Travel

Spend a weekend in Betty’s Bay

With intra-provincial leisure travel now open under Level 3, it’s the ultimate excuse to plan a weekend to a small coastal town like Betty’s Bay.

A mere hours drive from Cape Town, Betty’s Bay is often overshadowed by towns like Kleinmond and Hermanus so it’s easy to bypass this seaside haven.

It’s tiny and from afar it seems like there’s no activity but if you looking for a simple escape with no rush of everyday normal life, you may want to consider Betty’s Bay as your next getaway.

Betty’s Bay is certainly not bustling during the winter months. It’s quiet, quaint and, definitely a staycation to do all year round. A unique characteristic is an exceptional reserve that runs from Gordons Bay up until Kleinmond.

Arriving at our charming self-catering accommodation which is right next to the picturesque Clarence Drive Route (R44). Even though the traffic is a little distracting, the lush bush isolates you from your deck area.

We use to packing our itineraries with tons of activities but since this is the first time in months traveling, we did things slow with only two things on the list.

After our morning breakfast on a somewhat cold Saturday, to get the heart pumping, we quickly took a stroll down the gravel road from where we staying; realising that we pass this town so many times – how did we not come to visit?

Squeezed between the Kogelberg Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by freshwater lakes and the Palmiet River, this coastal town has a lot to offer so we went down to Stoney Point.

It’s currently close due to the pandemic but there’s a side gate you can enter from that takes you to the beach and still get close up to the penguin colony that breeds here.

Spend an hour or two appreciating what nature has to offer from the magnificent beachfront, Hangklip dunes, and the large diversity of fynbos. Just sit on one of the benches and marvel at nature’s beauty.

It’s time to grab some lunch. We only found two restaurants to be open. Because of COVID-19, many of the restaurants in the area shut down so we didn’t have many options to choose from. So we went to Jack’s Restaurant.

It’s certainly not a place one will pick from the get-go. The minute you enter, it’s not very welcoming. However, I have to bear in mind that it’s only the owner serving us and a cook preparing the food.

The menu is sadly disappointing along with our meals itself. The cheddamelt burger had no cheddamelt and the fish and chips were bland. I will not recommend dining there.

The wind was starting to pick up so off we went back to our place for an afternoon snooze. Courtney fell asleep on the sofa while I poured myself a glass of wine, took out my book and read with the little sun on my face.

The thing I savour most about slow pace travelling these days is the enjoyment of doing absolutely nothing. I’m finding that even though you drive for hours to a destination, it’s worth spending two days lazing around.

With Courtney outside is the strong winds trying to get the braai going, I’m quickly preparing the food for our dinner feast. The weekend went by so fast that we thought of paying to stay another night. However, one of us had to go back to work so that thought went out the window.

It was pouring with rain the following morning and we certainly didn’t want to get up, pack our bags and go home. If you travel with me, know that I love opening the doors with my camera in hand and capture the moment. It might be raining but be damned if I’m not opening the door to relish in the rain.

Where to stay

This is a real estate hotspot and you can’t go wrong with finding a place to stay in Betty’s Bay.

We found a place called Betty’s Retreat on Afristay for R700 per night. Other than it being right alongside Clarence Drive, it didn’t disappoint.

The standalone cottage is ideal for a couple and comprises a king-size bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. It has an open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area, and a separate toilet. 

Both in the bedroom and the lounge area has a private deck with fabulous views of the mountain and you can view the dunes as well. There is a braai area in the corner of the property for you to use.

NOTE: Unfortunately, the owner of this establishment accused us of burn marks on the floor. After she sent us images, we luckily had video footage showing that the burn marks were already there when we arrived along with a timestamp.

After back and forth communications, it seemed that even with our evidence, she still full-heartedly believes my husband and I did this. It’s unfortunate that it turned out sour. There is yet to be a verdict of this matter.

What more to do

There are a number of activities for you and the family to do:

WATCH OUR TRIP TO BETTY’S BAY

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Till the next small town.

Stephanie Marthinus Blog
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