Ostriches, meerkats, caves and wine…what do these things have in common? They are all things to do in Oudtshoorn (pronounced “oats-hoo-rn”), a characterful town in South Africa’s Klein Karoo, a region just north of the more coastal Garden Route across the awe-inspiring Outeniqua Mountains.
Like the Garden Route, the Klein Karoo is a popular destination for so many reasons - one of the main ones being how full of unique character each destination is.
Oudtshoorn is no exception, being a common one-night feature on many South African self-drive itineraries, whether you choose to drive entirely through the dry and rocky Klein Karoo, or add it onto a Garden Route trip.
I had a good think about what makes this town so special.
Natural beauty? The region certainly has that, with some extremely dramatic mountain passes and stark but charming rocky vistas with a quirky collection of scrubby plants typical of the Klein Karoo.
Rich history? It has that as well. The town grew rapidly in the 1800s due to two “ostrich feather booms”, where the world’s demands for the large, decorative plumes saw the success of several ostrich farms, with the birds enjoying the dry, hot weather and lucerne found in the region.
Wildlife? You won’t find the best Big 5 safaris in the area, although the Klein Karoo does have its own selection of shy, drought-hardy species.
What Oudtshoorn really has going for it is really what makes the Klein Karoo and neighbouring Garden Route so special - its delightfully random collection of fun things to do.
This July, on a road trip with my two primary school-aged daughters, we spent 2 nights in this character-filled town - 1 night longer than the average itinerary dedicates to the town - and we still had no shortage of choices of things to do. Staying 2 nights meant that after relaxing on night 1 after our journey, we could spend day 2 doing activities from morning until night before departing for our next destination first thing on day 3.
Our Oudtshoorn Accommodation
We spent both nights at the lovely La Plume Boutique Hotel & Spa, a small 5-star hotel located on an Oudtshoorn ostrich farm just outside of town in the Olifants River Valley.
The property’s history goes back to 1902, a fact which is lovingly evident as an inspiration for the immaculate decor. Besides the exceptionally comfortable rooms, we were treated to some of the best Klein Karoo vistas during breakfast each morning, with backdrops of the Swartberg Mountains.
Rooms range from 30sqm luxury 2 sleeper rooms to a 165sqm private villa for up to 6 guests.
Oudtshoorn Activities - What We Did
Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm Experience
Our first morning started with a visit to the Safari Ostrich Farm, one of the best ostrich farm experiences in the Oudtshoorn area. There are a number of other ostrich farms in the area that offer tours, including La Plume as well as the Cango Ostrich Farm, which are both good alternative options.
We did the guided tour, which departs every hour. The experience was interactive and educational and an absolute must for kids, especially considering this is one of South Africa’s biggest ostrich hubs.
Oudtshoorn Cango Caves (light) spelunking
Our next stop was one of the most popular attractions in the area - the famous Cango Caves, located in the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains. The caves are one of the 7 wonders of Southern Africa and were discovered by Europeans in the 1780s. The cave network is currently said to be the oldest in the world! Visiting the caves is a fond childhood memory for many South Africans.
We did the standard tour of the caves, also known as the Heritage Tour. This is basically a comfortable 60-minute walk through the cave network. There is also an adventure tour that takes you deeper into the caves and requires some crawling belly-sliding.
It’s a true geological marvel that nobody should miss. Kids especially will enjoy learning about stalactites and stalagmites and you’ll want to pick up a memento or two at the curio shop.
Oudtshoorn restaurant and camel rides
After the visit to the caves, we stopped at the nearby Wilgewandel Holiday Farm for a late lunch. This turned out to be a great spot, with hearty traditional meal options, including some ostrich dishes. For those who haven’t had it, ostrich is a very lean and heart-healthy dark red meat, much like venison.
This Oudtshoorn restaurant offers fun family activities, from camel and donkey cart riding, to mini golf and much more.
We stopped at the Cango Wildlife Ranch on our way home. This visit was a bit of a disappointment, but this was due to the property being flooded a month or so before, with many animals having to be evacuated. There was also no sign of the sloths that were advertised, although international visitors may be less concerned with seeing these South American animals than African ones, unlike my daughters, who were very disappointed.
When fully operational, the wildlife ranch offers an opportunity to see up to 90 different species from all over the world, with a focus on the conservation of some of South Africa’s most endangered animals. Currently, they are fully open again and accepting bookings.
Other things to do in Oudtshoorn
We were limited in terms of the time we spent in the area, but there are also many other activities we’d recommend looking into if you are planning to visit or passing through to spice up your South African self-drive itinerary.
Klein Karoo Wine Route
Not many people are aware of this, but the Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp area also has a wine route! It’s known as the Klein Karoo Wine Route which includes Grundheim winery and distillery, De Krans & Boplaas. These all offer extremely well-known local wines as well as excellent ports, and are well worth the experience if you are looking for something more grown-up to enjoy in an exceptional setting.
Oudtshoorn meerkats
You’ve heard about a big cat safari but what about something smaller and cuter, like a meerkat safari? De Zeekoe offers an immersive Oudtshoorn Meerkat safari. This safari is on foot and kicks off in the early morning and delves deep into the unique dynamics of the meerkat famlies in the area. This is a rare opportunity to get up close to these adorable social animals, who are often a lot more shy in the wild and tend to disappear underground when approached.
Our 36-hour stop was just a quick taste of what the Klein-Karoo has to offer, and we certainly recommend it as a destination full of both beauty, history, fun and character. Oudtshoorn and its surroundings are indeed a must-visit on any road trip through this picturesque region.
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I remember visiting an ostrich farm when I was tiny - I got to ride one, and also remember watching a race and one of the ostriches broke away and kept pecking at my mom in the stands and it was HILARIOUS (she was fine). I also have a clear memory of someone feeding an ostrich a piece of toast and the whole slice slide down its neck. I also remember the caves clearly to this day - partly because there was a brief power interruption and I was little so I started screaming!