The Red Mountain Lodge is within striking
distance of Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, the Cango Caves,
Seweweekspoort, the
Swartberg Pass and Prince Albert.
A twenty minute drive will bring you to
Oudtshoorn,
home to more ostrich than anywhere else in the world.
There are four ostrich show farms offering daily tours
and demonstrations. Other attractions include the last
of the sandstone ostrich palaces, built during the
ostrich feather boom of the late 19th century; the Cango
Wildlife Ranch to see cheetah, white Bengal tigers, wild
dogs and crocodiles; the CP Nel Museum and
Arbeidsgenot, the home of CJ Langenhoven, a great South
African poet. Oudtshoorn offers curio shops specialising
in ostrich leather goods and some good restaurants and
coffee shops: Kalinka's
Russian Coffee Shop, 93 Baron van Reede Street 044
279 2596 and Jemima's - voted one of the top ten
South African restaurants for 2003, 94 Baron van Reede Street 044 272 0808. In
April the town hosts the Klein Karoo Kunstefees,
the largest Arts Festival in the country.
The Cango Caves are about 30 minutes from the
Red Mountain Lodge. The spectacular limestone
caverns are filled with stalactites, stalagmites and
helicites. Two guided tours take you through the Cango
One system - an hour long walk through the main chambers,
or a 90 minute Adventure Tour through 1200m of caves and
tunnels.
Calitzdorp is just 15 minutes away. Known as
"The Port Wine Capital" of South Africa, it is
home to five cellars: Boplaas, Die Krans, Calitzdorp
Wine Cellar, Withoek and Axe Hill. The Calitzdorp
Port Festival is held during the last weekend of July
each year. The village has some charming Victorian and
Edwardian architecture, especially in the side streets.
Visit Ebenhart's, the only pipe maker in the country, to
view his Handmade Smoking Pipes - all produced from
local woods. The Herrie Train with its colourful
carriages is an entertaining way to take a trip from
Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn. Calitzdorp's natural hot springs are a short drive
from the town, at the
source the water temperature reaches 50 degrees
Centigrade.
For
breath-taking scenery take a day trip and drive through
the Huisrivier Pass towards Ladismith. Near the
Mission village of Zoar turn right into Seweweekspoort.
The drive through the gorge cuts through towering walls
of folded Table Mountain sandstone. Another
spectacular drive is just 30 minutes away, the Swartberg Pass
takes you over the Swartberg Mountains to Gamkaskloof
or to Prince Albert and our five star guest house
De Bergkant Lodge.
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