A Day out in Oudtshoorn

Back on the road again the scenery started to change from lush green forests and mountains to the desert like landscapes of the Klein Karoo. Beautiful oranges and sheep farms passed us by until we got into Oudtshoorn and checked into the Turnberry Boutique Hotel.

Turnberry Boutique Hotel

Another treat, the hotel put on a full South African braai (BBQ) with borewors (better than bratwurst), Ostrich, Karoo Lamb and salads. Heaven for the food lover… and the wine lover. The hotel is one of the oldest in the area, if you’re ever in the area I totally recommend it, it has that old world style of real keys (I’m not joking they were metal keys) for the doors, modern amenities and a pub on site. Don’t get me started on their breakfasts… I could barely walk afterwards due to the immense deliciousness! One thing to note that before the braai they had us singing an old afrikaans song in order to earn our dinner… it was fun, lots of fun, and no recordings were made and if they were I will find you. Just saying.

Cango Caves

The next morning after said breakfast we headed out for a full day of adventures. First up was the Cango Caves. I went there as a kid and remembered how humbling it was to be inside one of the oldest and largest caves in Africa and the planet we call home. Sadly due to lack of funds and mismanagement it wasn’t as impressive as it once was.

That said those that were with me and who had never experienced it before loved the adventure trekking through the cave system with a knowledgable guide. We wanted to do a lot that day so we skipped the more crazy treks where you crawl through the tunnels etc. If you have more time do it and don’t suffer from claustrophobia, it’s an experience you won’t forget!

Safari Ostrich Farm

After the caves we decided to head out to the Safari Ostrich farm for a tour, we were all excited to ride the ostriches but unfortunately they stopped doing it two days before we got there. Did I mention 2 days!!!

Never the less it was a fun tour getting up close and personal with the huge prehistoric looking birds, standing on their eggs and praying they didn’t crack, feeding them and then learning about the industry. Who would’ve thought a feather can go for thousands. I kid you not.

Cango Wildlife Ranch

The kids were sad about the ostrich riding so we decided to head over to the Congo Wildlife Ranch. Wow. Right off the bat we decided to do a few animal encounters, the cost was ridiculously cheap with our dollars and the staff so friendly and helpful that we ended up all doing as many as we could.

The adults headed out to the Cheetahs where they got to be right next to them, pating and stroking them to their hearts content. The kids and I went off to the Lemur’s for a monkey like experience. It was beyond incredible to be so close to the animals and observe them, the highlight of the day though was the walk through the bird sanctuary were we got to feed the crazy ones and have them all over us. Did I mention they poop, and poop a lot they did. Lets just say there was a lot of “luck” in the sanctuary!