Just five years ago Darling was struggling to put itself on the tourism map. Pieter Dirk Uys, famous local comedian, satirist and performer discovered this little gem and promptly fell in love. He bought the old train station and things have never being the same. Today the venue has two theatres, a restaurant/bar, arts and crafts market and the delightful Boerassic Park, a satirical garden with statues depicting the funny and absurd side of South African life. Pieter has done as much as their famous flowers to put Darling on the map and uplift the community and now this little country gem is starting to blossom.

Five years ago, their tourism industry was in disarray, with infighting and disparate businesses competing against each other. Today they have a well coordinated and focused tourism industry and a wine route established in 2004 which gives the big boys nearer Cape Town a run for their money.

With its climate cooled by the nearby sea, its excellent quality soil and skilled winemakers this region is a multiple winner of wine awards. Although as Nik Pentz, owner of the Groote Post Wine Estate points out. “The biggest award is people returning year after year to buy our wines”. Groote Post, together with Cloof wines, Darling cellars and Ormonde Vineyards make up the popular Wine Route.

In-between sipping award winning wines and tasting some of the excellent local fare on offer there is plenty else to do.

The Darling Museum, situated in the old Town Hall is a step back in time. It has an extensive collection of original artifacts and memorabilia depicting its fascinating history as a Dutch East Indian Company trading post and the start of the Darling butter making industry. Allow yourself a good few hours to immerse yourself in a bygone era.

Back in the present, I was introduced to Wedding Planner, Anne Mann, while enjoying a coffee at the Marmalade Cat, a colourful coffee, cake and gift store on the Main Road. Anne has lived in Darling for nine years and her company organises about four weddings a month in the area. Mostly Europeans and British who want a different wedding experience in beautiful surroundings.

She explained that many young South Africans go overseas, meet the love of their life and return to get married and settle in South Africa. With Darling’s close proximity to Cape Town and excellent facilities in the area it is proving an extremely popular “I do” venue. With its array of guest houses, farms and B&B’s. 

People can stay in a variety of establishments and enjoy their meals and entertainment together. Like Shaun says, “Why book into a hotel when you can book into a village?” Young lovers (or older ones for that matter), looking to get hitched in the country should check out www.weddingconcepts.co.za.

While Darling continues to expand its horizons the seasonal flowers are still a highlight and the annual flower show has been running every year bar one since 1917. But with its 10 wildflowers reserves scattered around the area, springtime in bloom is still a flower lover’s nirvana. But it’s not enough to just drive by, these reserves are meant to be explored on foot.

From the art of nature to the nature of art and with many artists settling in the area, there are a variety of galleries to explore and at least four major exhibitions are planned for next year. The arts and crafts at Evita se Peron are all created by local residents and the creative flair in the village reflects the colourful characters that inhabit it.

The Darling Voorkamerfest is an excellent opportunity to enjoy performances in the homes of local residents. People purchase tickets and are transported to three different performances in the “voorkamers”, (front rooms) of local homes.

They do not know which performances they will attend but with a maximum of 20 people, the shows are intimate, with the home owners acting as “chaperones”. Started by local Dutch residents, Inge Bos and Wim Visser, this popular and unique festival is now into its third year and a wonderful way to experience local hospitality and creativity.

All this exploring is hungry work and while not that long ago food options were limited, that is no longer the case. Hilda's Kitchen at Groote Post is a quaint little restaurant in an old manor house and the Gourmet Bbqs at Cloof gives a whole new sophisticated dimension to the South African braai.

I met a charming family from Durban visiting the West Coast region for the first time who could not stop raving about the food and atmosphere at Bistro 7 on the Main Road and the South African fare on offer at the Peron is excellent. Add to this other cute coffee shops and The Loft Wine Bar and you know you won’t go hungry or thirsty.

I left darling feeling slightly overwhelmed and pretty excited. I had discovered a whole new region to explore and an excellent weekend getaway. Darling’s new mantra “Less than an hours drive from Cape Town, but a million miles away” certainly holds true.