If you are after:

• Scenic beauty
• Mountain rivers to swim in
• Hiking trails
• Waterfalls to jump off of, or
• Winding, mountain passes to test your driving skills,

then Bainskloof in the Limietberg Nature Reserve is the place for you!!

Just outside Wellington on the Bainskloof pass, this little gem sits hidden behind a non-descript gate – only an hour and a half from Cape Town (much less if you happen to be staying at The Franschhoek), Bainskloof makes for the perfect day trip.

I would suggest heading up-stream once you are in the picnic area. There are many little pools and swimming spots where you can enjoy your packed lunch, although I’d recommend you keep going until you get to the waterfalls. Not many people venture up this far so the chances of you having this spot all to yourself are almost guaranteed.

There are 3 waterfalls which you can choose from, I enjoy the first one because there is a place to wallow if you don’t want to swim and for the adrenalin seekers you can get your kicks from jumping off the top of the falls.

If you don’t feel like trekking upstream from the picnic area, there is a track which gets you to the waterfalls in a fraction of the time it would take to walk in the river. When you get to the Bainskloof campsite – just ignore the sign that states “No day-visitors beyond this point” and head through the camp, there is only one road out the other end and that is the one you want to be on – it is signposted from there on.

NOTE: The regulations governing how many people they let in per day are very strict (and there are no exceptions), so book your picnic spot in advance. It can also get very hot in the valley so make sure you taken enough water and suntan lotion to last you the whole day.