New !Khwa ttu Mountain Bike Trail to draw tourism, create jobs on the West Coast
This weekend, Western Cape MEC of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, launched a new mountain bike route at the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre.
The launch was attended by visitors from the surrounding community, who, along with MEC Winde, completed the inaugural 30km route.
Reaching across fences to bring neighbours together, !Khwa ttu’s new 30km mountain bike trail is expected to attract visitors to the Cape West Coast and support growth and jobs in the area.
With the cooperation of Ormonde Wine Estate, !Khwa ttu is set to follow global trends, capitalizing on the 195% growth in adventure tourism from 2010-2013 (UNWTO Global Report on Adventure Tourism 2014).
Speaking at the launch, MEC Winde said: “The !Khwa ttu mountain bike route has its all - single track, jeep track, farm roads, relaxed riding, technical sections, fast moving terrain, game viewing and beautiful scenery. This is a great addition to the growing number of quality routes in our province.
Speaking of his recent plan to transform the Western Cape into an international cycling hub, he added: “This route is a wonderful contribution to our cycling offering. It will no doubt contribute to the appeal of our destination and to my goal of making our province a cycling mecca.”
Launch guests welcomed news of the !Khwa ttu mountain bike trail, expressing excitement about new cycling opportunities in the area and the anticipated growth in tourism, which would indirectly benefit their businesses.
Michael Diaber, manager of !Khwa ttu, said that he hoped the trail would bring direct benefit to !Khwa ttu and surrounding businesses: “One major benefit of cycling tourism is that it equates to money spent in rural towns and in more economically disadvantaged areas. Many of the people traveling to a trail spend one or more nights in the area. !Khwa ttu believes that a great mountain bike trail does not just satisfy local riders, it can also attract tourists from far and wide, revitalise local economies, and put a destination on the map.”
According to Mr Daiber, good facilities, friendly staff and fun activities like mountain biking are the secret to a quality visitor experience and attracting visitors from further afield.
MEC Winde encouraged cyclists of all levels to visit !Khwa ttu: “In addition to a well-rounded, quality adventure experience, you will be contributing to growth and jobs in the area.”
For media enquiries:
Tammy Evans
Tel: 021 483 4327
Cell: 076 941 9159
Fax: 021 483 3890
E-mail: Tammy.Evans@westerncape.gov.za
Additional info from !KHWA TTU
!Khwa ttu Mountain Bike Trail
!Khwa ttu’s new mountain bike trail on the Cape West Coast offers variety, fun, relaxation and spectacular views, at a great family venue perfect for weekend getaways. The trail includes two well-marked routes suitable for all levels of experience, from casual leisure rider to experienced adrenaline junkie.
On the 10km, circular green route you may have wonderful encounters with game and the highlight is a 20 metre drop down a granite rock face to a water hole – a safer option is available! Fitter cyclists can continue on the circular red route for 20km of more challenging climbs on neighbouring farms. The hilly red route winds past granite rocky outcrops, along wheat fields and up into the beautiful Ormonde vineyards above Darling. Those who make the collective 800m climb are rewarded with increasingly inspiring vistas of Table Mountain, Langebaan Lagoon and the rolling Darling hills. The icing on the cake is a fun, fast ride back to base for tasty Ormonde wine and !Khwa ttu’s signature Eland burger.
Single track, jeep track, farm roads, relaxed riding, technical sections, fast moving terrain, fun, beautiful scenery – the !Khwa ttu mountain bike route has it all. Combine that with fascinating San guided tours, gentle hiking trails, local wine, good food, comfortable accommodation, friendly smiles, warmth and professionalism, and its’ enough to draw you back to !Khwa ttu again and again.
- Less than one hours’ drive north of Cape Town along the R27 West Coast Route.
- 10km or 30km options well marked with green and red arrows.
- The 30km option is hilly with a combined climb of around 800 metres.
- Fun, relaxed riding with some technical sections for more advanced cyclists.
- Donation of R30 per person assists with trail maintenance.
- To book contact Jacqui Melenephy on 022 492 2998 or bookings@khwattu.org
About !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre
High hills roll gently down to flat coastal plains fringed by long white beaches and the endless Atlantic Ocean. This is the home of !Khwa ttu, a San (Bushmen) Centre in South Africa, less than an hours’ drive north of Cape Town along the R27 West Coast route.
Years ago our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have perched on the hills watching for the antelope that roamed the coastal plains. Then the herders and farmers arrived, fences sprung up and the antelope and predators died out.
Following in the footsteps of our ancestors, we have placed our visitor centre on the hill top and introduced Eland and Springbok to the recovering plains below. The visitor centre has a reception, conference room, restaurant, shop, gallery, emerging museum and a lovely guesthouse. Its spectacular views of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean make for wonderful photographs.
Just as our ancestors would have done when looking for shellfish – we have set up our tented camps and bush house near the coast. Today, there are few places along this stretch of coast where the public can access the beach – we are lucky to have one just 20 minutes away at Yzerfontein.
Walking and cycling trails explore the countryside, offering a lovely way to view game. On our guided tours we show off our tracking skills, share our knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs and demonstrate traditional skills like making fire and hunting bows.
Perhaps what is most special about !Khwa ttu is the opportunity to meet contemporary San. We greet you at the gate, welcome you at the reception, prepare your food in the restaurant and take you on guided tours. Our maintenance and cleaning teams are around, working hard to keep everything comfortable and running smoothly.
All in all !Khwa ttu is one of a kind. We are a non-profit, joint-venture between the San community and the Swiss Ubuntu Foundation. We practice Fair Trade Tourism and have won several tourism awards. We also train San from southern Africa to participate in the tourism industry and share our culture and heritage in our own way, with dignity and pride. Through our museum and outreach programme we hope to restore and share some of our lost heritage. Through our conservation and green energy activities we hope to demonstrate ways in which to live sustainably, with nature – as was the traditional San way.
Awards
!Khwa ttu won the following awards during 2014:
- Lilizela awards: Best Visitors Experience Award in the Western Cape,
- PMR Africa: Diamond Arrow Award of Cape West Coast Region Leaders for: best Cultural Destination.
- Travelstart Top 50 Tourist destinations in South Africa, appearing on nr 7 position from the top.
- The Five years award of Fair Trade in Tourism certification.
For more information visit www.khwattu.org
