From Cederberg Wilderness to Barefoot Luxury in Paternoster

Sunset Paternoster, South Africa's West Coast 2026

After our ultimate wellness experience at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat in the Cederberg Mountains, it is time to change style – in more ways than one.

We are heading for the little coastal village of Paternoster, picturesquely situated on South Africa's West Coast, roughly an hour and a half north of Cape Town and close to Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. We have three nights here before our African adventure must, rather reluctantly, come to an end in Cape Town.

From Mountains to the Atlantic

Suddently agricultural areas
South Africa 2026

Urban areas on way to coast
South Africa 2026

The transition from the Cederberg Mountains to the coast is striking.

Behind us are the rugged sandstone mountains, deep ravines, rocky plateaus and wilderness of the Cederberg. As we drive westwards, the landscape gradually opens up. The dramatic mountain scenery gives way to lower rolling hills and broad agricultural areas, where cultivated fields are interspersed with rocky outcrops and patches of seemingly untouched vegetation.

vegetation becomes lower
and wind-shaped
South Africa 2026

And then, as we approach the Atlantic, the landscape changes again.

The soils become increasingly sandy, dunes begin to appear and the vegetation becomes lower and more wind-shaped. We are entering the characteristic vegetation of the Cape West Coast – a mosaic of fynbos and strandveld, adapted to poor sandy soils, winter rainfall, salty air and persistent coastal winds.

Unlike the taller mountain fynbos of the Cederberg, much of the vegetation here forms a low, dense carpet of shrubs, succulents and bulbs. At this time of year it is scattered with flowers in white, yellow, pink, orange and purple, sometimes appearing almost randomly between the otherwise muted greens and greys.

After the rugged wilderness of Bushmans Kloof, it feels as though somebody has changed the scenery while we were driving.

A Rather Different Kind of Wilderness Retreat

Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
Enterence to our suite "Oceanus"
South Africa 2026

We also change style in another sense.

This time we are checking into a super-modern designer beach hotel, Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel.

Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
Four Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards
South Africa 2026

And soon after arriving we discover that the hotel has apparently been collecting awards at an impressive rate. Among the certificates on display are four Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards for 2026 – Best Beachfront Hotel Africa, Best Coastal Hotel Africa, Best Holiday Retreat Africa and Best Romantic Hotel Africa.

Whatever Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards may actually be, it certainly sounds promising!

The moment we check in, the contrast with Bushmans Kloof could hardly be greater.

Where Bushmans Kloof was dark wood, antiques, heavy fabrics and the atmosphere of an elegant English country estate, everything around us here is bright, open and contemporary. To our Scandinavian eyes, it almost feels familiar.

Blogger enjoying Leeto Restaurant view
Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
South Africa 2026

There are huge glass surfaces, smooth white walls, modern art, clean architectural lines, large transparent glass vases containing just a flower or two and simple, carefully selected decorations. Lounge-style furniture seems designed primarily for horizontal living, while indirect lighting emerges from concealed panels and strips in walls and ceilings.

Heated pool, Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
South Africa 2026

The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and the staff are straightforward, cheerful and extraordinarily welcoming.

They do, however, still have a habit of lining up when we enter for the first few times – and if we come anywhere near a door, somebody immediately rushes forward to open it for us.

That has certainly never happened when we have climbed down from our rooftop tent!

Location, Location, Location

But Strandloper is first and foremost about three things:

Location, location and location.

The hotel lies literally in the first line of dunes, directly beside a large natural area of coastal vegetation and sand dunes.

Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
Leeto Restaurant
South Africa

From the hotel's modern Leeto Restaurant, there is a magnificent uninterrupted view across the beach towards the Atlantic Ocean. Waves roll rhythmically towards the shore, the view disturbed by little except surf, seabirds and the endless rise and fall of the tide.

Swimming looks tempting.

Only looks, though.

Winter has barely finished, and this is South Africa's West Coast, influenced by the cold Benguela Current. Strong coastal winds drive surface water offshore and allow cold, nutrient-rich water to rise from deeper layers – a process known as upwelling.

It is one of the reasons why the Atlantic here is considerably colder than the Indian Ocean along South Africa's east coast, while at the same time supporting exceptionally rich marine life.

So perhaps we will admire the Atlantic rather than swim in it.

Wife took a swim in cold water!
Paternoster, South Africa 2026

Meet Oceanus

Equipped with glasses of brut and canapés, we wait while our “room” is being prepared.

We have booked an Ocean King Suite, which turns out to be called Oceanus.

A receptionist and an assistant escort us to the suite.

Ocean King Suite "Oceanus"
Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
South Africa 2026

And then we are completely blown away.

This place is out of this world.

It simply has to be one of the finest suites in the hotel. Everything is beautifully designed and architecturally coherent without becoming showy.

We are positioned on the corner of the hotel grounds, with two large private wooden terraces opening directly towards the garden and dunes. Beyond them we look across a small dry watercourse towards the Atlantic in the distance, while in the opposite direction there is an uninterrupted view across a huge expanse of natural vegetation.

Wooden terraces directly to
garden and dunes, Oceanus Suite
South Africa 2026

There is virtually nothing between us and the landscape.

Inside, the open-plan living area has a wood-burning fireplace, large lounge chairs, a comprehensive bird guide and a selection of suitably stylish magazines.

Room service, naturally, is ordered on an iPad.

Of course it is.

Freestanding stone bathtub 
Oceanus Suite, Strandloper
South Africa 2026

The bathroom contains an enormous freestanding stone bathtub designed for two. From it, we can lie comfortably looking directly across the landscape towards the sea while streaming our favourite music through the Bang & Olufsen speakers.

Or, should this relationship with nature suddenly become a little too intimate, we can simply press a button and the automatic blinds descend across the windows.

Perhaps We Could Get Used to This...

I could actually continue describing all the details.

But it would probably become rather irritating to read about them instead of experiencing them yourself :-)

Suffice it to say that Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel is one of the most beautiful, stylish and meticulously designed hotels we have ever stayed in.

Oceanus Suite, Strandloper
South Africa 2026

Admittedly, that statement comes with a small disclaimer.

We have not stayed in that many luxury hotels.

Given the choice, we normally prefer a remote campsite somewhere in the African wilderness.

But following our recent experience at Bushmans Kloof (link), we are beginning to wonder whether this luxury business might actually be something one could learn to live with.

Perhaps all those hotel awards make sense after all.

For now, we are simply looking forward to three nights here, disturbed mainly by the sound of Atlantic waves and birdsong – interrupted only by a few excursions to explore Paternoster, Cape Columbine and the surrounding West Coast.

There are worse ways to spend the final days of an African journey.

View from terrasse, Oceanus Suite
Strandloper, South Africa 2026

The Final Three Weeks – From the Kalahari to the Cape

 

After three weeks of travelling together with my brother and sister-in-law, the time has come for us to say goodbye. They are heading back to Denmark, while my wife and I will continue our journey for another three weeks. We have saved some extra holiday from last year and are fortunate to be able to use it now.

The character of the trip for this second half is about to change quite dramatically.

The first three weeks have been filled with wonderful family time, long drives, spectacular landscapes and plenty of activities — from the far south and the NamibRand, along the Atlantic coast and through the Erongo Mountains, to our final days at Okonjima. We have covered a lot of ground and experienced some of Namibia's most extraordinary landscapes.

Now, with the family part of the journey over, we are heading south once again, but at a rather different pace.

Back to the Kalahari

Outpost Safari Lodge´s Reserve
Near Unions End
Namibia 2026

Our first destination will be Outpost Safari Lodge, where we will spend four nights close to Union's End and the Kgalagadi border.

After three weeks of travelling, this feels like the perfect place to slow down. Also, we have so many memories from neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, see (link).

The Kalahari is very different from the dramatic desert landscapes we have experienced further west. Here, the landscape is characterised by red sand, low vegetation, vast open spaces and an almost overwhelming sense of peace and solitude.

We are hoping for a few quiet days with relatively little on the agenda — perhaps some game drives and walks, but above all time to enjoy the silence and the feeling of being far away from everything.

It should be a welcome change after the many experiences of the past three weeks.

Outpost Safari Lodge and Venus  after sunset
Namibia 2026

South through the Namibian backcountry

Namibian backcountry 8 hours drive
Namibia 2026

From the Kalahari we will continue south, deliberately avoiding the main roads where possible.

We plan to follow the small gravel roads D1022 and D511 before eventually reaching the larger C17 and continuing towards Keetmanshoop.

This is one of the things we particularly enjoy about travelling in Namibia: the journey itself is often as important as the destination. Small roads, almost no traffic and landscapes that seem to go on forever make even a relatively long driving day an experience in its own right.

Our destination will be Canyon Lodge, where we have booked three nights near the eastern side of the Fish River Canyon.

Blogger and brother at viewpoint,
Western Side of Fish River Canyon
Namibia 2026

After the enormous landscapes of the Kalahari, we are looking forward to a completely different landscape — massive granite rocks, dry valleys and, of course, one of Namibia's great geological wonders, the Fish River Canyon, but now from the other side compared to Fish River Lodge, where we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law (link).

Three nights should give us time to explore without having to rush on.

The Orange River – and a new experience

Our accommondation at Orange River
Source (link)

From the Fish River Canyon we will continue south towards the Orange River and Provenance Camp Cabanas.

We have booked their Honeymoon Suite for two nights, overlooking the river.

But the main reason we are particularly looking forward to this stop is that we are going to try something completely new for us in Namibia: canoeing on the Orange River.

My son and I have travelled along the Orange River (link), but I have never actually been out on the river in a canoe. We have booked a half-day morning trip, and we are very curious to see this familiar part of southern Namibia from a completely different perspective.

The Orange River also marks another important change in the journey.

We will be crossing into South Africa.

For many years, we have deliberately preferred Namibia and Botswana for our travels in this part of Africa. We have always considered them relatively safe and exceptionally well suited to independent travel.

This time, however, we have decided to venture further south. This part of the trip, we have booked through Expert Africa in London, that I have used many times.

We are not planning to explore South Africa extensively. Instead, we will concentrate on the north-western part of the country, travelling through the Northern Cape and Western Cape. From what we have read and experienced so far, this seems to be a very different proposition from the more densely populated parts of South Africa — and we feel comfortable giving it a try.

So, for us, this is also something of an experiment.

Springbok and hopefully a carpet of flowers

Desert flowers at Eagles Nest
Sunset, Klein Aus Vista,
Namibia 2026

Our next stop will be Springbok, where we will spend two nights at Annie's Cottage, in their Honeymoon Suite.

The timing is deliberate.

We are hopefully travelling through Namaqualand during the flower season, and we are hoping that nature will cooperate.

If conditions are right, the normally dry and rugged landscape can suddenly be transformed by an astonishing display of flowers. We will therefore spend some time exploring the area around Springbok, hopefully finding the best flower displays.

We may also head towards Goegap Nature Reserve and perhaps drive the spectacular Spektakel Pass.

Goegap Nature Reserve
Photo: By Winfried Bruenken (Amrum)
Source wiki (link)

After so many desert landscapes in Namibia, it will be fascinating to see how different this part of the Northern Cape can look at the right time of year.

And, of course, we will have to wait and see whether the flowers decide to put on a show for us.

From wilderness to wellness

From Springbok we continue south into the Western Cape and Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, where we will spend three nights.

This will be another change of pace.

After the remote Kalahari, the Fish River Canyon and our little adventure on the Orange River, we are looking forward to several days of wilderness, beautiful scenery and — perhaps most importantly — doing rather less.

Bushmans Kloof is also a place where we hope to combine nature with some relaxation. There should be opportunities for walks and exploring the surrounding landscape, but this is deliberately planned as one of the more indulgent stops of the journey.

After three weeks on the road, I suspect we will appreciate that!

The Atlantic again

The beach in Paternoster
By Peterpanmalini
Sourve Wiki (link)

From Bushmans Kloof we head west towards the Atlantic coast and the small fishing village of Paternoster.

Here we will spend three nights at the Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel.

It will be quite a contrast to the inland wilderness we have just left behind.

The ocean, long white beaches and the relaxed atmosphere of the West Coast should provide another opportunity to slow down before the final stage of our journey.

By then, we will have travelled a very long way — geographically as well as in terms of the experiences we have had.

And finally… Cape Town

The Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia
Cape Town, Source (link)

Our final destination will be The Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia, Cape Town, where we will spend our last three nights.

It seems like a rather appropriate place to finish.

After three weeks of gravel roads, desert landscapes, remote lodges, wildlife, canyons, rivers and small towns, we will end the journey surrounded by gardens and the more refined atmosphere of Cape Town.

Three nights should give us time to enjoy the city and the Constantia area, eat some good food and, perhaps, reflect a little on the journey before heading home.

So that is the plan for the final three weeks.

From the red sands of the Kalahari, through the eastern side of the Fish River Canyon, down to the Orange River, across into South Africa, hopefully through fields of Namaqualand flowers, then into the wilderness of Bushmans Kloof, onwards to the Atlantic coast at Paternoster, and finally to Cape Town.

It is quite a different journey from the first three weeks.

And, as always with travelling in southern Africa, the itinerary is only the framework. The real story will be everything that happens along the way.

The next posts will tell that story.