{"id":98634,"date":"2016-03-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/south-african-road-trip-r63\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:53:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:53:20","slug":"south-african-road-trip-r63","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/south-african-road-trip-r63\/","title":{"rendered":"Route 63 – Hidden Gems on the Road Less Travelled"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Updated July 2020]<\/p>\n

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.\u201d<\/h3>\n

Jack Kerouac, On the Road<\/em><\/p>\n

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\nTake the road less travelled along Route 63 and discover the unexpected on the back roads crisscrossing the heart of South Africa. Your journey starts with warm toes in the Indian Ocean and ends with considerably colder ones on the West coast. You’ll encounter the largest post box in the world, farm stalls aplenty, quirky museums, big sky country and an appreciation for a slower pace of life. In total, the distance covered is 1540km and demands at least three, or preferably five days to complete this route.<\/p>\n

Starting point:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenton-on-Sea, Eastern Cape<\/h2>\n
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Image credit: @sam_the_girl via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Kenton? For the exceptional beaches, warm Indian ocean, serene lagoon (great for paddling kids), beach walks and if you’re lucky phosphorescence on the water at night. And pizzas at Homewoods!<\/p>\n

Nearby attractions:<\/strong> Visit the giant Pineapple in Bathurst and stop in for a pub lunch at the infamous Rat and Parrot in Grahamstown.<\/p>\n

Next stop: Cookhouse<\/h2>\n

This little town on the banks of the Great Fish River is steeped in history. The name is said to stem from the late 1700s when Suzanna van Aardt supplied provisions from her \u201cCookhouse\u201d to transport riders while they waited to cross the river. History buffs will be fascinated visiting the Slachter\u2019s Nek monument, the Thomas Pringle cairn and the Fairworld Fine Wool Museum.<\/p>\n

Nearby attractions:<\/strong> the Walter Battiss Museum in Somerset East and don’t miss out on the biltong festival held on the 17th and 18th June 2016.<\/p>\n

Next stop: Daggaboer farmstall, 225 km covered<\/h2>\n
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Image credit: Cape Town Chaperones via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Voted the best farm stall in South Africa by Weg, like “Ronnie’s Sex Shop” the \u201cdagga\u201d is a playful misnomer. There are more than 50 homemade jams and preserves from which to choose, including slap hakskeentjies (onions in a mild mustard sauce), boeremeisies (apricots in almond-infused witblits), and turksvystroop (thick prickly pear syrup) as well as dried fruit, Dutch cheeses, biltong, dry wors, snug sheepskin slippers and mohair blankets.<\/p>\n

Also read:<\/strong><\/p>\n