/ Attractions

Start your visit to the Oudtshoorn Attractions at the Cango Caves at 09:00 (for the heritage tour) or 09:30 (for the adventure tour) It takes about 30 minutes to drive to the Cango Caves, so you should try to depart from Oudtshoorn about 08:15. It is a scenic tar road through the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains with a lot of curves and bends. You can give yourself about 90 minutes duration for the adventure tour and 60 minutes for the heritage tour. (Keep in mind that they have a curio shop and restaurant as well – so you can give yourself about an hour for sight-seeing at the Cango Caves).

Health Problems

Adventure tour – not suitable for people with claustrophobia or those who suffer from back ailments, high blood pressure or pregnant women.

Wheelchair Friendly Areas

Only in Cango Caves Building
Tours not wheelchair friendly

Clothing

We advise you to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the tour.

Camel rides

We have seven very friendly and well-trained dromedary camels that can’t wait to offer you a ride. Their names are: Joshua, Moses, Vossie, Abraham, Nelson, Thabo and Josef.

18 hole Ghwarra-Ghwarra Golf

Fun and entertaining putt-putt for young and old alike.

Donkey cart rides

This traditional way of transportation is a lot of fun.

Foefie slide

100 metres long and 6 metres high across our farm dam (zip line).

Farm atmosphere

We pride ourselves on creating a healthy farm atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy the fresh air.

Animals to feed

In true farm style we have a variety of farm animals to feed. These include rabbits, a pig, billy goats, donkey, ostriches and sheep. (Touch farm).

Bumper boats

This is a very nice and safe activity to do with your kids. Or have a drink on the veranda while you watch them have a go at each other.

Curios and gifts to buy

Our curio shop has a large variety of local wines, homemade goodies, gifts and curios. Cold drinks, ice-cream, sweets, biltong, and lots of special gifts are available.

Hiking trails

For the more energetic we’ve got a 30-60 minute hiking trail.

Mountain bike trails

About 5 km long; bring your own bike.

Trampolines

Quad Buggies

Fun obstacle / teambuilding course

Plenty of GREAT photo opportunities

Restaurant

We have a well appointed, fully licensed family restaurant where you can enjoy home cooked meals at affordable prices.

Cango Ostrich Show Farm

12km from Wilgewandel ( en-route to the Cango Caves).
www.cangoostrich.co.za

Highgate Ostrich Show Farm

10km from Oudtshoorn – on the Volmoed road towards Mossel Bay.
www.highgate.co.za

Safari Ostrich Show Farm

7km from Oudtshoorn – on the road to Mossel Bay.
www.safariostrich.co.za

What you will experience

the eggs, incubators and chicks (in season)
to hug and kiss our super friendly female – Betsie
to feed the ostriches by hand
to sit on the ostriches
and for the daring type, to … Ride the ostriches (weight limit 75kg) and to stand on the eggs (the ultimate weight test).

Clothing

Depending on the time of your visit, you will need to dress accordingly.

We recommend the following attire

Comfortable walking shoes
Light clothing and a hat (especially during summer)
Umbrella (winter months)

and never forget your sunscreen!!

What to expect when you arrive at the ranch?

Upon arrival you will be greeted by your guide who will inform you of when your tour will start. During your wait (which will not be more than half an hour ) you can view our snake park, lorikeet aviary, wallaby walkabout, kids zone, visit any one of our curio shops or have a bit to eat at one of our restaurants.

Your guided tour will take you through the Valley of Ancients with its variety of animals and reptiles then off to Cheetah land where you will meet our big cats. A tour will last anything from 45 – 60 minutes. We recommend visitors set aside at least 2 hours to experience everything we have to offer.

After your tour you are welcome to walk around and perhaps re-visit some of the enclosures for extra pictures.

Drive towards De Rust

35.2km (+/- 27 minutes) from Oudtshoorn, at the foot of the Swartberg lies the natural beauty of De Rust, a little farm village with a peaceful environment. Like Oudtshoorn, De Rust is known for its Ostrich farming and historical buildings. Its drinking water from a mountain spring puts expensive bottled water to shame, and it lies snuggled in the mouth of Meiringspoort. Everything about De Rust is true, true hospitality, true Karoo environment and true peace and quiet.

The main attraction of De Rust is Meiringspoort with its incredible passageway of various towering sandstone cliffs that pierce the heart of the Swartberg Mountain Range.

From there – Pass through Meiringspoort towards Klaarstroom.

23.1km (+/- 17 minutes) There is a beautiful waterfall in Meiringspoort. It is an easy walk to the waterfall.

Your next stop would be Prince Albert

From Klaarstroom to Prince Albert would be about 52.8km (+/- 44 minutes). You will be experiencing part of the Great Karoo on this road.

The Karoo geology is striking and the plains, valleys and peaks support a wide variety of plant species from fynbos to Karoo scrub. Fossils, bushman paintings and the last lingering evidence of our 1890’s gold rush add romance to farm drives and hikes.

Prince Albert lies at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, offering spectacular day drives into the internationally renowned Swartberg Pass and Gamkaskloof – “The Hell,” a remote valley in the depths of the Swartberg, where the community lived in isolation for more than 100 years and is now under the care of the CapeNature (conservation) Board.

From Prince Albert to Oudtshoorn (via the Swartberg Pass)

It is about 70.7 km and about 2 hours drive, but worth the while. The pass offers spectacular views and beautiful Fynbos. It is a gravel road, but well looked after.

As you pass the top of the Mountain, you will seethe beautiful landscape of the Klein Karoo.

Once you arrive at the bottom of the pass – you can follow the R328 back to Oudtshoorn. On this route is the Cango Caves, Wilgewandel Holiday Farm, Cango Ostrich Show Farm, Karusa Winery, Buffelsdrift Game Lodge and Cango Wildlife Ranch.

Erkenning aan hom wat AFRIKAANS vir ons toeganklik, leesbaar en amptelik gemaak het. “Om ons een eie taal tot nut te gebruik is groter kuns as om sewe vreemdes by te leer.”

ARBEIDSGENOT Oudtshoorn is die werkswinkel waar Afrikaans gevorm is en waar “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika” uit die hart en pen van C.J. Langenhoven verrys het.

Today it is a museum and can be visited at 217 Jan van Riebeeck road.

Situated in High Street, between Church and St Saviour Street.

John le Roux bought stand No. 6488 in the High Street in 1907, which purchase included the so-called “Pioneer House”, fronting onto Loop Street. Originally this site was part of the larger property given to the N.G. Church by J.C. Schoeman and the founder of Oudtshoorn, C.P. Rademeyer, when Oudtshoorn became a magisterial District in 1858. In order to augment Church funds, once the Church building had been completed, some of the above-mentioned gift was cut into smaller portions in 1879 and sold. A Mr O’Flinn Morkel bought the “Townhouse” site, with the intention of erecting a shop, which evolved, in the course of time and much renovation, into what today is known as the “Pioneer House”.

On the 22nd February 1980 the house was declared a National Monument.

The Museum owes its origin to the private collection of Colonel Charles Paul Nel, who was a successful businessman and a collector of antiquities. A day before his death in 1951, he officially entrusted his collection to a Board of Trustees. Over the years the collection has been considerably enlarged. In 1972 the CP Nel collection was brought to its present home – the former Oudtshoorn Boys’ High School. As a result of this, the sandstone building, with its beautiful clock tower, was saved from demolition. It was designed by Charles Bullock and erected in 1906. The School Hall, designed in the New Republican style, was erected in 1912. The building as a whole dates back to the second “ostrich feather boom” (1900 – 1914) and was declared a National Monument in 1981. The museum is essentially cultural-historical in nature and endeavours to collect, preserve, research and exhibit the unique heritage of Oudtshoorn and the Klein Karoo. A unique feature of the museum is the reconstruction of the St John Street Synagogue (1896). A large jewish community, primarily from Lithuania, immigrated to Oudtshoorn (1881 – 1890) and played a large role in the world wide marketing of ostrich feathers.