Champagne by the river

The sweet scent of apple blossoms rushed into the tent as Roland slipped out to brew us some coffee. I lay there for a few more minutes, listening to the excited little birds starting their day. I was feeling like a Disney princess before all the kidnapping and eating of dodgy fruit, but alas the spell was quickly broken by Roland shouting about where the muffins were hidden.

Champagne by the river is a small campsite situated on a fruit farm just outside of Greyton. Behind your tent is an apple orchard that, if you go in October, will be showing off thousands of dusty pink petals. In front of you is a river, perfect for swimming, fishing, or in my case watching the water as I shovel muffins into my mouth.

  • Home made cheese
  • Pancakes

On a Saturday you can pop over to the morning market in Greyton to get your hands on some pastries, homemade cheese, and some of the freshest ginger beer I had ever tasted. Not that I need a reason to load up on lemon curd filled pancakes, but all the stalls donate 10% of their profit to a worthy cause each week.   

The campsite comes with a great big fire pit and a bag of wood will be waiting for you if you arrange with the owner beforehand. As braai-time moved slowly to bed-time Roland took advantage of the lack of light pollution to take some photos of the stars while my fantasy book and I curled up under the covers.

Since I have never met a hot-spring I did not love, Roland and I stopped at Caledon Spa on the way back to Stellenbosch. As it was early and overcast we had the place pretty much to ourselves. If you ever want to feel like an emperor, hit up the Caledon Spa early enough to have your own personal roman bath.


Nothing beats some relaxing after a weekend of … relaxing.

Champagne by the river works equally well as a romantic weekend getaway or as a family trip filled with floating down the river and chatting around the braai. Either way just make sure you get a lemon curd pancake before you leave.

Details:

Where: Champagne by the river, Greyton, South Africa.

What to do: Visit the Saturday morning market from 10:00 until 12:00.

Soak in some hot water at Caledon Spa.

Swimming, fishing, and braaing.

Photo credit: Pancake and cheese photo: South East from Cape Town blog

All other photos: Roland Teichert (please link this blog if you use any of the photos).

Marloth Nature Reserve

Marloth, more than any other Cape nature reserve, perfectly combines the rugged outdoors with cosy relaxation. One moment I was lacing up my hiking boots as a huge misty mountain waited patiently for me to complain my way to the top, the next I was cuddling on the couch, kindle in hand.    

The reserve is excellent for exercise. As the local parkrun starts right at the reserve’s gate, I found it very difficult to argue my way out of a brisk forest 5k when my husband handed me my coffee.

Photo Credit: Ronel Hough

The locals warned us to add an extra two minutes to our usual time and they were not wrong. I shuffled my way over proper hills, battled to pull my feet free from churned up mud, and even splashed through a little river because I did not spot the stepping stones.

This however only adds to the adventure as you wind your way through the forest trail. You WILL lose two minutes, but only because you have no choice but to stare at the reflection of the mountain on Grootkloof dam.

Right after the race a little nine year old asked for my race time and when I answered with about 37 minutes he said, “That must have been relaxing”. Thanks for the sick burn, kid.

Hiking at Marloth was equally fun, and by fun I mean challenging. My husband and I decided to do the Plaat Loop which is a 12.2 km hike. The previous day’s rain had left the path pretty wet and at one point we were forced to traverse a small waterfall. The ever increasing elevation had also just started getting on my nerves when Roland produced some emergency Haribo gummies to distract me.

It really is a moderate hike though and as long as you take enough water, a warm jacket, and maybe some gummy bears you should be fine. Remember to let reception know what route you plan to hike so someone will at least call a helicopter if you accidentally Jack and Jill your way down the mountain.

After all that hiking I was more than ready for the relaxation part of the trip to kick in. The cottages at Marloth are a little older than some of the other Cape Nature accommodation but they are perfectly comfortable and squeaky clean. Our cottage, Suikerbekkie, had an indoor fireplace, an outdoor braai, and an awe-inspiring view.

After all that exercise, a cold beer shandy and a warm bobotie jaffel hit all the right spots. We had a lovely time at Marloth and will most definitely be back. Roland is already talking about climbing the even tougher Twaalfuurkop while I am already eating more gummies…for preparation.

  • Cheesy Bobotie Jaffels
  • Pro-tip: Just add Royco Bobotie mix to some mince and fry it up.

Details:

Where: Marloth Nature Reserve near Swellendam.
https://www.capenature.co.za/reserves/marloth-nature-reserve/

What is there to do: Hiking, Mountain biking, Bird watching, Horse riding, and Picnicking.