Sunday morning started early for us, as we prepared to join both my daughters, son in law and some of their friends for a walk through the lower plantation at Tokai Forest.
Lower plantation Tokai Forest
Situated on Tokai road, in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, Tokai forest is made up of a serene natural forest.
The sun shone brightly through the forest canopy, dancing light onto the autumn leaves and pine needles carpeting the floor as we walked through the giant fir trees.
The walk is a 4km loop and is easy to walk on the paved, wooden walkways and smooth sand paths. Making it perfect for families, especially for those with small kids or who are pushing a jogger pram.
The forest is also pet friendly so we came across several families walking their dogs.
Along our walk we found a little stream, some wooden bridges, a tree house, swings and many natural places for Hamish to stop and explore.
He was in his element and had way too many sticks, pinecone and natural treasures he was wanting to bring home to add to his nature box.
Not only a poular place to walk your dog, enjoy a horse ride or walk through, the forest is also home to many indigenous fynbos and animals. We came across several squirrels and birds on our walk.
The secret Forest Cafe
The main reason for our early Sunday morning walk was to celebrate my eldest daughters birthday, with a quick breakfast at The Secret Forest Cafe in Tokai forest, which is nestled on the heart of the forest.
I absolutely love this quaint little cafe, with its rustic doors and amazing views. After all, if we are truly honest, there is nothing better than a beautiful view over a cup of coffee, hot breakfast or fresh naartjie juice.
Service was good, although because they were increafibly busy we had quite a long wait to be served, which meant many of our group had already finished a meal before any of us were served.
The food was beautifully presented, delicious, and worth the wait. I had the salmon bagel, Brent chose a breakfast bun, and Hamish tucked into a ham and cheese croissant. My youngest daughter had the avo on toast, which looked scrumptious!
Pricing was reasonable and there are many easy meal and drink options catering to all tastes.
The counter has large glass jars filled with, biscuits,sweet treats and even doggy biscuits.
I did note that the shop is cash free, so it’s wise to carry your bank card or have a scanning option avaliable on your phone. The wifi in the forest was great so you will be able to pay via phone.
This really was a great experience and one we will do again. The views through the forest walk were amazing and it was great to grab a coffee whilst enjoying a casual stroll through nature.
