December 2022

Our December holiday is long forgotten – so much has happened in the meantime – but it’s always nice to look back and remember the wonderful time we had on the West Coast of South Africa.

After celebrating Christmas at home in Langebaan with my mom, we packed our camping gear again to go camping in Lamberts Bay for a few days. This time we joined Berto’s uncle, aunt, as well as their son and his family (Berto’s cousin). We hadn’t seen them in many years and it was such a great time to just catch up with each other.

We sat and talked by the campfire until late at night – a wonderful time with family. On one of the days we decided to drive to Strandfontein and Doringbaai for some sightseeing.

Strandfontein:

Strandfontein, 300km (186 miles) from Cape Town, is a pretty little coastal village, situated on the West Coast of South Africa at the mouth of the Olifants River.

Safe tidal pool at the beach in Strandfontein

As it was close to lunch, we stopped at the beach and walked to Kommetjie Restaurant. This restaurant sits on the edge of the sea with amazing views.

It was a hot day and I couldn’t resist my favourite childhood drink, strawberry milkshake. After that I moved on to a more ‘adult’ drink, a very refreshing gin and tonic.

Two very different drinks

We each had a different meal, all of which were delicious. I ordered a grilled panini filled with cheese, pesto and bacon. It was served with chips and coleslaw on the side.

Lunch time at Kommetjie Restaurant

After Berto’s cousin’s little one played in the shallow water of the tidal pool and spent her last energy on the swings on the beach, we headed to the next little village.

Doringbaai:

The distance between Strandfontein and Doringbaai is only 8.5 km (5.2 miles). There is a lovely tarred road between the two villages, but we decided to drive a more scenic road along the sea.

The more adventurous road to Doringbaai

The high cliffs offer excellent views of the ocean from where it is ideal for whale watching in season (late winter to early spring).

Sea views between Strandfontein and Doringbaai

Rugged coastline

Doringbaai (it translates to ‘Thorn Bay’) is a small fishing village. The lighthouse, one of the local landmarks, was built in 1963.

Lighthouse of Doringbaai

At the entrance to the village is a restaurant called The Cabin. This was the first restaurant to open its doors in Doringbaai 34 years ago and is still going strong. That says a lot for a restaurant in such a small place! We just had to stop here to take a picture of the boat on their front porch.

The Cabin’s boat (and free coffee for the driver)

We decided to drive to the lighthouse for a closer look. Unfortunately, it was closed and we couldn’t go in. There is a restaurant near the pier where you can also taste wine.

Doringbaai Lighthouse

I had to laugh at the information board on the pier. It indicated London (UK) as 9,432 km from here. But if you want to visit the tasting room or restaurant, it’s just around the corner!

London or the tasting room?

From here we drove back to our campsite in Lamberts Bay. It’s fun to visit the small coastal towns – we’re always surprised with what these places have to offer!

We love the sea:

Side note: Just the other day I had a reminder on my phone of our coastal views. Looking at the pictures, it’s no secret that we love the sea!

Sea views on our travels

In our next post, we’ll take you to a very unique open-air restaurant – don’t miss it! You can read about here.