Milla's Travel Book: A Beautiful Blooming Road Trip

Spring has sprung in the Western Cape and what better way to celebrate than heading out onto the highway, looking for adventure and beautiful flowers up the West Coast.

However, before you begin your road trip, there are a few criteria one needs to meet before hitting the road, even if it is just for a day trip.

First things first, you need good music. Our collection consisted of Roxette (I can see some of you cringing already but embrace it, the 80’s are coming back), a fun 60’s compilation and some other good modern classics that allow you to sing out loud with the windows down, true road trip style. How else?

Then secondly, you cannot start a road trip without padkos. You can always stop and buy things at the various padstalletjies you will stop at along the way but you will need to make that initial trip to the shops to get a few goodies to enhance the excitement of an upcoming road trip. One of those things most definitely needs to be biltong and droëwors.

Thirdly, and this is not something you need to remember to check off the list and take along but rather something you must do. Leave the road map and GPS at home. Nothing says road trip and adventure like heading in the general direction of your destination with the freedom to choose an unknown road.

With all three aspects taken care of, Marilie and I headed out of Durbanville on the Koeberg Road to Philadelphia and were greeted by rolling yellow hills of flowering canola. It took our breath away and heightened our already bursting excitement.

On route to Philadelphia.

At Philadelphia we treated ourselves to a delicious morning hot chocolate and milkshake at the Pepper Tree before we browsed around in the various craft and decor shops, as well as the ceramic and art gallery.

Pepper Tree, Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is a friendly town and even if one only takes a lazy Sunday drive to this little quaint town from the city, it will definitely be worth your while.

The streets of Philadelphia.

We then departed Philadelphia and drove through Atlantis, on to Mamre which is one of the first Moravian mission stations in South Africa.

Mamre

As mentioned, we had no road map or GPS or even a clear route planned but only a general direction in mind which was to head in the direction of the flower village, Darling. However that meant that each time we came to a crossroad we had to pause a moment, use our excellent womanly sense of direction (I know you men are chuckling right now) and pick the road that felt, just right.

Rural landscape between Mamre and Darling.

We definitely picked the right road to Darling, the Dassenberg Road which was spectacular. Every time you climbed a hill you were rewarded with a beautiful view of more rolling hills. There are very few things that can give you that complete feeling of freedom than travelling on an unknown road through tranquil, beautiful rural lands. You really just want to break out in a classic road tripping song.

Solitary road between Mamre and Darling.

We finally arrived in Darling but did not stay very long as honestly, besides Evita’s restaurant, there was not much to see and we wanted to find our much sought after field of flowers.

Shortly after leaving Darling we noticed many stationary cars along the side of the road and people with camera’s walking around in a field of yellow flowers. We thought this must be it, eureka, we had found our field of flowers to go running and skipping in.

Darling's colourful flower carpet.

I am not sure on the name of this particular reserve. We had passed many signposts indicating various flower reserves on the road out of Darling but this one seemed the liveliest of them all.

A gem of a flower reserve outside Darling.

From the road you can’t imagine that so many flowers can blend together so delightfully to form the perfect carpet of colour. One should take your time and stroll along the paths, taking a closer look at all the flowers, their striking colours and patterns and yes, stop and smell the daisies (or frolic in them).

Flower Power.

We had one last stop planned before heading home and found our way to the West Coast National Park. Sadly we were quite disappointed as the only flowers we spotted were bright cerise vygies. Maybe we were in the wrong place but we were hoping for more fields of colourful flowers.

Bright pink!

Rather hungry from our drive, we decided to enjoy a scrumptious lunch of fish and chips at the Geelbek Restaurant, in the West Coast National Park. We were by the sea after all.

Geelbek Restaurant, West Coast National Park.

Afterwards we took a quick drive around the park and stumbled upon a lovely bay called Kraalbaai. It is also known as “Die Preekstoel” (The Pulpit) due to a large rock that looks like a pulpit. The view across the water to Langebaan was lovely and we sat dreamily watching the house boats causally float on the water.

Sadly the end of the day had caught up to us and we couldn’t spend too much time in the park.

We headed home on the R27 with a deep orange sunset enhancing the warm glow in our memories of a colourful road trip up the West Coast.

Highly recommended! If not this year, then keep it in mind for a beautifully blooming road trip next year.