Watch the whales splash and play! - Jacob. Date of travel: Mar 2007
Some friends and I spent the weekend in Hermanus and I must say its quite a fun place with lots to do! From the beginning of September onwards you can watch the whales in the bay which means they get quite close, there are a lot of very nice restaurants in this little town all with a lot of character and it's backed by a small mountain range that offers great hiking. I have to say that we didn't get to go hiking but the town gave us a great platform to drink wine in and watch the whales play in the harbour.

Whale watching - Jean Margolis. Date of travel: Aug 2006
Hermanus is an odd little town (well not so little anymore!)- and although there have been some attempts to improve the seaside walkways and the restaurants, it still a little... seedy. However, the reason for flooding here with the rest of Cape Town and half the world is to whale watch and enjoy spectaular ocean views (who cares what the buildings look like?). Take a day drive from Cape Town and soak it all in, but be prepared for heavy traffic, minimal parking and crowded public spaces in summer. Stroll along the cliffs and look for breaching Southern Rights, enjoy an icecream from Princess Cafe and soak up a bit of sun on Voelklip beach. An ideal day trip or weekend getaway, good for all ages.

Party Town - Jessica Stempner. Date of travel: Jan 2006
Hermanus is a great party town. It gets really busy on the weekend, the clubs and bars really fill up but the majic is that they're all quite small so the atmosphere is really festive. The music is pretty good for a seaside town and there are a few places to choose from. I like to spend my days on Voelklip beach, it's a good size, the water is warm and the waves are a good size for swimming. It seems to be pretty popular with surfers too.

Tom P. Date of travel: Aug 2005
August is a lovely time to visit Hermanus if you're lucky with the weather. It's the start of the whale season and you can see mothers and calves close to the shore. Restaurants and hotels are all offering good deals and booking ahead is not necessary, so you can just look at the forecast and get in the car. Travel to Hermanus only takes 1.5 hrs on a good run from Cape Town. We had wonderful long walks on Grotto beach, which runs for miles, with barely a person to be seen, just the occasional local looking for mussels. Tour Operator: Independent

Lizzie Noel. Date of travel: Jan 2004
Hermanus is incredibly popular with Cape Townions who excape the city over Christmas when it gets overrun with Gautenees (J'burgers). Architecturally its dreadful, but its a great family resort with long safe beaches, warmish water and some decent restaurants. Our favourite was Moggs, 20 minutes inlands beyone the Hamilton Russell vineyard. The best place to be is in Vorklip which is within walking distance of the beach.

Dave Morris. Date of travel: Jan 2004
Hermanus is only an hour from Cape Town and is a popular weekend break for locals wanting to excape the city for the weekend. It's most popular over Christmas and New Year when Cape Town fills with tourists from Jo'burg and Europe and Capetownions escape the crowds for the relative peace of Hermanus. Archetechurly it's no gem, but the setting is wonderful and the Vorklip (spelling?) Beach is wonderful. Vorklip is the best place to be based, though not quite as central for the restaurants etc.

Stanford - close to Hermanus - Edward van Kuik. Date of travel: May 2003
Just 20kms from Hermanus is the wonderful tiny picturesque village of Stanford. Away from the coast along the Klein River, it is ideal for a quiet weekend. Lots of cottages for rent in the area, many ideal for having a balmy evening braai. Lots of surrounding areas to explore including the Salmonsdam nature reserve, and caves along the beaches of De Kelders.