Simbavati Cederberg Ridge

Wish you could get to see more Stars and stare at them for hours? The Cederberg is star-gazing heaven. Our night skies are beautiful with little or no cloud cover year round. And very little light pollution. And yet we are a mere 2½ hours from Cape Town. (Yes Sutherland may have a slight edge. But we are much less of a drive!)

Cederberg Ridge offers a semi-full day excursion into the High Cederberg (Stadsaal and Cederberg Cellars) every three days, which is highly recommended.Enjoy the sights of the High Cederberg on a guided excursion to Stadsaal caves, rock at and wine-tasting at Cederberg Cellars.

Enjoy guided walking trails both right from the lodge or in the adjacent Cederberg WildernessReserve. Trails range from an easy 45 minutes to a 3-4 hour hike. Why not try our very ownSpitzkop peak with its iconic views?

The Cederberg Mountains rise majestically above the vineyards and citrus groves of the Oliphants River valley. Most of the mountain range is part of the Cederberg Wilderness Reserve and remains one of the most pristine areas of South Africa. Ancient mountain trails, originally cast by woodcutters, take you past curious rock formations and pristine fynbos, such as the rare Snow Protea and Clanwilliam pincushion.Apart from the occasional “boulderer”, (free-style rock climbers), it is rare to see other walkers in the northern Cederberg. You can join one of our guided walks, or you can walk independently. It is up to you!

Most people prefer to enjoy a mountain bike ride independently. (Though you can ask for a guide if you prefer.) Our mountain bike trails also range from an easy track (less than an hour) to something more challenging for the more experienced.The easier trails on the farm can be done independently. As with walking, we provide maps and signs to guide you.

To pay homage to our unparalleled cultural heritage, we bring you traditional African massages. Indulge in a selection of Africa’s authentic and traditional massage techniques with our highly skilled therapists.We offer a selection of treatments in our spa and adjoining relaxation room, which will relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. A massage is especially recommended after an adventurous hike in our mountains. But you really don’t need an excuse to treat yourself!

Cederberg is the only place in the world where the remarkably healthy Rooibos tea is grown. Rooibos (‘red bush’) is a major industry in the Cederberg. This region happens to be the only place in the world where rooibos, (actually not a tea, but a broom-like shrub) can be successfully grown. So this indigenous, healthy caffeine & tannin-free herbal tea is exported throughout the world to Europe, Japan and the USA.We offer a fascinating Rooibos excursion to one of the local Rooibos farms. This happens approximately twice a week on a Tuesday and a Saturday. Here you can see how they grow and then process the earthy-tasting tea. Afterward you enjoy a tea-tasting.

The Sevilla rock art trail is a collection of nine rock art sites about 30 minutes’ drive from Cederberg Ridge. The 5km walking trail consists of 9 different rock art sites and will take about 3 hours to complete, depending on how long you stay at each site, so it’s a 4+ hour trip in total.Our guides introduce you not only to the life and culture of the San but also to the natural beauty of their homeland. Our guides are passionate and very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the San people.Note that in summer we head out very early at 6.30am in the relative cool of the day, armed with some snacks to ward off hunger. Then we come back for a late breakfast/brunch.

The Clanwilliam dam provides a stunning setting for our sunset boat cruises. These come into their own in the hot summer months from November to February. With the mountain as your backdrop, soak up the fiery sky at dusk on our 1½ hour sundowner cruise. We offer this typically every other evening in the summer months. We generally offer this tour from generally October to March when the water is nice for swimming off the back of the boat. But timing may be less frequent.

Cederberg Ridge offers a semi-full day excursion into the West Coast for a delicious seafood lunch on the beach at Muisbosskerm. Generally we offer this excursion in the summer months when it’s enjoyable to escape the heat and head to the cooling sea breezes.En-route we unique Bird Island with its vast array of gannets and cormorants.Please note: Our guided excursions follow a set program so we cannot guarantee any particular excursion during your stay. This excursion is typically on a Sunday.