I’ve always been a big fan of The Amazing Race TV show; teams compete against each other by following clues and instructions, given to them at designated spots, to get to the next destination. However, I must admit that I’ve also always questioned my ability to compete in a challenge like this. Well the opportunity arose when I was invited to the launch of the Cape Winelands Tourism App which took on a local mini version of The Amazing Race.

The Cape Winelands District slogan: “1000 things to do and then some wine”, gives one an idea of the array of activities on offer in the area. It stretches from Stellenbosch to Paarl and through magnificent mountain passes to Tulbagh, Ceres, Op-die-Berg; or take the Hugenot Tunnel to Worcester into the Hex River Valley, meandering along the N1 highway to Touws River. That’s an area of 22 309km2 made up of five sub districts, so one can clearly see the need for a Cape Winelands Tourism App to explore this vast region!

 

How does the Cape Winelands Tourism App work?

Cape Winelands Tourism App

The app will assist all visitors to the Cape Winelands District with planning their visit by helping them maximise their time in the region.

The Cape Winelands Tourism App allows the user to follow various routes, for example if the user is interested in history they can click the historical tab in the app and follow one of the historical routes. If the user prefers to tantalise their taste buds, they can try one of the culinary routes to restaurants and artisanal shops within close proximity. Even better, would be to search the app and see where two routes of interest overlap, for example wine and culinary to enjoy a food and wine pairing! There are also art, cultural and event tabs available for the user to search.

The app, which was designed by Indigo New Media, is available for download free of charge for both Android and Apple users via the Google Play store and Apple App store.

 

The Stellenbosch, Dwars Rivier Valley and Franschhoek leg of the launch

During the 2-day launch of the Cape Winelands Tourism App, we were required to make use of the app to find various businesses and activities before posting about these stops to social media platforms and the app itself. The ‘Amazing Race’ kicked off at the Toy and Miniature Museum in Stellenbosch for an icebreaker and briefing session and of course the handout of the day’s clues!

Cape Winelands Tourism App

Stellenbosch botanical gardens

Cape Winelands Tourism App

In true Amazing Race style, we worked our way from Oom Samie Se Winkel (tasked to buy R50 worth of sweets) to various historical places of interest and eventually ending off at Lanzerac Wine Estate for wine tasting and a delicious lunch. After lunch we continued our quest to the Dwars River Valley which led us to a cultural food presentation at Lumley’s guesthouse in Pniel. We were schooled on everything from herbal teas to homemade confectioneries and traditional Cape Malay food. The day aptly ended with dinner at the home of a Pniel local. The Dwars River Tourism offers this unique ‘dining with the locals’ experience to visitors as well and it has proven to be very popular.

Lumley's place guesthouse

Roosenwijn guesthouse

After a good night’s rest at Roosenwijn guesthouse in Stellenbosch, the second day of the Cape Winelands Tourism App launch started with breakfast at Solms-Delta in Franschhoek. This is one of my favourite wine farms, purely because it acknowledges and celebrates the culture of its workers by incorporating it into the daily operations of the on-site restaurant and events. Our first clue, with the use of the app, took us on a street tour of Franschhoek to various local attractions. We popped in at La Cotte Cheese Shop, hopped on a Tuk Tuk and decorated our own waffles at La Petit Paris.

Solms-Delta Franschhoek

La Cotte Cheese Shop

La Petit Paris Franschhoek

We ended off our day with lunch and a debriefing session at Du Kloof Lodge in Rawsonville. All parties involved in the Cape Winelands Tourism App shared their experience and feedback as well as suggestions for improvements.

The Cape Winelands District offers something for everyone; whether you’re an adventurous mountain biker, wine connoisseur or simply seeking some rejuvenation, download the Cape Winelands Tourism App and start exploring!

www.capewinelands.gov.za

Author: Gaynor

Half city dweller. Half road trip explorer. Full supporter of local South African travel!

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