Directions
Head onto the N1
Take exit 13A which leads onto the N7
Follow the N7 to Piekenierskloof Pass, this will lead you to Hebron on your left
Follow the N7 to Clanwilliams and take the exit towards R364
Follow the R364 to Sevilla Rock Art Trail on your right
Head back to Clanwilliams on the R364 to the Rooibos Tea House on your right
Did you know that there is only one place in the world where Rooibos tea can be grown! Yes, the sandy slopes and undulating valleys of the rugged Cederberg mountain range provide the perfect habitat for Rooibos. The Sevilla Rock Art Trail offers some of the finest examples of rock art in the district and a fascinating glimpse into the world of these early inhabitants – the San people inhabited the area for some 1000’s of years!
Hebron
Hebron is a working flower farm, restaurant & farm stall with both B&B & self-catering accommodation – situated on top of the Piekenierskloof Pass, the ‘Gateway to the Cederberg’.
They have a lovely kitchen with a splendid menu. I had tried one their breakfast options and I was really impressed with the presentation and taste of the food – I would expect such presentation and quality at much pricier restaurants (more towards fine dining experiences). A truly commendable effort to the team at Hebron!
Next up, is the tea tasting – Carmién tea (I love the cute “kappie”)! Right next door to the kitchen is the bar and tasting room. They have a wonderful range of tea tasting choices – tea and food pairing, tea and wine tasting and the spectacular gin and tea tasting. I had opted for the aromatic tea and food pairing, which shows off some of their organic teas.
Aside from the usual tea tasting, what really intrigued me was their gin tea tasting (I call it “gin tea” as it is gin with a teabag). When I think of gin, I associate it with alcohol only. Never would I have thought that gin and tea could be such a lovely couple. That has since changed after I got to experience the lovely Rooibos gin first hand – they offer two handcrafted styles, Floral Berry and Citrus Chai. Each a beautiful balance of gin and natural botanicals, providing a classic initial top note of juniper and citrus on the palate with a lingering undertone of chai or floral berry.
The gins are paired best with the Rooibos silk pyramid teabags, they offer two flavours – Vintage Romance (pairs brilliantly with floral berry gin) and Amber royalty (pairs exceptionally with citrus chai). The flavours from the teabag compliment the gin so well, and it adds an extra sweetness to your palate. You can also just have normal tea without the gin – it’s totally up to you. The teabags are very affordable too – you can buy them online on Carmién tea’s website for R30!
Sevilla Rock Art Trail
Be sure to take a trek along the fabulous rock art trail – the distance of the trail is about 5kms in total (there and back). There are some truly unbelievable rock paintings along the trail – and what really baffles me is how these paintings have survived over the thousands of years. Surely the elements of mother nature take its toll on the rocks? There are 9 sites to stop at along the route and these are all clearly marked. The actual trail itself could do with some remarking or improvements as one could detour “off the beaten path” quite easily.
At site 2, there is this remarkable artwork of a trio of strange “monsters” – I am so curious as to what the San people were thinking or saw to be able to paint such “monsters”. At the time there were no “monsters” – or were there?
At site 3, there is this gigantic “balancing” boulder – it literally looks as if it will fall down any second. How it balances and stays balanced after so many years is just unbelievable. Can it be a natural phenomena that it formed over the years?
Site 5 is shaded by a huge, ancient Wild Olive tree – that is probably several centuries old. Under the shade is some of the best paintings on the trail – the archers and the zebra foal being the highlights.
Site 6 has a fascinating image of a group of dancing ladies. If you look closely at the way the woman are portrayed, the lower half of their body is really big relative to their upper body – the most noticeable being the big calves and elongated torsos. I am no expert on the physique of these early inhabitants – but perhaps this gives us a glimpse into the evolution of woman.
Site 8 is a low cave that was used as a “kraal” in the past – a kraal is some type of enclosure. This site is special as it has many handprints on the rocks and a very unique cute pair of prints from a small child. I would assume this was where they attended art classes and where they started to learn the skills of rock art painting. I am just joking.
I still wonder what they used to paint the rocks – human blood or animal blood? And how did they get the colour variations for some of the images? Whatever it was, they defined their era with a lovely sense of arts and culture.
Rooibos Tea House
The tea house is situated in Velskoendraai Farmstall & Restaurant. The tea tasting is a wonderful experience – you get to choose from their entire Rooibos range! The price is also great – R70 per person, R100 for two people and R120 for three people. You get to smell the entire range one by one in mini glass beakers. After this you can select any seven to brew and taste. You and your friends will each have a tasting glass. The experience is unique as you do the brewing yourself – you and your friends get to brew the teas at your own pace and smell the lovely aromas whilst enjoying each other’s company. And remember, anytime is tea time!
For all the tea lovers out there, Citrusdal and Clanwilliams are your gateway to the land of teas! If you drive further up North you will be sure to catch other great tea tasting opportunities!
Emil's Travel Blog 