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On our trip we stayed at Grootvlei Guest Farm and had a lovely time at this Four-star guesthouse. Go to their listing to make a booking for a wonderful weekend in Lambert's Bay.
I am a bit of a sucker for the West Coast. Perhaps it's my absolute love of simplicity and the fact that what I really want from a holiday is to just relax. I don't want a crazy itinerary, I just want to wake up and see how the day pans out.
So it was with the desire to simply unwind and soak up some West Coast hospitality that I ventured to the fishing town of Lambert's Bay. Whenever I get the feeling of going up the West Coast I usually go as far north as Langebaan, but this time I decided to head further up the coast. Lambert's Bay is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Cape Town and is a beautiful drive especially during spring when the flowers are starting to bloom.
We arrived in Lambert's Bay just in time to enjoy some lunch at Muisbosskerm, a wonderful restaurant with the claim to being the first and original open air restaurant in South Africa. They are located right on the beach and specialise in fresh seafood cooked the West Coast way. Muisbosskerm gets its name from a bush called "Muisbos", which was used by the native herdsman to build their shelters and has been used to build the walls of this open air restaurant.
We met Tertius, the manager and son of Edward and Elmien Turner who started Muisbosskerm. Initially a venture just for friends and family, the restaurant was then opened to the public in 1986. Since then it has grown in popularity attracting people from around the world to this unique and beautiful spot.
A bottle of the locally produced Sir Lambert's Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect choice for a seafood lunch on the sunny beach. The meal was a buffet of the freshest seafood - everything from mussels to angel fish to paella. While their speciality is seafood, I must mention that the steak from the braai was one of the best I've ever had (they made it difficult for me to really enjoy a steak since then). We took it very slow - just relaxing as we tried the many different foods on offer, took a walk on the beach, sipped wine and had a good chat.
Eventually it came time to leave, and it was with very contented looks on our faces that we rolled out of Muisbosskerm, sure to return. I then headed to my accommodation, Grootvlei Guest Farm, which was just a kilometre from Muisbosskerm. I got settled in quickly thanks to the helpful and friendly managers. Grootvlei is a lovely establishment with the perfect mixture of the West Coast's simplicity and more modern refinements. The guest farm had a strong earthy feel, including garden pathways lined with mussel shells, and great paths around the farm and down to the beach for people to get out and explore.
After getting settled in and watching some Ashes, I decided to take a walk around the farm. The West Coast is a really beautiful area with its distinctly dry and natural feel. My trip was just before spring, and although the daisies were not in full bloom there were patches here and there. There are a local brace of ducks on the farm and I watched for a while as they swam in the vlei as the sun set.
The rest of the weekend followed much the same pattern - eating a lot, chatting, and walking on the beach. According to the managers at Grootvlei Guest Farm there is talk of expanding and accommodating backpackers on the farm. I stayed in the main lodge, but Grootvlei also have accommodation right on the dunes above the beach in some great rustic cottages.
If you're looking to get away and enjoy the beauty of the West Coast, why not head up to Lambert's Bay for a weekend in the sun, next to the ocean and amongst the welcoming locals.
To book a weekend at Grootvlei go to their listing on RoomsForAfrica.
