Robertson and Montagu- Escape to the Mountains
It's the start of the new year- everyone is setting new resolutions and thinking about what they want to achieve over the next 365 days, so it seems like the perfect time to plan your next travel adventure!
We may not be able to enjoy the ocean and beaches at the moment in South Africa which gives you all the more reason to find that ultimate mountain destination for your trip. Time to enjoy the serenity of being away from city life and getting back to nature.
If you are looking to find the perfect weekend getaway from Cape Town, why not plan a trip to Robertson and Montagu... we went away for three nights and absolutely loved it!
Mountain views, waterfalls, and great food- what else do you need?!
Sun going down at Africamps Patbusch.
Africamps Patbusch
For the first night of our trip we stayed at the beautiful Africamps Patbusch in Robertson, just a short 2 1/2 hour drive from Cape Town.
I fell in love with this place straight away! Beautiful luxury tents tucked away on the green foothills of the Patbusch nature reserve. Spectacular views, fields of fynbos, streams, mountain dams and the peaceful melody of birdsong. It felt like we had this hidden valley all to ourselves.
We passed the afternoon jumping in and out of the dam, going on a short hike around the reserve, and soaking up the sun while reading on our balcony. The ideal Friday treat.
Me enjoying my first swim in the dam at Patbusch Africamps. It was so warm compared to the sea!
As the sun started to go, we braaied up some food and enjoyed a few drinks- taking in the views and making the most of being somewhere so quiet.
Balcony views.
Our little cosy home for the night.
Day 2- Mountain Biking
It was sunny by soon after 6am so we took the opportunity to go for a morning dip in the dam. Who needs a shower when you have that just outside your bedroom!
One final early morning swim before moving onto our next stop. Perfectly calm water and blue skies makes for the best swimming conditions!
We spent the day on two wheels exploring the dusty mountain trails and vineyards. Following bumpy tracks down into valleys, passing fields of vineyards and waving at friendly locals (who I think though we were a bit crazy!).
One of the pretty vineyards we passed somewhere along our route!
My bum was a bit bruised by the end of the ride and my legs ached from cycling a heavy mountain bike up the steep hills, but it was a great way to see the area.
Post cycle dips! We started cycling early, but it was still very hot by the time we had finished!
It was now time to go a find our new accommodation for the evening. We treated ourselves to a stop at the wonderful Rietvallei Wine Estate along the way where we could enjoy a drink and cool off.
Rietvlei Grove Farm- Plumb Cottage
Plumb cottage was our accommodation for the next two nights. A cute little Airbnb on the outskirts of Montagu- perfect for two.
Nestled between the Langeberg mountains and the Swartberg range, we really were surrounded by mountains.
Plumb Cottage
Montagu is only small and doesn't have that many dinner options available. I would recommend booking a table in advance, epsecially at the weeknd.
We ate at the lovely 22 Church Street for dinner. The food was delicious and the service very friendly.
Day 3- Rock climbing
I think this was the highlight of the trip for us! We had such a fun morning with Montagu Climbing.
Montagu is recognised as one of the outstanding climbing destinations in South Africa, so it seemed like it would have been a missed opportunity if we didn't give it a go.
We had both done some bouldering before, but climbing with ropes was complete new to me. I loved the new challenge and the feeling of being so high up! Scaling Montagu's rock faces, with awesome views of the mountains all around us, really was an adrenaline filled morning.
Making it look much too easy!
Relieved I'd made it to the top- shaky legs and pumped arms from the build up of lactic acid- and then the realisation that I had to get back down again!
After a tiring day of climbing we were happy to have a lazy evening. We cooked for ourselves and enjoyed a sundowner while soaking up the views for our final evening.
Day 4- Cogmanskloof Hike
Waking up to sunny skies and mountain views.
For the final day of our weekend getaway we wanted to do a hike to explore more of the mountains surrounding Montagu.
We chose the Cogmanskloof trail which is a 12km loop (took us 5 hours with stops). The summit is 690m, and after the first couple of kilometres, most of it is an easy walk following the river through the valley.
It was beautifully green with amazing rock formations and ravines.
We found our own private waterfall to cool off mid hike. It was A LOT colder than the dam water!
Hike over, it was then time to drive back home to Big Bay. Music on load, singing along to some of our favourites and enjoying the ever changing views out of the window- we were back in no time!
Sun kissed faces, a very dusty car, and lots of wonderful memories.
Overall I though this weekend away was a great combination of fun activities and relaxation. I wouldn't have changed anything about our itinerary, but I would definitely chose to go back again to redo our favourite things and to visit all the places that we couldn't fit in during our short trip. Montagu, you really impressed us!
Hopefully I have now put Montagu on your South African bucket list!
Enjoy your trip and safe travels.
Tasha X