While winter is usually a time to batten down the hatches, pull up the covers and settle into seasonal slumber, the colder months are a superb time to explore different corners of South Africa without breaking the bank or standing in a queue longer than a voting line to get a table at the restaurant you read about on Eat Out.
A particular slice of the glorious coastline spanning just 400 km has several interesting spots, perfect for a winter road trip getaway.
Lalibela Wildlife Reserve
Golden light and the smell of woodsmoke in the crisp air is when the bush whispers its most intimate secrets to those willing to venture out. Winter is prime time for safari lovers at Lalibela Wildlife Reserve in the Eastern Cape.
Cooler months mean clearer visibility through thinning vegetation, fewer insects, and wildlife that tends to linger longer at waterholes. Game viewing is exceptional, and the experience is all the more immersive when wrapped in one of Lalibela’s floor-length fleece ponchos enjoying mid-morning coffee and rusks.
This season, however, there’s even more magic in the tall grass. Last month, Lalibela’s thermal cameras captured something extraordinary: six cheetah cubs huddled close to their mother. It’s a rare sight, and one that holds immense significance. With fewer than 7 000 cheetahs left in the wild, and high genetic uniformity threatening their survival, each birth is a triumph.
Guests can experience this conservation story firsthand on twice-daily game drives from Inzolo Lodge—one of the six Lalibela lodges—where elegant suites open onto panoramic bush views and wide-open skies for stargazing at night (which is much better in winter thanks to fewer clouds and less atmospheric haze). Returning from the drive, guests will find lit fires, warm blankets, and hot gourmet meals.
Seven Fountains Village
Before leaving Lalibela Wildlife Reserve, take a moment to connect with the people behind it at Seven Fountains Village. Meet the next generation at the Seven Fountains Community Creche before heading to the Women’s Centre where a hearty stew simmers on the stove in anticipation of the children’s lunch break. At the same time, the women knit, bead and swap stories. Beanies and beadwork are available to purchase.
Mastertons Coffee
Just 90 km away lies Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), the hometown of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi. Get your coffee (and a splash of history) at the Mastertons Roastery in a Cape Dutch-style house on the Walmer area’s Main Road. At the venerable age of 101, this is South Africa’s oldest operating roastery and a must-stop for caffeine lovers. See and smell the roasting process in action, sip at the in-house coffee bar and browse brewing tools and beans for your morning fix along your journey.
The Donkin Reserve, No 7 Castle Hill and South End Museum
Gqeberha is steeped in varied history and the winter months offer the perfect opportunity for visits to historical landmarks like the Donkin Reserve for panoramic city and ocean views alongside the city’s iconic lighthouse, stone pyramid and Voting Line Sculpture – a 38-metre-long metal sculpture representing all the communities who share the land and who voted peacefully on 27 April 1994.
Just around the corner, step into the past at No. 7 Castle Hill, one of the oldest Georgian-style settler cottages in the country. The interior is furnished to depict the domestic life of an English middle-class family in the mid-19th century. Visitors can explore exhibits like doll houses, lace displays, and the original well.
For another critical historical perspective, visit the South End Museum, which documents the area’s forced removals during apartheid with heartfelt exhibits and personal stories. The residents of this colourful neighbourhood in its prime location near the centre of town were forcibly relocated, after which the suburb was flattened.
Heading westward, pause at a place few know about: Le Chameleon in Humansdorp, an offbeat, boere-baroque-style curio spot and antique store, and eatery tucked away in the back of a shop that makes the best toasted paninis.
If you’re travelling in September, take a detour inland to Mooihoek Strawberry Farm in the lush Gamtoos Valley, purchase a tub and pick your strawberries. Looking to take some home to friends and family, but worried they might not make it? The farm offers a vibrant range of dried fruit and infusion mixes, making them tasty gifts to zhuzh up tea, G&Ts or cakes.
Make a pitstop at the Storms River Petroport, which may not sound glamorous, but has a delicious little secret: some of the country’s finest biltong at the Village Pantry Biltong Shop. And just a few steps away, the mighty Storms River Bridge offers dizzying views of the gorge below.
Just 20 minutes before Plettenberg Bay, turn onto Redford Road in The Crags, where you’ll find South Africa’s smallest, easternmost Wine of Origin region, the Plett Winelands. Stretching from Harkerville to The Crags, the area is home to 18 boutique wine farms with a particular flair for Cap Classique, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, all bursting with cool-climate character. Start with Newstead Lund Family Vineyards, a pioneer of the Plett Winelands and a must for Cap Classique lovers. The estate is home to the only Cap Classique outside the Cape Winelands to have won top honours at the annual Amorim Cap Classique Challenge. (Booking is essential.)
As you enter Plettenberg Bay, pause at Thyme & Again, a charming roadside bakery and farm stall where locals and travellers gather over shakshuka breakfasts, artisan pies, coffee and homemade rusks.
Stay at the Tsala Treetop Lodge, which offers a serene escape in the heart of the Garden Route. Each luxurious suite is suspended among trees, complete with a private deck and infinity plunge pool overlooking the canopy. Drop a Mooihoek strawberry or two in a flute of Newstead Cap Classique and toast to a spectacular journey so far.
Set aside a day to hike the Robberg, a wild peninsula named after the Cape fur seals that bark from the rocks below. A Mastertons brew and Thyme & Again rusk will get you going early enough to ensure you find parking inside the reserve close to the trail. There are trails for all fitness levels, from the short and leisurely Gap Circuit to the more challenging 9,2 km path. (Be sure to check the times for high and low tides.) Winter is whale season, so be on the lookout for Southern Right Whales.
When you’ve earned your sundowner, let it be at Simon’s Bar, a rustic refuge with boho-chic flair where there’s live local music and the barman makes a mean margarita. Perched above Emily Moon River Lodge Restaurant, this bar is a local favourite that blends vintage coastal charm with wood-fired pizzas – watch the sun set over the Bitou River with a slice of pulled pork and rocket pizza in hand. Simon’s Bar operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to claim your seat early.
