Where to stay on the Western Cape, South Africa
Scott RamsayLa Clé Lodge, Franschhoek
Until quite recently, La Clé des Montagnes was a collection of four whip-smart houses to rent between the immaculate vines of the Cape Winelands. But new managers have gradually unlocked this hideaway for those looking for a slice of the good life, without having to take a whole villa. At the start of 2018, chef couple Scott and Mel Shepherd opened La Clé Lodge, a five-bedroom guesthouse just down the road, and the original properties are now available by the room too. At the lodge, interior designer/artist Jacques Erasmus, of Cape Town restaurant Hemelhuijs, has turned former offices into a refined take on a Cape Dutch farmhouse.
There’s a studied, make-yourself-at-home ease at play
There’s a studied, make-yourself-at-home ease at play: straw hats hang off hooks by the front door, a rattan platter of lemons sits like an Old Masters’ still life on the rustic kitchen table, linen-covered sofas are invitingly rumpled and loaded with cushions. Bedrooms riff off a similarly muted palette of olive, taupe and cream. In one, a deep tub sits under a golden triptych of Oriental screens, and on a little side table, next to the bath salts, is a decanter of sherry and glasses. The whole space is anchored by a long mahogany table, and there’s a dinner-party vibe when Mel is cooking in the open-plan kitchen for farm-to-fork feasts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, which might include chicken kebabs on wild mushroom risotto. On other nights, head out to try the theatrical tasting menu at La Petite Colombe. Bonus: the Shepherds have the inside track on this foodie little town. By Fiona Kerr
Address: La Clé Lodge, 32 Cabriere St, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa
Website: Doubles from about £230. Africa Travel (africatravel.com; +44 20 7843 3591) can arrange three nights at La Clé Lodge as part of a seven-night trip to South Africa from £1,695 per person sharing, including flights with British Airways, breakfast, hire car and a £50.00 contribution towards the cost of a Covid-19 PCR test.
Elsa YoungIcaria, Cape Town
Seen one whitewashed, ocean-facing villa, seem them all, right? You could be forgiven for thinking so, especially on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard, where blinding-white boxes are dotted indiscriminately along the coastline. But Icaria is quite something. Set high up (163 steps or one slow but jolly funicular ride), it looks out to the swelling ocean, as well as – and surprisingly – a nature reserve. Unbeknown to most, Table Mountain National Park runs all the way down past Lion’s Head to Bantry Bay, and Icaria sits right on the foot of said lion. It’s in a prime position, the last house on the bay, and the views to the west and south are pure, unspoiled drama. Remodelled last year by an American financier and the designer Tara Bean (ex-creative director for Ralph Lauren’s New York stores), the aesthetic is fresh and interesting without trying too hard.
Wherever you sleep, you won’t be disappointed with one thing – the view
Yes, there’s an ottoman made out of a vintage leather wrestling mat on top of a flea-market-sourced base but it’s surrounded by a properly comfortable, sink-right-into-it sofa. Global influences – Berber rugs from Morocco and hand-woven cushion covers from Ghana – look at home, not incongruous. The five bedrooms are spread across three levels, so it’s a brilliant holiday find for families with older children. Parents must shotgun the master, with a huge bath that gets the full sunset blast through a picture window, and teenagers can fight over the Cave Room, where a giant boulder is used as part of a wall. The loser might end up with the room by the pool, but then remember: it’s the room by the pool. Wherever you sleep, you won’t be disappointed with one thing – the view. By Jennifer George
Address: Icaria, 75 Victoria Road, Clifton, Cape Town, 8005, South Africa
Telephone: +27 21 790 0972
Website: perfecthideaways.co.za
Prices: From about £675 per night (sleeps 10, no children under 12)
Greg CoxBobbejaanskloof, Plettenberg Bay
‘This place wasn’t really built for guests,’ says Gregory Mellor, Cape Town’s most in-demand interior designer and the brains behind the refurb here. Yet the beautiful African farmhouse, just 20 minutes’ drive from summer-playground Plett, has a savannah-facing stoep so well kitted-out with a seating area, dining table, and four-poster day bed that it can only have been set up with a gathering of friends and family in mind. However, Mellor’s not being dismissive. The house really was an afterthought for the original owners, with the gardens taking centre stage. They tirelessly replaced non-native plants with purely indigenous vegetation, a task that’s still being completed some 20 years later. ‘At times there’s purple and white agapanthus for as far as you can see,’ says Tendi, who runs the house (and cooks a mean gluten-free quiche). With almost 400 acres of nature reserve surrounding the property, he’s not exaggerating.
The interiors reflect the sun-scorched landscape
The building certainly doesn’t play second fiddle though; the interiors reflect the sun-scorched landscape, with earthy desaturated tones and rustic fabrics and finishes. Murals of water lilies and pressings of home-grown flowers by artist Sarah Pratt dress the walls, and the bed linen is spun down the road at Plettenberg Bay’s Mungo weavers. The old-school furniture was commissioned by Mellor, as were the throne-like kitchen chairs fashioned from thick grass. It couldn’t be a lovelier place to stay, especially with the newly added swimming pool and yoga deck. Even the dogs – Sirius and Luna – fit the mould, bounding Anatolian shepherds who keep the baboons at bay and make great company on one of the many walking trails. By Jennifer George
Address: Bobbejaanskloof, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Telephone: +27 21 790 0972
Website: perfecthideaways.co.za
Prices: From about £745 per night (sleeps up to 14)
Greg CoxMorukuru Beach Lodge, De Hoop
This recently opened, off-grid lodge is set in a private concession – one of only four – within the 34,000-hectare De Hoop Nature Reserve. Just east of the southernmost tip of Africa, it encompasses a marine protection zone that extends into the Indian Ocean for three miles. Between June and October, there is no better place in the world for land-based viewing of southern right whales that migrate from Antarctica to calve. Ocean-facing suites, a dining room and upstairs bar provide front-row views of all the spouting, breaching and tail-flapping action through floor-to-ceiling windows. After dark, the stargazing is equally mesmerising, and it’s definitely worth getting up early to swim in a nearby sandy cove before a hearty breakfast in the courtyard.
The Nick Plewman-designed house has the lightest possible eco-footprint
Surrounded by coastal fynbos, the Nick Plewman-designed house, built from rough-hewn local stone and recycled railway sleepers, has the lightest possible eco-footprint. Even the underfloor heating is solar-powered. The minimalist Dutch-designed interiors (the owners are from the Netherlands) blend raw timber, unpolished pale granite and natural textiles with splashes of turquoise, green and yellow. The five bedrooms each have a wood-burning stove, a day bed built into a large window and a huge bathroom-dressing room with an egg-shaped tub. There are towering dunes for sand-boarding, bontebok, eland and Cape mountain zebra are frequently spotted nearby and snorkelling at low tide in the rock pools is usually in the company of endangered black oystercatchers. It’s like being on safari with direct beach access – the very best of both worlds. By Jane Broughton
Address: Morukuru Beach Lodge, De Hoop Avenue, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Swellendam, 6740, South Africa
Telephone: +27 11 615 4303
Website: morukuru.com
Prices: Doubles from about £220, including twice-daily activities, meals and soft drinks
Greg CoxDe Hoek, Little Karoo
The route to this country cottage does not prepare you for how sophisticated a stay here might be. The local town is named Barrydale, the nearest landmark is Ronnie’s Sex Shop, neon signs and all (it’s not an actual brothel, it’s a pub), and an over-friendly dog escorts visitors via snarling barks half-way down the bumpy driveway. But this is a curated temple of interior styling (thanks to owner, Bobbejaanskloof designer Gregory Mellor), with antique sideboards, wrought-iron four-posters and white parchment walls. And baths: a built-in, hamman-style one; a bashed-up rusty tin pair, side-by-side; and a burgundy roll-top number with a paisley-print curtain.
Sweeping views change every hour in that celebrated African light
The surroundings are just as splendid. Mellor and his partner are keen gardeners, growing vegetables, fruit and herbs. Rosemary flanks the front verandah, sending its fragrance into the hot air, and a passion-fruit vine climbs up and around the outdoor shower. The house is on the edge of the Karoo, between barren but beautiful hills (spot an oryx antelope on its morning stroll), and the sweeping views change every hour in that celebrated African light. As aesthetically pleasing as De Hoek is, it isn’t without its eccentricities. The pool-side bar is less Soho Beach House and more Bullingdon Club, with wooden racquets and vintage school-sports-team photographs on the walls. The fireplace works, for chilly evenings, which explains the dramatic black smoke mark on the whitewashed chimney. And don’t be surprised to find some scary-looking pickles among the jars in the kitchen. The owners put a lot of love into this place and they’re willing to hire it out – fermented passion fruits and all – to lucky guests. By Jennifer George
Address: De Hoek, R328 & Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, Prince Albert, 6930, South Africa
Telephone: +27 21 790 0972
Website: perfecthideaways.co.za
Prices: From about £440 per night (sleeps eight)
The Robertson Small Hotel, Little Karoo
At first glance, this handsomely reimagined Victorian-style manor is an unexpected find in a slightly workaday town a couple of hours’ drive from Cape Town. It is, however, also a perfect jumping-off point along Route 62, one of the longest wine routes in the world, which unfurls through the arid landscape of the Little Karoo. Each of the 10 bedrooms comes with a Small Guide, 23 cards of curated things to do, from discovering breakfast wine (a Merlot rosé that’s great with bacon and eggs) at Kleinhoekkloof Vineyards to tapenade tasting at Marbrin Olive Growers.
This is a very special place in a still-secret spot
Though there are also many reasons to linger within the hotel’s walls. While its 2016 renovation was overseen by London-based designer Sophie Ashby, she drafted local collaborators to make it feel rooted. South African fashion talent Alexis Barrell created hand-blocked, natural-dyed textiles inspired by the flora and fauna. Oversized room key chains are crafted by home-grown jewellery brand Pichulik from rope, brass and recycled glass. The playlist is curated by Cape Town record label Roastin’ Records. And while it is small, there are lots of clever corners so everyone has their own space: shaded sofas on the lawn, two pools, a wrought-iron-edged verandah for a glass of Champagne-style Cap Classique, produced nearby. In the evening, guests tuck into springbok fillet with beetroot labneh in the restaurant, before ending up in the tiny, blue-and-white-tiled EM bar. This is a very special place in a still-secret spot, the smart alternative to the Garden Route. By Fiona Kerr
Address: The Robertson Small Hotel, 58 Van Reenen Street, Robertson, 6705, South Africa
Website: Doubles from about £165. Africa Travel (africatravel.com; +44 20 7843 3591) offers two nights at Robertson Small Hotel as part of a 10-night trip to South Africa from £1,775 per person sharing, including flights with British Airways, breakfast, hire car and a £50.00 contribution towards the cost of a Covid-19 PCR test.Like this? Now read:
Pyrnnsberg Estate, South Africa review
Is Jonkmanshof the best farmhouse to rent outside Cape Town?
Kate McLuckieThe cheese plate at The Robertson.
Kate McLuckieG&T from The Robertson Small Hotel.
Kate McLuckieA bedroom at The Robertson Small Hotel.
Kate McLuckieClementine Ceramics at The Robertson Small Hotel.
Greg CoxA bathroom and sitting room at Bobbejaanskloof.
Greg CoxThe kitchen at De Hoek.
Greg CoxA bedroom at De Hoek.
Greg CoxA sink at De Hoek.
Greg CoxA dresser at Bobbejaanskloof.
Greg CoxThe bar at De Hoek.
Greg CoxDe Hoek’s fireplace.
EM bar at The Robertson Small Hotel.
Greg CoxThe view of the sea from Morukuru Beach Lodge.
Greg CoxOne of the many baths at De Hoek.
Greg CoxThe low-beamed sitting room at De Hoek.
Greg CoxA bedroom at De Hoek.
Micky HoyleA bedroom terrace at The Robertson Small Hotel.
Greg CoxThe kitchen at Bobbejaanskloof.
Kate McLuckieCactus garden at The Robertson Small Hotel.
The boutique at The Robertson.
The porch at The Robertson Small Hotel.
A sitting room at The Robertson Small Hotel
Elsa YoungThe bathroom with views at Icaria.
Elsa YoungThe family-friendly kitchen at Icaria.
Elsa YoungIcaria's swimming pool.