This year Franschoek, in the Western Cape Winelands, plays host to the popular South Africa Cheese Festival.

A well-attended April event (this year 27 – 30 April), the Cheese Festival draws locals and tourists alike to the picturesque village, renowned for excellent wines, gorgeous scenery and some of South Africa’s best restaurants. An impressive eight of the top 100 restaurants in the country are found in here, and there are over 28 restaurants and around 30 wine cellars to visit, so you have plenty to see, do and enjoy between all that cheese tasting.

Mind you, as the over 100,000 people who have joined in the fromage fun over the last five years since the festival’s inception can tell you, there is more to the festival than munching on the country’s award winning cheeses as showcased by South Africa’s leading boutique and internationally acclaimed cheese producers.

You can enjoy several wine tasting events being run during the festival, bringing together the always perfect blend of creamy cheese and a fine bottle of wine. There will also be authentic French cheeses especially brought in for the festival. Olives and bread, also produced locally, add to the delectable festive fare.

You can learn the best and latest ideas of serving and cooking with cheese from the experts. City-based children will be enchanted to learn how cows, goats and sheep are milked.

The location, on the beautiful Bien Donné farm, is perfect for a break from the city. Franschoek and neighbouring Paarl have plenty of accommodation options - from self-catering farm cottages to village B&Bs to elegant boutique hotels - from which to choose; just be sure to book well in advance!