Herman van Bon and Yvonne de Wit of Soekershof Botanical Gardens share this tale of a small town visited, and revisited, and of their impressions on both occasions.
Life is unpredictable and Tulbagh is the proof of it. We entered Tulbagh during our first 4 day visit of South Africa in September 1999 and left within half an hour. Our first impression was one of desolation in the main street and a few ''doll houses'' in Church Street. The people were not all that friendly with the exception of the than proprietor of Die Oude Herbergh in Church Street where we had a quick lunch.
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How refreshing was our visit a few weeks ago. Tulbagh has changed for the better during the past 11 years. The main street became more attractive and the centre of town in total is far more friendly for disabled people than Cape Town and other mainstream destinations. Prices in restaurants and accommodations are very affordable; surely in comparison with other towns within the Boland.
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And as we always do (it''s a personal thing) we always try to avoid the mainstream. Yes we walked through Church Street again and had a nice encounter with some peacocks. But the big surprises are found in the countryside; a stroll in the ''veld'' let us discover a plethora of flora; sometimes precious small plants hidden under a bush of some kind; a small Cape Dutch church between the vineyards; achocolatier out of town (yam yam for chocolat addicts!!!); a lush green landscape ''for your eyes only'' to dream away in; a wine cellar (Saronsberg) with contemporary architecture with Cape Dutch heritage and an impressive collection of South African art (the world class wines are as self-willed as the owner); the small succulent plant nursery of passionate plant lover Mandy Kriel somewhere at the borderline of town.
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Yes, from now on we can recommend Tulbagh as a destination where one should stay at least a few days and undergo life in rural slow pace.
Life is unpredictable; who would have thought in September 1999 that 7 months later we established ourselves permanently in South Africa? We did not either.
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Herman van Bon
Yvonne de Wit (photography)
About the Bloggers
Herman van Bon and Yvonne de Wit manage the fascinating Soekershof Private Mazes and Botanical Gardens, located along Route 62 (previously featured on the Portfolio Travel Blog).
- You can find their website at http://soekershof.com and read their own blog (edited by Herman) at http://soekershof.typepad.com.
- Soekershof also has a Facebook page
- Contact Herman van Bon - email: info@soekershof.co.za
- Route 62 Accommodation- Contact Portfolio to book.