The first stop we made was to the West Coast National Park – across its vastness one could really get lost in what nature has to offer. On our arrival, we were joined by a park guide by the name of Eddie Papier, also known as Oom Eddie, who shared his memories and knowledge of the WestCoast, with a sense of passion and pride; sharing how he and his family had embarked on saving whales and information that comprised lagoon tides, oyster shells and how to conserve the coasts’ fynbos.
The park, situated just inland from the Saldanha Bay harbour, boasts a number of attractions that visitors can explore. If you’re an avid sport enthusiast, the park offers hiking trails and mountain bike cycling routes, as well as kayak and kite-boarding; but should you be keen for a more relaxing option, you can go bird watching (the park has over 250 bird species annually), or have a relaxing picnic or braai at some of the facilities.
The park can be explored whilst in your car, which will have you see a few of the game in their natural habitats, such as the eland, red hartebeest and the Cape grysbok to name a few. Visitors to the park are able to see a wide variety of flowers, from daisies and bulbs, with larger areas of flowers seen in the Seeberg, Mooimaak and Postberg areas.
Our next and final stop brought us to the Langebaan Country Estate, which is about 15 min drive from the park and embodies a stellar home environment, catering to the entire family (even residential space) as there are many families that reside on the estate.
After visiting the estate’s Clubhouse, we were introduced to foot golf which is a combination of soccer and golf which has you kicking this massive "golf ball" on the estate’s Mashie Clubhouse nine-hole golf course. It’s the perfect activity for kids and you, if you’re looking to feel like one!
The estate has two conference rooms, seating up to 30 and 100 people respectively. Both rooms are fully equipped with a projector, pull-down screen, white boards, flip charts and Wi-Fi. If visitors are there on business and have some time to spare for leisure, the estate has tennis courts, a swimming pool and bicycle trails.
The estate also offers a gym, Oxigym which is open to the public.
Our accommodation for the evening was both modern and spacious and made me feel at home. The estate offers rooms that sleep up to two people or family sharing, between four to eight members, and provides all the necessities for a short or long stay.
The estate has various rates to choose from, with a property that captures what the West Coast is all about.
My sleep was both snug and sound with no disturbance and I was pleased to have experienced a peaceful evening.
We ended off our morning by first playing Pro Putt (please note that this is not your average putt-putt game), which had us moving uphill and down to get our holes in one and our scores high.
From there we headed over to the driving range, which is situated close to the estates' Clubhouse and offers a 260m range.
I have never played golf before and have always thought it tedious, but teeing off felt exhilarating (especially once my balls crossed a certain mark). It got my interest peaked, and I look forward to learning more about this sport.
All and all, I had a great trip and I look forward to making my way up the West Coast soon!
Visit the West Coast National Park and the Langebaan Country Estate websites for more information.
