Things to do near
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Popular Attractions
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Barrydale (20.9 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Killarney Farm offers visitors 3 dams to fish, each stocked with big rainbow and brown trout.
Located on the highest point between Montague and Barreydale, the area boasts beautiful scenery and tranquility. The dams itself are regularly stocked, so you can be assured a great time fly fishing. The is catch and release fishing, but if you wish to keep your fish, you'll have to pay per kilo. This is strictly fly fishing only and rod fees apply.
Popular Attractions
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Barrydale (21.1 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Bo Vlakte is about 2 hours away from Cape Town and just 22 km from Barrydale on the R62. This venue is rapidly gaining a reputation as an excellent place to fish.
The two dams are spring fed and stocked with trout, bass and Tilapia.
Hiking Trail
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Ladismith (26.1 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) The two-day horse trail in Anysberg Nature Reserve offers an amazing adventure in a vast wilderness. One of the reserve’s rangers will show you the basics of tacking up your horse before setting out. Along the way guides point out interesting rock art, Karoo vegetation and wildlife. Klipspringer and gemsbok can often be seen. Evenings are spent around the fireside and camping out under a canopy of stars.
Hiking Trail
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Swellendam (30.3 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) The circular Swellendam Hiking Trail traverses the Langeberg Mountains, starting at the forestry station 3 km outside the town of Swellendam. The route offers incredible views, passing through mountain fynbos, rugged gorges and past impressive crags. Only fit and seasoned hikers should tackle the 6-day route. Shorter options are possible.
Duration: 4 – 6 days
Difficulty: Tough
Distance: 81 km
Galleries and Museums
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Swellendam (31.3 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Kunstehuijs Fine Art Gallery specializes in original art by prominent South African artists.
The owner, Grady Zeeman, is well known for her emotional and humanitarian paintings and has participated in numerous exhibitions in USA, UK, Italy, France and China. Art is shipped worldwide.
Popular Attractions
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Swellendam (31.5 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Diagonally opposite the 1838 Cape Dutch-style Oefeningshuis is the 'Moederkerk' – Swellendam's Dutch Reformed Church. Built in 1910, this giant wedding cake of a building displays a wonderfully eclectic fusion of architectural styles.
Cape Dutch gables, Gothic windows, Renaissance entrances, and a Baroque spire combine into an attractive fairytale-like building. Great for happy holiday snaps!
Golf Courses
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Swellendam (31.5 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Practice your swing and tee off on De Kloof's golf driving range and putting green. De Kloof Luxury Hotel and Estate provides its own private short golf driving range and putting green for guests. The facility, clubs and balls are supplied at no extra cost.
Golf Courses
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Swellendam (32.2 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) 9 hole, par 72 at the foot of the Langeberg mountains with views of farms and the Hermitage Valley.
Nature Reserves
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Bontebok National Park (36.3 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Lying 6km south of Swellendam in the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains, Bontebok National Park is a species-specific SA National Park. Established in 1931 to preserve the rare bontebok, it is the smallest of SAN Parks' 20 reserves and is part of the Cape Floristic Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nature Reserves
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Heidelberg (WC) (39.3 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Deep in the Langeberg Mountains and part of Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is the hiking paradise Boosmansbos Wilderness Area. As part of the Cape Floral Region, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fragrant mountain fynbos and indigenous kloof forest characterize the lovely landscape. Some incredibly rare species of Ericas can be found. The ravines are populated by stinkwood, yellowwood, Cape holly, red alder, beech, white alder and candlewood trees. If you're a tree-spotter, look out for a thicket of mountain cypress growing on a cliff edge.
Wildlife that you may encounter includes grey rhebuck, klipspringer, grysbok, baboons, leopard, mongoose and genet. The area boasts numerous birds with 184 recorded species including black, martial, crowned and booted eagles, redwinged and redneck francolins, blackrumped buttonquail, striped flufftail and Layard’s titbabbler.
Popular with hikers, the main attraction here is the lack of infrastructure and remoteness. Paths are unmarked and huts provide only basic shelter and no toilet facilities. Hikers need to be well-equipped for all weather and must carry an accurate map.
Hikers may choose their route from 64 km of paths. A circular two-day route of 27 km follows an old jeep track up Loerklip and back down Saagkuilkloof. Advance bookings are essential.
+27 021 659 3500
bookings@capenature.co.za
Hiking Trail
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Heidelberg (WC) (41 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Boosmansbos Wilderness Area in the Langeberg Mountains offers 64 km of unmarked walking paths. Hikers have the freedom to decide on their own route. The two-day hike up Loerklip and down Saagkuilkloof is the most popular. This 27 km circular route is not clearly marked and graded demanding, so it is essential to carry an accurate map. Advance bookings are essential.
Duration: 2 days
Difficulty: Moderate to tough
Nature Reserves
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Heidelberg (WC) (42.4 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Excellent bird watching, gorgeous indigenous Knysna forest and mountain fynbos characterize this CapeNature reserve in the Langeberg.
The 250-hectare forest is situated 22 km northwest of Heidelberg and is considered the best and largest woodland in the south-western Cape.
The Bushbuck and Grysbok Trails (2 – 15 km) and the short mountain bike trail through high forest are wonderful options to explore this stunning reserve. Permits for these trails are available from
the CapeNature office.
Forest tree species that you will see are stinkwood, yellowwood, red alder and the ubiquitous ironwood. Wildlife that is often encountered includes bushbuck, Cape grysbok, Cachma baboons, various small mammals like mongoose and genet. Occasionally leopard can be seen.
Rich in bird diversity, the reserve boasts no less than 196 bird species. Twitchers will be gripping their binoculars to spot endemics like the Knysna woodpecker, Knysna warbler, Victorin’s warbler, forest canary and Cape Siskin. Other forest specials to look out for are the Narina Trogon and majestic Crowned Eagle.
And what else is there to brag about? Grootvadersbosch is home to a subspecies of ghost frog and a unique forest emperor butterfly.
Four By Four Trails
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Laingsburg (46.2 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) The Diep en Deur is a 4x4 trail in the Witteberg Private Nature Reserve between Touws Rivier and Laingsburg. The Diep en Duer trail is one of four trails in this private reserve. The trail is 15 km long and its halfway point is 1370 m above sea level, overlooking the Matrosberg’s peak. The trail has a difficulty grading of 3 and takes 4 to 5 hours to complete. This self-drive course requires a 4x4 vehicle with low range and high clearance. The trail is open all year round.
Golf Courses
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Montagu (46.6 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) The Montagu Golf Club course is a 9-hole country course situated in the picturesque town of Montagu at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains.The well-maintained course is surrounded by typical Klein Karoo vegetation with scenic views of the adjacent farming activities. With fabulous weather all year round, you're assured of an enjoyable Klein Karoo golf experience.Need to know? Montagu Golf Club is open every day. For visitors a reasonable fee is charge. Montagu is a two-hour drive from Cape Town (200 km).
Wine Estates
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Montagu (46.7 km from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) Montagu is muscadel country with the town hosting the annual Muscadel Festival. Muscadel is a sweet, full rounded wine with rich fruit flavours that is drunk on crushed ice or at room temperature. It's definitely worth joining the festive townsfolk who celebrate the muscadel tradition with great country hospitality and style.Montagu Wine Cellar was established in 1941, producing wine of the variety of the day, namely Muscadel. Just grapes of the highest quality with a minimum of 24° B were used. Monis’ marsala and moscato had its origin in this cellar and this special and unique method is still used.Today the cellar makes dry table wines as well, receiving a number of awards. The cellar has several times been the Champion Co-op Cellar of the region and their red Muscadel was already four times chosen for the Nederburg Wine Auction where it was described as "the best wine for the price anywhere in the world". Unlock the ambience of Montagu with a glass of Montagu Cellar muscadel, put your feet up and enjoy the peace and quiet.