Visit Oudtshoorn Wilgewandel holiday farm – try the donkey cart rides, play some Ghwara ghwara golf and go hiking!
- Visit Cango Ostrich Farm – ride an ostrich (an exciting and worth it brush with death, must be under 80kg. Warning: wild animals are not used to being ridden), get kissed by an ostrich (looks like you had a Botox injection afterwards), get an ostrich massage (stand there with a bucket whilst they hammer at it close to your face), experience the guided tour, stand on ostrich eggs and buy something with an ostrich on it from the curio shop as a token of your survival through the experience!
- Go tandem skydiving at Mossel Bay
- Try some pannekoek (traditional Afrikaans pancakes) in Oudtshoorn