The West Coast

Those with time on their hands can also head north from the Cape. The greatest moment, for photographers anyway, is the annual spring flowers. The exact timing of this natural flower extravaganza, which mostly involves daisies and vygies, is dependent upon rainfall patterns. They may arrive early (July) or late (September) and typically move in a colourful wave from north to south and from west to east. As one area fades away, another reaches its full glory. There are also hotspots for flowers such as Kamieskroon, Springbok and Nieuwoudtville (bulb capital of the world). While in the West Coast, also consider a visit to Lambert’s Bay, which has large colonies of gannets. If you are a hiking type, then the Cederberg and Groot Winterhoek mountains offer spectacular landscapes.