Scootouring around Kaapsehoop
It's an experience like no other, gliding through the Kaapsehoop plantations courtesy of the Scootours, a first of its kind in the province.
KAAPSEHOOP – The picturesque scenes of this idyllic village call out to be experienced first-hand and from all angles. The new Scootours offers adventurers access to all the beauty and tranquility of the area’s plantations and wild horses.
The fun aside, you can cover much more ground on one of the all-terrain balance bikes. Scootours are offered by Kaapsehoop Outdoors. It is only the fifth company in the country to have the franchise, after Franschoek, Knysna, Cape Town and the Drakensberg.
The Kaapsehoop Scootours are also the longest, with a trail of six kilometres. The Kaapsehoop Outdoors owners, Rudi du Plessis and Juliette Whelpton, decided to introduce this unique version of seeing the great outdoors when opening their business two months ago.
“The concept started in the Swiss Alps,” Whelpton explains. The summer season presented a problem for the mountainous region, as there wasn’t enough snow to glide on. It was then that the scooters were introduced that allowed people to “ski” without the snow. Jake Saaiman brought the concept to South Africa and first introduced it to the Drakensberg area.
“It is fun for everyone,” says Du Plessis. A tip though, participants must know how to ride a bicycle, as it is vital to knowing how to balance on the scooters. Booking is essential. All participants gather at a meeting point in the town from where they are transported up the mountain. The downhill ride starts at an altitude of 1 665 metres.
The scooters only have brakes. Riders move together, and the tour stops from time to time to experience view points and all that nature has to offer. The descent is not steep and even flat in places. The finish is at 1 295 metres above sea level.
Here a river awaits for a cool-down and tranquil picnic to end off the day in a peaceful, shady and breezy spot. It certainly offers great fun for the whole family. Kaapsehoop Outdoors also has moped scooters on which it gives historical tours of the area. For more information and to book a tour, contact Kaapsehoop Outdoor on 066-305-9404.
