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Holiday <strong>Travel</strong><br />
potjiekos, mieliepap, chicken kebabs, fresh vegetables, a vegetarian offering,<br />
craft beer, coffee and dessert. Of course, if you are in this part of the world, there<br />
are literally dozens of other fine eateries and pitstops you could also choose from.<br />
Orchard, Peregrine & Houw<br />
Hoek Farm Stalls, N2 / How<br />
Hoek Pass, Grabouw<br />
These three iconic farm stalls situated along the Houw Hoek Pass and N2 that<br />
cuts through Grabouw apple country and the Hottentots-Holland Mountains, are<br />
traditional favourite stops for Capetonians escaping for a weekend to Hermanus<br />
and environs. But they have also become hugely popular over the years with<br />
tourists from other parts of the country as well as foreign visitors. Coming from<br />
Cape Town, the Orchard Farm Stall – delicatessen, restaurant and coffee shop<br />
– is situated on the left at the R321 turn-off to Grabouw and Elgin. A little further<br />
on, where the R321 again joins the N2, you’ll find Peregrine Farm Stall on the<br />
right of the road, where it has been since 1964. Continue going east along the N2<br />
and you’ll soon come to the Houw Hoek Farm Stall sitting on a little rise against<br />
the hill on the left of the road. All three have been favourites with generations of<br />
travellers who stop at them for coffee or tea, delicious hot meals, local apples,<br />
fresh produce, pastries, traditional bread, jams, pies, fynbos honey, cold-pressed<br />
juices, apple cider, local wines, cheesecake, nuts, chutney, delicious sandwiches,<br />
breakfasts, and just about any other delicious treat you can think of.<br />
Houw Hoek Hotel, Houw<br />
Hoek Pass N2<br />
If you are still on the N2 near Grabouw and it’s something a little more formal<br />
and a lot more historic you are looking for as a place to recharge your batteries,<br />
the Houw Hoek Hotel is just the place. Coming from Cape Town, just before the<br />
Houw Hoek Farm Stall, there’s a steep road turning off to the left – but look out for<br />
it or you may easily miss it. Follow the short road down to the valley below, park<br />
your car in the shade of the trees, and enter South Africa’s oldest licenced hotel<br />
still operating to this day. Built in 1799, its cosy hospitality has been enjoyed by<br />
travellers since the days of horses, wagons and stage coaches…and it has hardly<br />
changed. Sit on the stoep overlooking green lawns, ponds and the Jakkals River<br />
against a backdrop of mountains, and enjoy a meal, or a pot of tea or coffee, while<br />
the kids can run around in safety on the vast grounds. Their freshly baked scones<br />
with cream and jam are something to die for. It is also a popular wedding venue<br />
where all the rooms have stunning mountain views. On cold days there’s a lovely<br />
fire going in the lounge. And in the ladies, guests get to sit on a majestic Victorian<br />
toilet throne (yes, I heard about it so I had to take a peek when no-one was there!).<br />
Springbok Lodge, Springbok,<br />
N7 to Namibia<br />
If your travels are taking you north from Cape Town towards Namibia along<br />
the N7, after the town of Vanrhynsdorp the distances between the small towns<br />
start feeling endless. By the time you get to Springbok you will feel the need for<br />
a refreshing stop. It is also the last major town before you reach the Namibian<br />
border at Vioolsdrif on the Orange River. And it’s a good place to sleep over before<br />
taking on the long and lonely roads of Namibia. The Springbok Lodge has been a<br />
popular spot for travellers since the 1940s. Here you can enjoy a hearty pub lunch<br />
of steak and chips, fish and chips, a range of other meals and cold beer. There is<br />
a fuel station nearby where you can fill up the car and check the tyres. And if you<br />
wish to sleep over, there are a number of hotels and self-catering establishments.<br />
Ronnie’s Sex Shop, R62<br />
between Barrydale and<br />
Ladismith<br />
Who hasn’t heard of Ronnie’s Sex Shop? Some 20km out of Barrydale a most<br />
unexpected sight greets you - a square white building in the parched veld on the<br />
right-hand side of the road, with large red letters proclaiming: Ronnies Sex Shop.<br />
This is where international travellers, local townspeople, bikers, weekend trippers,<br />
people on their way to the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, local farmers, and<br />
14 |ISSUE <strong>11</strong>|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZI TRAVEL<br />
Ronnie’s Sex Shop - wallix, iStock<br />
Grobler du Preez, Shutterstock
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