HAPPY CUSTOMERS.
Hiking the Whale Trail was truly an amazing experience. Especially thanks so Gillian and Ralph from Africansunroad. The food was great and the company even better! I would highly recommend.
Gilly and Ralph were our guides on the stunningly beautiful 5 day Whale Trail in de Hoop Nature Reserve we finished last week in late Nov 2016. They are both passionate, interesting and very knowledgeable about the huge range of plant, insect, bird and animal life in the differing trail habitats…and genuinely enjoy sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. They are also kind, thoughtful and very good company with a sense of humour – a real bonus on any trail. Gilly is an outstanding cook and went to great lengths to look after us with delicious and plentiful food you would not think possible to provide on a 5 day trek. The whole trail experience was a joy and we would happily return for more with Gilly and Ralph as our guides.
Gill and Ralph were very knowledgeable about the abundant flora that abounds in the Fernkloof reserve. They provided us with a tasty lunch and a tea stop for our all day excursion. They were always ready to provide us with information about what we were seeing, and answer our many questions. Thanks to Gill and Ralph, we had an excellent day and I would recommend them for your nature tour.
Traveled in September with friend
Gill and Ralph were superb guides in the Hermanus Fernkloof Nature Reserve, and their knowledge of the awesome flora and fauna in this area of the Western Cape was such a delight. My wife and are are avid birders in Southern Africa and to get a “lifer” on one of our our short hikes was really special, Victorin’s Warbler. They would be our choice as gudes for the world renowned “Whale Trail” in the Western Cape, without doubt.
Jerry and Val Rowles, Johannesburg
New to the Hermanus and beautiful Overberg area, we have been very fortunate to meet up with Guides Gillian and Ralph who are both passionate and professional in the way they present their walks and hikes. The Wine Walk was a short ‘loosener’ for us both and has wet our appetites for further hikes in order to get to know the area. Gillian and Ralph not only have a wealth of knowledge to impart, but make their excursions fun with an easy style that immediately puts everyone at ease. A first class experince that cannot be too highly recommended.
I had the most perfect day on this wonderful hike guided by Ralph and Gill. The area is one of outstanding beauty, but I would have missed so much to notice and understand about the flora, birds, animals and history without the Louw’s very helpful input. Our’s was a small group of people who quickly got to know each other and enjoyed Gill and Ralph’s relaxed and friendly attitude to imparting their knowledge along the way. We had a lot of fun and learnt a lot whilst enjoying a good healthy walk surrounded by fabulous nature.
Once again, we had the best time and we are truly grateful to you and Ralph that went out of your way to make our Overberg wine walk a fun and memorable experience! Will definitely recommend this and you to everyone! So glad to hear that you and Ralph also enjoyed the time with us 🙂 I am grateful for our group of girlfriends and could not think of a better celebration of time, nature and great food and wine experiences than the one you put together for us!
Take care,
Kind regards
Chrisna
The food that was prepared was 5 star.
Gilly is not only a “feeder” but also a caring ,patient humble person.
We were 10 ladies.
Poor Ralp didn’t know where to look at times but he is a real gentleman and took care of us ladies and we always felt safe.
Highly recommend.
I will do it again.
Thank you so much.
HEATHER
Wine and Nature combo. Want to be active by day while enjoying the exquisite Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at it’s best
Tripadvisor review: OVERBERG 3 night WINE WALK
Travelling is all about creating beautiful & unforgettable moments. Hosted by the amazing couple Gillian & Ralph the Overberg Wine Walk is one of those memories you will treasure forever. Breathtaking scenery, majestic mountains, flowers , birds and the most beautiful vineyards. The piece de resistance is the wine tasting and gastronomic food this valley offers. You will experience the best that the Walker Bay wine region has to give. We started our first day with a wine tasting at the gorgeous Hamilton Russel Estate.Top visits Ataraxia, Spookfontein,Bosman,La Vierge, Newton Johnson and Creation where we had a special visit to our table by Carolyn Martin. Get your friends or family together and plan a visit with Gillian and Ralph. It is so worth it!
Our long awaited Whale Trail already a week behind us and it is with absolute joy that I relive every moment of the trail. We were a group of 10, eight family members and two close friends, guided by our hosts Gilly and Ralph. This was, for me, close to a perfect holiday. The scenery, by times, took my breath away. The variety of fynbos, the flowers, the rocks, the cliffs, the sea and the white sand at times were absolutely stunning.The purity and undisturbed nature made this a special trail. Our hosts, with their passion for and knowledge of plants, animals, insects and nature overall, definitely contribute to the way we experienced every aspect. Their friendliness, patience and good spirit amazed me. We were treated on breakfast, teatime snacks, lunch, a delicious supper, tea and coffee and wine every day. For me ,to have nothing to do with the planning of meals for the trip and be surprised by delicious meals each day, was heavenly. Then there were the whales. Lots and lots of them on our hike along the coast. What an experience and definitely one of the highlights! At the end, when we had to bid our hosts farewell, it was sad to leave our hosts, who became like friends to us. This is a get away in the true sense of the word and I would recommend this trail with AfricanSunRoad to everyone who wants, a break away in nature and a treat to themselves, at the same time.
I feel really fortunate to have had Gillan and her husband Ralph as my guides on the Whale Trail. Their thoughtfulness and knowledge and passion made it a really special experience. Gillian’s also an amazing chef — I still can’t believe we ate so well considering that she only had the most basic kitchen supplies at her disposal! She really goes out of her way to make sure everyone is having a good time and well taken care of.
I’d happily go on another hike with Gillian in the future; I hope I do!
Travelled solo in November
Communication 5/5
Knowledge 5/5
Friendliness 5/5
Resourcefulness 5/5
Gillian and Ralph were our guides on the Whale Trail last week and I found them to be first class.
They had a good knowledge of birds,flowers etc and Gills cooking over the 5 days was really outstanding .Excellent meals for each supper and great packed lunches as well as breakfasts.Nothing was too much trouble for her at all despite me making more work by being a vegetarian.
Traveled in September with friends
We started off the hike on a chilly morning, and I thought it was going to be too cold. But as the hike progressed I realised it is actually ideal weather to do a hike in. The trail was neat and properly marked. There were so many different plants that it was difficult to focus just on one. Gill took us through the tiniest flowers’ properties and history and without that, I might not have even noticed the tiniest beauties. Ralph explained the Proteas in the most amazing way and highlighted details like sustainability and environmental impact on the life span of Proteas. The hike took us through the fynbos and we went through a spot close to the waterfall. This was absolutely breathtaking. The most beautiful old trees with the stream running through it. Gill and Ralph’s knowledge of the plants and birds were much appreciated, and they explained with much detail on any of the questions we had. Gill also elaborated on the vast amount of frogs we came across. Gill and Ralph are amazing guides and I would return for another hike any day. The hike was about 8km and still it was paced so well that by the end of the hike you do not feel exhausted. Thank you for this amazing experience!
Kim Resnik recommends Africansunroad.
This review was submitted 5 December at 15:33
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Wow!!! What an amazing experience!!! Gilly and Ralph were fantastic, so knowledgeable, accommodating, friendly…felt like I was part of something so much greater with them! Thank you guys! My boys and I will be back and not to mention the amazing group I had the pleasure of sharing this incredible experience with!
Thank you!!!
Wine Walk Hemel & Aarde Valley
Reviewed December 2, 2019
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What an amazing experience, Gillian and Ralph are the best most knowledgeable guides. Every moment was filled with excitement, Gillian arranged the best accommodation, food and wine was excellent. The y are amazing
Robyn Lambert
4 Day Overberg Wine Walk
Our walking wine trip with Gilly and Ralph from Sunroad was the most magical experience we have had in a long time. Our group consisted of 10 Adults with varying fitness levels , however Gilly and Ralph managed a very fussy group with ease and confidence , changing plans to suit us all. The walks took us through beautiful scenery , fauna and flora , both Gilly and Ralph are extremely knowledgeable in these fields , making sure we stopped “to smell the roses” and take in the beauty that surrounds us. Every day we were supplied water and snack treats , even tea and coffee wasn’t an issue on top of the mountain! Each day was thoughtfully planned , tasting the best of the Hemel en Aarde Valley wines with top quality food .
I could not speak more highly of this tour , it exceeded my expectations and we look forward to another trip next year.
Thanks again Gilly and Ralph , you were amazing and hope to see you soon .
Mar 21, 2023
Alison_W
Absolutely fabulous!
Viator review: Wine Walk Bouchard Finlayson
Lovely hike, at a leisurely pace, around the vineyards with very experienced and informative guides. Our first wine-tasting stop was informative with wine available to purchase either by bottle or case if you wished although there was no expectation to do so. We bought a case and returned by car to collect it at the end of the tour. We continued our walk down into the valley towards Bouchard Finlayson Winery. Here we had a fabulous meat/cheese platter together with more wine!! Gilly & Ralph were superb guides and we would thoroughly recommend this tour.