What to bring with?
by Jenniflower
Luggage with wheels is always a good idea, wherever you are travelling. Some ideas:
Light coloured clothing that doesnt absorb the sun as much as dark clothing.
Long-sleeved shirts and trousers will help protect you against the sun and possible insect bites.
A cap/hat that covers your head and neck.
Sunglasses.
Comfortable sandals and tackies/trainers/sneakers. Sun screen (at LEAST Factor 35 I would say), headache tablets, and usual little things like some plasters for blisters, cotton wool, germolene etc. Your camera, with charger, and an appropriate plug extension/adaptor. Have a map of the area handy, plus a local bird, flower and tree book. For this you also need a pair of good quality binoculars.
Cango Caves
by Kurtdhis
There is no shortage of things to do in this locality with a tour through the fascinating Cango Caves of stalagmites and stalactites, and Cheetahland, a place where you can stroke the fastest animal on earth while it purrs like a tractor.
There are some spectacular mountain passes with the Swartberg Pass the most sensational in South Africa. The wonderful twisted sedimentary layers of rock sport colours that look as if a painter were splashing about with his palate. The 24 km road has some awesome sheer drops and hair pin bends leading down to great echoing canyons.
Cango Wildlife Ranch
by mikelisaanna
The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a privately-owned zoo outside of Oudtshoorn that specializes in big cats, especially cheetahs, but also has lions and tigers. Visitors are taken through the complex on guided tours that take about an hour. The first part of the the tour shows you local animals and birds from South Africa and neighboring countries, including bats, crocodiles, vultures, flamingos, and lemurs. The second part of the tour takes you through a series of enclosures inhabited by the big cats. They have numerous rare white tigers and lions. Their primary specialty is cheetahs, which they raise and rehabilitate. They have adult cheetahs as well as babies, which were very cute. For an extra fee, adults (not children) can hold and pet the baby cheetahs.
There is also an area dedicated to snakes, which you can self-tour, as well as a petting zoo.
In addition, there is a restaurant, where we ate lunch on the day that we visited. The food was pretty good, although the service was a bit slow.
ABSA KKNK
by mvtouring
Every year around easter, Oudtshoorn transforms from a quiet sleeping village to a vibrant festive place when the ABSA Arts Festival takes over the whole village. To your hearts content you can then go and watch shows, fashion, or just sit and people watch.
Oudtshoorn - the ostrich capital
by MikeAtSea
Oudtshoorn is the tourist capital of the Little Karoo, a region bordered in the south by the Outeniqua and Langeberg Mountains and in the north by the Swartberg Range.
The boom of the golden days when everyone around the world bought Ostrich Feathers can still be found today. Old charming houses built with the boom money of the 1920’s when the chic of France, Britain and Germany wore what was produced here in the heart of the Southern Cape – Ostrich feathers.
However the boom collapsed when other fashion articles took over Europe but even today this is undoubtedly the capital of the Ostrich production world wide with numerous ostrich farms still running today and others that operate as show farms allowing you as the visitor to see and learn all about the ostrich.
The town offers a lot of charm and can be used as the base to explore the entire Little Karoo and the mountain ranges surrounding it.
Some of the highlights in the region are the impressive Cango Caves north of the city, en-route is one of my favourite places in South Africa – the Cango Wildlife Range who are leaders in the preservation of Cheetahs in Southern Africa.
If you travel along the Garden Route, and most visitors will do so along the N2 national road that runs parallel to the Indian Ocean, you should really take the time and cross over from Mossel Bay and visit this region before heading back over the stunning mountain passes to the Garden Route towards George (If you come from Cape Town – from Port Elizabeth vice versa). It is not only an interesting alternative but also a beautiful and very different part of South Africa, to explore this arid country side right next to some of the wettest regions of the country – the Garden Route.
Hospitality is also renown here. You will find plenty of Bed and Breakfasts, Guesthouses and Hotels in the region to ensure you sample some of South Africa’s own hospitality.
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An Oudtshoorn Ostrich
Me in Cango Caves, Nr. Oudtshoorn
Outside Oudtshoorn
Mountains outside Cango caves
