Hi, I'm Eric.

I’m an avid world traveler, photographer, software developer, and digital storyteller.

I help implement the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe.

ericscouten.com

Subscribe / Follow · Now

ericscouten.com

Subscribe / Follow · Now

Search Results

South Africa Day 4: Franschhoek and the Coast

26 February 2026 • 209 km / 130 mi (map)

  • Added to Eric Scouten :: Travel on 24 March 2026
  • South Africa 10

Today I left the conference a bit early to go exploring.

I started with a brief walk around the conference center …

A reddish-brown gravel path winds through open fynbos scrubland toward a range of rugged mountains under a bright blue sky filled with scattered white clouds. Low shrubs and grasses fill the foreground, with trees and distant buildings near the base of the mountains.
Jan Marais Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

… and then we drove up to the nearby wine-country town of Franschhoek. We enjoyed a bit of shopping and lunch here. Friends of ours back in the States had spoken highly of this town and we see why.

A rugged mountain rises behind a lush green garden of trees and shrubs in Franschhoek, with a manicured lawn in the foreground and parked cars visible through the foliage under a bright blue sky filled with billowing white and grey clouds.
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa · by Lisa Rozmyn
A white Cape Dutch Gothic-style church with a thatched roof, pointed gables, and arched windows, dated 1841 on its facade, set against blue sky and mountains in Franschhoek. A flagstone path lined with flowering garden beds leads up to the church’s wooden doors.
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa · by Lisa Rozmyn
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa

From there, we decided to see if we could explore the coast a bit, so we drove an hour or so west to find this view of Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain:

A wide sandy beach with footprints in the foreground and waves rolling onto the shore, looking across the bay toward the flat-topped silhouette of Table Mountain under a blue sky with a single large white cloud. A lone figure walks along the sand at the far left.
Little Bay Beach, Melkbosstrand, Western Cape, South Africa

You never know where you’ll wind up on a road trip with me. 😜

A white road sign reading “WELCOME TO PHILADELPHIA” stands on two wooden posts beside a dry golden field, with a small town of white gabled houses, trees, and distant mountains under a partly cloudy blue sky.
Philadelphia, Western Cape, South Africa
around Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa · 209 km / 130 mi
(Mouse over or tap on the markers to see the photos there. Use the button to adjust the map’s position and zoom.)

If you’ve enjoyed this …

Subscribe to my free and occasional (never more than weekly) e-mail newsletter with my latest travel and other stories:

Or follow me on one or more of the socials: