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7 stunning adventures in Cape St.Francis, South Africa

WRITTEN BYMollie Updated on
Cape St. Francis is yet another incredible corner to be discovered in South Africa.
{You can recap here on my adrenalin adventures in Addo, SA + here on my budget safari with the lions in SA}
After our Canoe Safari and quad bike adventure during the day, our Mosaic Tourism Tour Guide drove us through to Cape St.Francis where we hopped straight onto a boat to wind down with a glass of SA red. We cruised on through the calm sheltered waters of St. Francis Bay (state of the art holiday village on the coast) as the sun set, gazing at the ‘dream houses’ that lined the waters.
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To rest our heads for the next two nights, we were very luckily hosted by Dune Ridge County Lodge a gorgeously modern, farmhouse inspired boutique complex consisting of 6 double rooms and a family cottage.
If you are a ‘homey’ person, you will LOVE this place.
It may aswell be thatched and in the English Countryside – it’s that cosy.
The rooms and staff were faultless and the attention to detail is so pleasing. From the bedtime chocolates and the homemade aromatherapy salts for use in the bath, to the freestanding bath tub and morning smoothie cocktails – every sense of my body felt nourished and rejuvenated during AND after my stay here.
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I felt at home within minutes of arriving.
The food? We all know (particularly if you have me on snapchat – molliebylett) food is a big part of my life, and I get pretty excited about it.
I’m not a food critic but I know good food, i know bad food and i know amazing food.
The food served here at Dune Ridge County Lodge was amazing.
In the lodge there is a communal dining room in which there is a bar stocked with SA wine and a number of cutely furnished tablets at which you can order from the kitchen and consume until your heart is content.
Guests can dine together, wine together or sing karaoke at the piano together (with wine) in this space and… we had a lot of fun doing so.
My favourite spread was the breakfast spread each morning.
Healthy fruit and muesli cocktails upon arrival, followed by a breakfast to order and filled in-between with cheeses, cakes and juices.
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During the two days we were based from this stunning lodge, we engaged in so many amazing adventures.
From a frog safari in the lodge grounds (which you can book through the lodge), surf lessons and visiting SANCCOB African Penguin Rehabilitation centre, to calamari and fresh fish tasting at Porthole Port (we even saw dolphins in the sea from our ocean view table) and the intense but stunning Wild Side hike with Chokka Trail Adventures.
{P.s. SANCCOB is always looking for volunteers to help and nurture the sea birds they rescue, see their website here for more details and how to get involved)
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Yep, we were pretty exhausted after our two days in Cape St. Francis but all for seriously good reason and let me tell you… that aromatherapy salts filled bath soak when I got back to Dune Ridge County Lodge was HEAVEN.
Cape St. Francis showed me just a few of the incredible landscapes that SA has to offer and really sold SA to me as a diverse holiday destination.
The 14km hike we embarked on with Chokka Trail was a particular highlight for me and had us pave our way through sand dunes, burnt out forest, greenery, ocean front paths, beach, shipwrecks before finally arriving at the Cape St.Francis Lighthouse.
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South Africa really does offer more than i ever imagined. It reminds me a lot of New Zealand in its stunning landscapes, its outdoor adventure and its… oh my god how has it taken me this long to mention the WINE.
Somewhere between visiting two of the best wine regions in the world in the last two weeks, Spain and now SA, i have developed a taste for wine.
My taste buds are maturing and oh my… i’m starting to appreciate a good glass of vino.

It’s safe to say SA, so far, caters for everyone.

Safaris, outdoor adventure, water activities, wine drinking, food eating, relaxation – all of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed my short stay here in Cape St.Francis and would not hesitate to return to Dune Ridge County Lodge if i ever get the chance to come back.
If you guys are planning a trip in this region it is well worth a stop off in Cape St.Francis for the incredible seafood and hiking, even if it’s just for lunch and a wee stroll.
I highly recommend booking on to one of the Chokka Trail hikes if you fancy more than a stroll though, the guides, routes and views are epic.
(We did the 1 day tour but they do a variety of tours which you can view here.)
Thank you so much to Dune Ridge, Chokka Trails + Mosaic Tourism for hosting us.
I had a beautiful time in a beautiful place with a very beautiful bunch of people.
+ thank YOU GUYS for reading!
Happy Adventuring,

Mollie x

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This trip was an adventure based press trip hosted by South Africa Tourism aiming to expose us to the lesser known regions and activities on the Eastern Cape.

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