As a new resident of South Africa, I have made the conscious decision to respond “yes” to almost anything that people throw my way, even if I have no idea what it is. This philosophy has backfired a few times (South Africans tend to be frightfully fit and fearless to the point of concern, which has created a few awkward situations for this delicate American) but for the most part it has amounted to some amazing adventures. The reason I mention this is because my friend, Danielle de la Mare, requested that a group of us check out something called the Spice Route one Sunday afternoon, to which I promptly responded “yes” without knowing exactly what I signed up for. Honestly, I thought it would be a multi-stop driving route that would entail a historical journey throughout the Spice Route set forth by the East India Company. I was, quite frankly, very mistaken.

In reality, the Spice Route is actually more of an artisan village filled with a variety of handmade wares. The beauty of it is that you can consume adult beverages at a variety of places and then stumble stroll around the rest of the village, checking out the rest of the myriad curiosities. There’s everything from a chocolatier, a grapperia, a brewing company, an art gallery to a glass blowing studio (*not recommended after too many beverages). You can pretty easily spend an entire day here. While I’m still unclear what all this has to do with the Spice Route but it seems like a great opportunity to include some antique maps in the branding.