DustBugs Travel

After travelling over the pass, we discovered a hidden gem, the old Toll House on Montagu Pass. Hardus, the owner, served us traditional South African coffee, known as “moerkoffie”, with pancakes. It was a wonderful way to end our journey through the pass. There are many interesting antiques inside the Toll House. It is very similar to a museum. What I found particularly interesting was the piano which also could be played as an organ. After this interesting pitstop, we headed to our accommodation in George and spent some time with family and friends. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #tollhouse #montagupass Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Discovering another amazing gravel road pass is always a stunning experience and crossing over the Montagu Pass was exactly that. The views from virtually all over this pass were truly spectacular. Looking for the ruins of the old blacksmith's shop when the pass was built between 1844 and 1847 was tricky. There is not much left to see unfortunately. The narrow roads were really exciting to navigate. So, if you are looking for adventure, try this pass! #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #montagupass Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

We decided to take a drive down to the beach at Dana Bay, which is truly a breathtakingly beautiful place. We were hoping to still see the dolphins we saw from our window at Anita’s Self-Catering. We did see them, but was just too late and nervous to capture them with Droney. Fortunately we met a young guy called Christiaan there. Super cool guy and experienced drone pilot who was willing to share the footage he took with his drone. We then left for the Outeniqua Pass just outside George. Another stunning pass to visit. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #danabay #outeniquapass Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

We finally arrived at our accommodation in Dana Bay. What a spectacular place and view we had! So, I finally bought my DJI Mini SE drone two weeks before and flew it for the first time. Man, was I nervous! I was really surprised at how small it was, but I am impressed at how easy it was to learn to fly the drone, which has been christened 'Droney'. The picture quality is impressive, as is its stability while flying. I must also add that I had the perfect setting for Droney's inaugural flight. Enjoy! #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #southafrica #danabay #djimini Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Gouritsmond is a very popular destination for fishermen. The name of the town is derived from the Gourits River, which runs adjacent to the village and “Mond” is the river mouth leading into the Indian Ocean. I spent some time on the beach of this tiny village and what a beautiful place it is! We took a slow drive through the village and you could feel the mellow atmosphere all around. Then it was time to head for Dana Bay. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #gouritsmond #danabay Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

We have always just rushed past the small town of Albertinia because it is located right next to the N2. We've never taken the time to explore a little. This time, we popped into the House of Aloes which produces the most amazing products from aloe plants. I walked through the shop and can’t believe how many products they make. Not too far further down the N2 we found Tiny Town. What a lot of fun we had there. Do yourself a favour and pay them a visit, especially if you have tiny ones yourself. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #albertinia #houseofaloes #tinytown Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

It was with great excitement that we took to the road again. This time we were headed to the Garden Route of South Africa. On our way to Heidelberg we stopped at a farmstall to buy roosterkoek for the first time. We were totally blown away by the town of Heidelberg, there is so much history in this small town! They have a walking trail through the town with interesting stops and information along the way. Well worth a visit! #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #heidelberg Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

We went back to Porterville then off to Moorreesburg along a beautiful gravel road over a fabulous single-lane bridge. We nearly went past Riebeeck Kasteel and wow, am I happy that we didn’t! It is one of the nicest towns we have visited. I am definitely going back to spend more time there. At Gouda we were lucky enough to see an impressive wind farm with many wind turbines. It was also great fun to see so many baboons sitting next to the road. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #mooreesburg #baboon Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

We were told by the owners of Ebony Moon Guesthouse where we spent the night that we must go to Dasklip Pass and see if we could see anyone paragliding off the mountain. We were so lucky to meet Simon who said we could go up with them and see. It must be an amazing sensation to just take off into the sky like that. Who ever thought we would witness something like that in Porterville? #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #paragliding #porterville Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

As you noticed at the end of the last episode, we found a spectacular cave with a view over the dam. I had to stop and explore the area. This gravel road really delivered! Then it was time to go and see Piketberg. We went over the Piekenierskloof Pass and stopped off at Kardoesie to get lunch before we reached Piketberg. Then we headed to Porterville where we spent the night and boy, was it hot! #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #porterville #kardoesie Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

The staff at the holiday resort were so friendly and allowed us in just to explore the campsite. I think it must be an amazing place to camp for a few days, especially if you love water sports and activities. Afterwards, we started exploring the gravel road along the edge of the dam. I was blown away by the size of this dam. It continued for kilometres on end! This must've been one of the nicest roads we have travelled to date with so much to see. Enjoy! #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #clanwilliam #dam Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Interesting to think that Clanwilliam is the Rooibos Tea Capital of the world. We had to drive through Clanwilliam en route to the grave of Louis Leipoldt, which is on the way to Pakhuis Pass. I now know why he loved this area so much and wanted to be buried here. It is absolutely stunning! The rock formations, landscape and scenery were fantastic! Finding this pass was awesome. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #clanwilliam #pakhuispass Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Graafwater is a town which lies midway between Lambert’s Bay and Clanwilliam. After driving through Graafwater we found a gravel road which brought us to a beautiful mountain pass with no name. I have looked almost everywhere and still can’t find the name. It might be known as Die Berg but I am not sure. This pass was awesome and we loved the beautiful scenery, views and rock formations. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #adventuretravel #southafrica #nonamepass Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

I was honestly blown away by Leipoldtville! A very small historical town with so much character on the road to Clanwilliam from Lambert’s Bay. It was really interesting to speak with the groundskeeper of the church. He was born in Leipoldtville and lived there his whole life. The population of the town is only 298. I would love to live there. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #dustbugstraavel #southafrica #leipoldtville Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

It was a joy discovering Elands Bay. It is a really small village on the Atlantic Ocean. It did have an enjoyable, long gravel road which took us all the way to Lambert’s Bay. When we arrived in Lambert’s Bay, we wanted to visit Bird Island, but it was already hightide and the sea was splashing wildly over the walkway, so it was closed to the public. This was a rather big disappointment. I had the award-winning fish-and-chips at Isabellas Restaurant in the evening and it was a very tasty dish. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #southafrica #elandsbay #lambertsbay Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Driving around picturesque Port Owen was a really fun experience. It reminded me so much of Miami. Then we were back on the road and this time we were on our way to Dwarskersbos. There we found a cute place called Deli on Main where we had a delicious breakfast. The owner of the deli told us about a tree the locals dress up as a doll. This we had to see. They call it “Die Pop”. As we left Dwarskersbos we set our sights on Elands Bay. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #portowen #dwarskersbos Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

It would've been great to see Shelly Point, but it's a security estate and we couldn't enter. Britannia Bay was easily accessible though and, as we sat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, we realised again how powerful and imposing it was. Really something to behold. We left the town of St Helena Bay and made our way to Port Owen, which is in Velddrif. We were going to spend the night there. This is an estuary where the Berg River flows into St Helena Bay. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #velddrif #portowen Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

After our visit to Tietiesbaai, we went to Paternoster which is a small village on the West Coast of South Africa. Now this was a real touristy place! The beach at Paternoster was beautiful, such a clean and pristine place. After driving through the village, we headed to St Helena Bay. We found a stunning gravel road which took us all the way to Stompneusbaai, Shelly Point, Britannia Bay and St Helena Bay. There are so many holiday destinations all along the West Coast that we weren't even aware of and it was fun driving along this route. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #paternoster #sthelenabay Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

Finding out that Tietiesbaai was a caravan park and campsite in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve was an awesome surprise and we were determined to make the most of it and got to have a good look. It's as close to the ocean as one can get for a campsite! The Sea Shack was also a real treat to see, the little houses were so cute, but unfortunately one can only go in to see them by appointment only. The rest of the Nature Reserve was wonderful, especially the huge boulders and the stormy sea. It would've been awesome to go in at the lighthouse but due to COVID, it was closed. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #southafrica #tietiesbaai Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

After a good night’s rest and driving through the beautiful village of Jacobsbaai where we spent the night, we hit the road to Tietiesbaai. We have heard many anecdotes and seen many bumper stickers about Tietiesbaai but we have never been there ourselves. Very excited about seeing this place, we arrived and to our surprise Tietiesbaai is in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve! We always thought it was a small village and there were actually no houses or shops in sight! It was a pleasant surprise and we loved driving through the reserve. #DustBugs #dustbugstravel #southafrica #jacobsbaai #tietiesbaai Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugstravel

The Seeberg lookout point in the West Coast National Park is my social media banner. I took the picture in 2010 and it is one of my favourite places and such a joy to visit it again after so many years. We drove through Langebaan and Saldanha to reach Jacobsbaai which is a small village on the West Coast of South Africa. It was so peaceful there as we sat watching the sun set over Africa. The Jacobsdaller was a great place to end the day. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #westcoastnationalpark #jacobsbaai #langebaan #saldanha Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugs

It was very hard to leave behind the white sands of the beach at Yzerfontein, but we had to make our way to the West Coast National Park. We hadn’t been there for many years and were super excited to see it again! What a welcome we had! A tortoise right at the entrance gate and six more within the next 3 kilometres. Abrahams Bird Hide was an interesting stop. The amazing colour of the lagoon in the park was brilliant to see. Then of course we had to get back to the little cottage on the rock with so much history. Make sure you watch to the end! #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #westcoastnationalpark Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugs

After leaving the Darling church, we had to stop off at Evita se Perron. Sonia found two cats on the stoep she had to cuddle while I went through Evita’s Museum. What an interesting place! Lunch was great and then it was off to the white beaches of Yzerfontein. It was raining all the way to Yzerfontein, but someone waved a wand and the blue skies appeared only over Yzerfontein. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #eviteseperon #yzerfontein Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugs

Diane at the Darling Museum took time out of her schedule to give me a guided tour and show me the fascinating items and artefacts in the museum. It was really awesome to walk through and see the history of the town with all the treasures which were donated to the museum by the residents of Darling. I recognised many of the items from my grandparents' houses. Watch this video to learn a few interesting things about Darling. Enjoy! #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #darling #museum Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugs

It was awesome to learn about the history of Dassenheuwel farm and to meet the more than a century-old tortoise. Now with the farm in our rear-view mirror and the small town of Darling in our sights we hit the road. There were some interesting gravel roads and not to mention the very cute Christian Centre with classrooms under the trees. It is so typically African. Enjoy this journey with us. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #darling #dassenheuwel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dustbugstravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DustBugstravel TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dustbugs