#dirtopia

[aromaticfog]

Smiling when running just looks odd. Note to self, do not smile when you see a photographer.

[craiglotter]

Delvera (out on the R44 in the Stellenbosch winelands) has now for a long time billed itself as an “agri-village”, a farm estate hosting a lot of little shops focused on arts & crafts, food and kids activities.

Over the years a lot of these businesses have come and gone, but by far the biggest player still left standing in the complex is Dirtopia, the outdoor, off-road event & trail construction company that bases itself out of the Dirtopia Trail Centre at Delvera – which itself was established to provide active travelers with mountain biking, hiking and trail running information (and equipment), as well as serve as a base for permit sales for a range of trails in the Klapmutskop Conservancy.

Dirtopia has also absorbed what used to be known as the Simonsberg Cafe into its operations, renaming the restaurant to Dirtopia Cafe in keeping with the brand. Not that this was the last of their expansions mind you: the team also took over the operation of Oakleaf Lodge, rebranding the lodge to Dirtopia Trail Lodge – so basically affordable country accommodation option for anyone wanting to sleep over while tackling the trails for a weekend then.

Apart from all the Dirtopia operations, there is also Chrisna’s Olives (boutique olive company), the Simonsberg Environmental Education Centre (conservancy), The Vineyard Connection (wine and freight specialist company), Johan Swart Ceramics (ceramics manufacturer), and Polka Dot Party Pants (birthday parties company).

My favourite of the lot though has to be Zebonkey, the cheekily named, family owned micro brewery that produces interesting beers according to the German Reinheitsgebot ( “German Beer Purity Law”) – but always with a twist, like using sea salt water or Buchu smoked wheat!

Anyway, the point is that Delvera is currently super popular with mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners, but if like us you are none of the above, there is still just enough reason to pay a visit – even if it is just to have lunch in Dirtopia Cafe’s wonderfully leafy garden setting while sipping on a Zebonkey craft brew and taking in the stunning Stellenbosch winelands view.

As for the girls, there was only really one thing that they were dead set on tackling during our visit – the pedal carts! (But be warned – there is a LOT of competition to grab hold of one…)

Tip: According to their website, please note that some businesses at Delvera (not any of the Dirtopia ones mind you) are open by prior arrangement only, so it is advisable to call in advance to avoid disappointment.

Related Link: Dirtopia Trail Centre | Zebonkey Brewery | Delvera | Stellenbosch

Pedal Carts and Craft Beer at Dirtopia on Delvera Farm in Stellenbosch (2017-08-27) Delvera (out on the R44 in the Stellenbosch winelands) has now for a long time billed itself as an…

[runridedive]

Head outdoor this October for summer fun in Stellenbosch

Head outdoor this October for summer fun in Stellenbosch

As summer draws closer, so does the call of the great outdoors and as far as enticing outdoor destinations goes, nothing beats Dirtopia near Stellenbosch.

Whether you’re in the mood for a hike, running a pristine trail, hopping on your mountain-bike or a more leisurely breakfast or lunch, look no further than this relaxed destination on Delvera farm with astonishing views of Table Mountain and…

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[craiglotter]

What used to be Simonsberg Cafe at DelVera is now Dirtopia Cafe, serving the hordes of mountain bikers, trailrunners and hikers that tackle Dirtopia's multitude of trails every weekend. #dirtopiacafe #dirtopia #delvera #stellenbosch #southafrica #anexploringsouthafrican (at Dirtopia Cafe)

[craiglotter]

Chantelle and I were slightly disappointed to find that the lovely DelVera that we remember appears to have slowly crumbled away into something completely different these days. That said, the spectacular views are happily still very much intact! #delvera #dirtopia #stellenbosch #southafrica #anexploringsouthafrican (at DelVera)

[mypreciouskitchen]

My son recently turned 5 years old. He’s growing up too fast… #GrowingUpMustFall

To celebrate his birth, a week before his birthday we went on a mom-son bonding weekend away. We travelled about 45min- 1hour outside of Cape Town to a relatively small Afrikaans’ town of Stellenbosch in the Winelands of the Western Cape, down the famous Garden Route.

I’m still not sure if it was about celebrating him or more my success of somehow managing to keep him alive and healthy for this long…

This place was definitely what the doctor ordered and all the reviews do not do it justice. It is so tranquil, beautiful and it catered for both our needs and tastes so perfectly. And we can both be fussy.

From the sparkling swimming pool, to the lovely rooms with WiFi( yes this is a pre-requisite for a travel getaway). I don’t even consider a place without. For me this is as important as the crisp white linen on the bed.

The lodge is called Dirtopia lodge, located in the wine estate of Delvera. It offers so many activities, from wine tasting, beer tasting, olive tastings to running and mountain biking trails, to carts, jumping catsles, jungle gyms and pottery classes for the kids.

We’ve actually been here before to do a trail run last winter. It was cold, raining and the hills of the trail that felt like were going up forever properly kicked my butt. So when I saw the lodge on ‘www.booking.com’, I was excited to go back. But when it came down to it, I decided to abondon the trail running experience for a beer tasting rather… it was a very hot day in my defence. Hydration should be a priority in such conditions, ha ha ha.

The country side setting with wide open spaces and natural vegetation is capturing. You have no choice but to kick back and relax.

Highly recommended with affordable room rates at R550 for both of us sharing, with everything you need. Definitely value for money. This price also comes with a very comprehensive breakfast and highly friendly and very trustworthy staff. This was put to the test when I forgot my hand bag and shoes on the shared patio overnight…

Did I mention good coffee!

Truly amazing place.

Definitely will be back again, very soon.

Rated 9/10 on my scale. Only reason it’s not 10/10 is because of the shared bathroom that came with our room.

Please do take the whole family for a weekend of pure fun and relaxation. The kids will definitely be entertained and running around doing different activities, while you enjoy yourself too. The rooms do very well for families.

Pictures tell a thousand words, check them out if you don’t believe me.

Inside the shared lounge and room with views of the garden and pool…

Amazing breakfast and cafe on the premises…

Some of the activities…

Travel Review: Dirtopia Lodge in Stellenbosch a true gem! My son recently turned 5 years old. He's growing up too fast... #GrowingUpMustFall To celebrate his birth, a week before his birthday we went on a mom-son bonding weekend away.

[mypreciouskitchen]

Whether it’s Easter or a Passover or just enjoying time off work. Hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

Traditionally, Easter holidays are associated with great food; baked goods; loads of chocolates in different forms such as bunnies, eggs etc. It’s almost as bad or best, depending on how you look at it, as Christmas.

Hope you celebrated it to your heart’s content.

For me personally, as much as I associate with Christianity as a religion, I believe in spirituality not religion per se. So for me, it was a good celebration of my relationship with my higher power, appreciation of the scarifice that has afforded me his eternal grace.

Moreover, this month of the year holds even more sentiment in my heart. It’s the month my precious baby boy was born, so its just emotional all around. This weekend I decided to spend quality time with my him, bonding time. Appreciating time with him before he turns 5, it’s scary how time flies. Why does it fly so fast?

Anyway, I got a good deal from one of my tried and trusted site: http://www.booking.com. A two night stay in the beautiful and tranquil Cape Winelands, a town of Stellenbosch. And the weather is just so perfect for a weekend outdoors!

We’re staying at the lodge in the Delvera wine farm, a travel review to follow… But I can tell you that it is just perfect, it caters for both our needs. And if you know me well, you’ll know how fussy I can be. Fussy in a good way, I think.

And please don’t get me started on the amazing restaurants and eateries in the winelands. OMG, the food is sooo amazing! It really gives Cape Town, the city, the run for it’s money. I now understands why the Winelands get their own category at Restaurant Week South Africa( which is starting in 4 days!!)

I obviously rely on my trusted sources for finding the best restaurants, often tripadvisor reviews. And the most beautiful thing about the wine farm restaurants is that most of them do fine dining while catering for children. I mean properly cater for children, not just ‘we’ll accomodate them if you decide to bring them along’. And to top it off, most of them offer wine tastings, completing the dining experience.

Did I tell you about amazing views of the mountains and the landscape of the country side; the hills with neat rows of the grape plantations; the dams you can at times even do fishing at, the farm animals at some farms, the play parks for kids in almost all wine farms. Just perfect!

When you get out of the farms and go to the town of Stellenbosch and you find little gems of eateries and restaurants. I found a Thai restaurant, Suki Thai, this evening with such fresh, delicious food and great attention to detail. Review to follow too.

I write this blog post thoroughly satisfied. And I hope you’ve had a good Easter weekend too.

Happy Easter! Whether it's Easter or a Passover or just enjoying time off work. Hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

[aromaticfog]

Autumn trail run tomorrow at Delvera, Stellenbosch. Looking forward to it. Hoping to break some PRs. Not been training though..