05/10/2026
Farmstead Travel Women's Wine & Wild South Africa .....hit the Winelands! Now into days 3, 4 & 5!
Did you know....
South Africa is the home to the longest wine route in the world at 850km??? And i can tell you..it is unbelievably gorgeous!!!.....like really really beautiful!!
And we " done it up good!"
After leaving the hustle and bustle of Cape Town, our group travelled to the much quieter "capital of the Winelands", the town of Stellenbosch.
This gave our gals a bit more time for relaxing and shopping..and these three days have definitely ticked off the boxes for the wine-lovers in our group!
The Winelands region is famous for its "wine farms" and farm estates with many dating back to the mid seventeen hundreds. Having been settled by the Dutch and the french Huegenots, you will find many of these Dutch-inspired original farm buildings and homes have been preserved and.convèrted into gorgeous wine-tasting rooms, farm shops and beautifully-appointed luxury accommodations.
Our Winelands visit kicked off with a visit to Carmen Stevens wines...the first black South African to study wine-making AND a very busy woman, wine-maker, mother and philanthropist! What an inspiration she was to our group..so much so that it inspired Farmstead Tours & Travel - Wendy Weir CTA to make a donation, on behalf of our group, to the Carmen Stevens Foundation that addresses child hunger.
Really great wine and visit listening to her story. Our gals really enjoyed it and were inspired by her story!
Following our wine-tasting experience, it was time for lunch...but not just any lunch...a boxed picnic lunch at the nearby (and very famous) Boschendal Wine farm estate offering up the biggest picnic box (per person!) ever.. filled with meats, cheeses, chicken, salad, homemade breads, potato salad, homemade marshmallows, tart and all washed down with some bubbly...all set out under the trees.... it was an amazing treat!
Our next day took us to the "township" of Kayamandi. A community of approx 60k (but no one really knows for sure -census has not been done since 2011) sprawled out on the hill overlooking Stellenbosch. Considered a suburb of Stellenbosch, this predominantely Black African community, with the main language being " Xhosa", (a tribal tonal language using tongue clicks) was originally founded as a housing for Black Africa labourers in the late 1940's due to the ongoing Apartheid segregation movement. One of many of these "township" communities found throughout South Africa ..the various living conditions range from extremely rough (by any standards) to quite comfortable. Many multi-generational families still occupying 1, 2 and 3 room shacks and homes, using communal bathrooms and laundry areas and you will find hydro poles dotted throughout the community with 20 and 30 extension cords attached to the top as the only source of electrical power feeding these homes.
The townships are self sufficient complete with schools, mini-marts, churches, numerous businesses and representatives to local government. Our local tour hosts, Sam and Paul, residents of Kayamandi, toured us thru streets, down back alleys explaining the way of life here discussing everything from religion, education, cultural differences, income and (even mentioning that Polygamy is still accepted here.. and indicating that it can be a "beautiful thing"...hmmm? ) as well as the struggles and challenges ..like any other community has. ..
a fun stop at a kindergarten for an impromptu concert was a highlight and let's not forget about the lady carrying a box on her head and then stopping to show us that it was a pot of boiled chicken feet -a staple here and dinner that night for her family. Our visit was finished with a "Xhosa" meal in a private home (xhosa is the 2nd largest ethnic tribe in S.A.) that was so so good!
What an enriching experience for all of us! It makes a person realize how lucky we are and also how much we take for granted.... are we any happier tho...honestly I doubt it. We found everyone friendly and lots of smiles! Who are we to judge....
After our Kayamandi experience, we had a surprise visit to the Babylonstoren estate...one of the oldest working Dutch Cape farms in South Africa established in 1692...as well as one of the best preserved. Wine production and gorgeous tasting rooms, olive oil and tasting (and was probably one of the best olive oil tasting I have ever been to) a farm shop, essential oil production, balsalmic vinegar, massive gardens, fruit trees, a rice paddy and the list keeps going.... this was a wonderful stop for a wine tasting as well as an olive oil production tour & tasting -especially since olive harvest is in full swing!
.our last day in the Winelands....well..more wine of course! BUT...not before some retail therapy at the Franschoek saturday market filled with local artisans and vendors! After some heavy duty shopping we finished the day with a four course meal that would rival any michelin-star restaurant all paired with wine! (6 of them!) This area of the winelands (Franschoek) has got to be one of most beautiful areas... vineyards, fruit orchards, olive groves all with mountainous backdrops.... this is a must see area.
We rolled out of our wine-tasting lunch today with our buttons undone and went wee wee wee wee all the way back to our hotel to pack for our Sunday morning flight!
We have definitely covered the "wine portion" in our Womens Wine & Wild title... and now it is time to cover the "Wild"!
Sunday morning we take a short flight North and will be welcomed by our Ranger/guide for three days in the greater Kruger area for a safari at a private game lodge... this is what we have been waiting for!..
You will just have to follow along with us as we search for "the big five!!"
Don't miss it!!
Self Promotion! **did you know we still have a few spots on our "Farms & Charms of South Africa tour next March?" ***
