At !Khwa ttu in the West Coast they share with their visitor’s authentic interactions in a beautiful environment, walking and biking trails, inspiring San nature and culture tours, good food, compelling art and heritage exhibitions, professional friendly hospitality and stylish special event venues or corporate functions.
!Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre, is located on the West Coast Way Culture and Tractor Route.
Become a fan of the San with the top 5 at !Khwa ttu
- Survival skills
At the core of SAN culture is a deep respect for nature. Their survival was dependent on intimate knowledge of animal behavior, keen observation skills and the creative use of the plants and shrubs indigenous to their area. A walk through the veld with a SAN guide opens a world of knowledge regarding the medicinal properties of the fynbos plants, the best shrubs and reeds to use to construct a shelter, which bulbs yield poison to dab on the tip of an arrow for hunting, and ingenious ways of creating containers to store precious water. The walk ends with a healthy and tasty tea, brewed on an open fire and made from leaves plucked from the bushes during the walk.
- Master the clicks.
Are you ready to give your mouth and tongue a workout?
The SAN languages are fascinating to listen to as they contain several clicking sounds.
At !KhwaTtu, a SAN guide demonstrates the five different clicks and encourages you to try them. They involve maneuvering your tongue against your teeth, palate and alveo- palate while using varying levels of force and breathe as well as changing the shape of your mouth. Some people master it right away, while others struggle and never manage to get it right. Once the guide feels you can identify the different sounds and their meaning, she says a word and you attempt to write it, identifying the correct clicks used.
- Farm to fork
Behind the main building and restaurant is a colourful garden tended by the SAN staff. Vegetables and herbs are grown organically, and the reeds provide a natural cleanser and filter for the water used for irrigation. Most of the vegetables and salads in the restaurant come from this healthy
- Views for days
There is a very odd looking vehicle at !KhwaTtu. It looks like a huge, high trailer but in the middle of it is a steering wheel. Trust your guide and climb on board. A slow drive takes you around the back of the buildings and then climbs to the highest point on the reserve where a huge flat rock and a rustic boma provide a perfect spot for sundowners with a view. Table Mountain can be seen shimmering in the distance and the light dances on the ocean. Paths and tracks are like scars on the landscape and the animals are moving dots. The whole colour palette is represented from the earthy tones of the reserve, the bright yellows of the canola fields and the blues and greys of the ocean and distant mountains. 
- A night in nature
After walking, cycling and exploring the reserve and culture, complete the experience by spending a night immersed in nature, and the sounds and smells that lulled the SAN people to sleep thousands of years ago. Secluded rustic cottages or freestanding glamping tents offer all the amenities you need without detracting from the natural setting and connection with mother earth.
Find !Khwa ttu San on the West Coast Way Culture and Tractor Route
Open 7 days a week| Free entry
R150/person for a 1,5hr San Guided Experience. (Group bookings essential)
Distance from Cape Town: 74km
Where: Grootwater Farm, R27
Coordinates: 33°21’44.55” S 18°16’14.12” E
Contact: (c) +27 (0)22 492 2998 |[email protected] | www.khwattu.org
The Roaming Giraffe is Di Brown. Travel writer and blogger, mother, grandmother, avid reader, tourism professional, learner photographer, social media influencer, Twitter fan and lover of Instagram.
Images by Justin Hawthorne and !Khwa ttu
West Coast Way Is South Africa’s Road Trip With The Most Twists
Explore the Cape West Coast by planning a self-drive trip or book a guided tour for a nature and adventure-filled Cape West Coast holiday.
Find a 101+ things to see and do on the West Coast Way:
Enjoy wine, craft beer, olives and Rooibos tea tastings, Weskus cuisine and braaivleis (barbecue), swing into Citrusdal with a zipline, go Cederberg bouldering, jump into natural (warm) pools, step onto cruises of lagoons and rivers, trek through nature reserves and a National Park, hop onto game drives, try the skill of archery and angling, get your adrenaline pumping with sand-boarding and quad-biking, go horse riding, learn about the San culture and Riel-dancing, do kite- and windsurfing, chill in your flip flops and do surfing, book a kayaking trip, go beach hopping, learn about bees, whales and listen to our birds in a twitcher’s paradise – all in South Africa’s wildflower reserve.
For more information on the West Coast’s top places to go, road tripping, hikes, tours and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Follow us on @WestCoastWaySA on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.West Coast Way is South Africa’s road trip with the most twists. South Africans and visitors can explore a unique collection of themed routes to do adventure-filled Cape West Coast self-drive trips or a West Coast Holiday. The new West Coast Way “basket” of free routes on offer include the West Coast Way Scenic Route, the West Coast Way Berg Route, the West Coast Way Foodie Route, the West Coast Way Cultural Route – as well as the newly launched West Coast Way Wild Route, all of which are designed to showcase the many attractions and activities that are already on offer on the Cape West Coast and inland areas – but may be unknown to many. For more information on West Coast Way’s #WestCoastTwist and the list of 101 Things to Do on the West Coast visit www.westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Connect with West Coast Way on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at WestCoastWaySA.