There are many reasons to overnight in Oudtshoorn. If you are travelling along Route 62, the scenic route linking Cape Town and the Garden Route, it makes the perfect place to break your journey; and, if you don’t visit Oudtshoorn, you miss the spectacular drive from Oudtshoorn down to George.
The town was capital of the ostrich feather industry in Edwardian times and this is reflected in the style of the buildings. It’s a bit of a tourist honeypot, with lots of people coming to visit the ostrich farms, to ride an ostrich and to visit tourist shops offering every conceivable ostrich skin product, but the cavernous Cango Caves, just outside town, are spectacular and repay a visit. There are a number of places to stay, both in and out of town, and most have ostrich fillet on the menu.
The Cango Caves contain a magnificent subterranean landscape within the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains and are one of South Africa’s most popular attractions. Despite the number of people who visit them, the calcite columns and cavernous spaces are awesome.
We were impressed by the good-value, imaginative menu at Jemima’s – and are delighted to see that it has been recognised as one of South Africa’s top 100 restaurants in this year’s WINE magazine’s dine restaurant awards.
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