2 Best Sights in The Western Cape and Winelands, South Africa

About 20 minutes from Langebaan, West Coast Fossil Park is one of the richest fossil sites in the world. It was discovered by chance while the area was being mined for phosphates in the 1950s. Since then, more than 200 kinds of fossilized animals have been collected, including the fearsome African bear, which used to roam this area. The park has been declared a national monument, and the curators have done much to make the park as accessible as possible. There are interactive guided tours, cycling trails through the areas, and interesting archaeological workshops for all ages. There's also a children's play park and a coffee shop where you can have a toasted sandwich.

Even if you don't stop at the West Coast National Park, consider driving along the scenic road that runs through it. The park is a fabulous mix of wetlands and coastal fynbos. On a sunny day the lagoon assumes a magical color, made all the more impressive by blinding white beaches and the sheer emptiness of the place. Birders can have a field day identifying waterbirds, including curlew and bar-tailed godwits. The little mountain at the tip of the reserve where ships would drop off their mail on their trip around the Cape, is open only in flower season, which changes from year to year but falls somewhere between August and early October. 

It's easy to run out of superlatives when describing West Coast flowers, but imagine acres of land carpeted in multicolored blooms as far as the eye can see. If you're lucky, you may catch glimpses of zebra, wildebeest, or bat-eared foxes. Keep an eye out for tortoises crossing the road. There is a handful of cute cottages dotted around the park if you'd like to stay over, or for something a little more unusual, check out the houseboats permanently moored in the lagoon. Accommodations get booked up months in advance for flower season, so plan ahead.