I remember our early road trips as a family. More often than not, we had no idea where we were headed before we made the booking and, even as we set off on the road, we didn’t know how far we would need to travel or how long it would take to get there. Yes, this was despite all the so-called research we thought we did beforehand and the guidelines offered by Google maps. Because you don’t know what you don’t know.
It was only when we drove through Ceres that we realized how close we had been the last time when we stayed at Petervale Farm and Klondyke Cherry Farm. If we had known that The Cederberg was essentially just another mini road trip away, then we would have been smarter with our bookings and planned to stay longer rather than repeat a similar road trip three times in the space of three years.
That said, all three accommodation venues offered something quite different. While Klondyke Cherry Farm was a working fruit farm, it was considerably quieter than the working livestock farm that is Petervale, which is also worlds apart from Mount Ceder Lodge. They may all fall within a 50 kilometre radius of each other and they are all family friendly, but they are very different when it comes to the type of holiday you will have there.
So how to you choose? What will make you decide on this one versus the other? Well, I can help with that.
How to see da berg: Visit The Cederberg with SA Venues
The first thing we would need to establish is what you enjoy doing together as a family. If you are looking to spend lots of time taking long walks through the trees interspersed with lots of reading. A small working fruit farm in Ceres is ideal. However, if your children are on the go all the time and would love to milk cows and feed sheep, the you may want to consider a farm that allows them to do this.
But what if you fall somewhere in between? Well, Mount Ceder Lodge is just venue you have been looking for. With it’s horses and bike trails, no one can say they are bored and, with its self catering chalets but with a restaurant on site, you can still have the privacy and quiet of having your own place to call home, while having the option of a meal you don’t have to cook or clean up after within walking distance of your bed.
If I had the opportunity to visit Mount Ceder again, there are a few things I would do differently. When you live in the city, you are used to having quick access to supermarkets for things you may need and, when you realize how far you are from everything, and you’ve been driving all day and everyone is starving, I definitely would have packed a picnic supper for the evening you arrive, since no one will be in the mood to cook or wait for food to be cooked. Another thing you take fore-granted is snacks. While the mountain air helps you to sleep like a baby, it also leaves you as hungry as a horse so rusks, dried fruit, popcorn and fruit juice will help to stave off those hunger pangs and you explore the farm and surrounding mountains.
Our only regret about Mount Cedar Lodge is that we didn’t stay for longer. As it is quite a distance from Cape Town and the last few kilometres are on gravel road, we found ourselves screeching in on Friday night (in the dark), trying to do a million things on the farm and finding the waterfall on Saturday and checking out at 10am on Sunday to head home and prep for the new week ahead. 2 nights aren’t nearly enough and, if you want to hike and bike to your heart’s delight, do yourself a favour and plan to stay for at least a week. You will be glad you did.
Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by SA Venues. All words, thoughts and pictures are our own.
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