Petersfield Country Cottages, Cederberg

This one is mine

As you can well imagine, my partner gets quite vexed by my adventurous accommodation spirit. So I was more than a little nervous to announce (as late as I dared) that our next stay was a farm cottage without electricity. With a seething technophile by my side, I tried to concentrate on navigating the bumpy, dusty entrance to Petersfield farm, while sending up a silent prayer that the place was not too rustic.

With the setting sun making golden the surrounding Cederberg cliffs, the cameras were out before even unpacking the car and all was forgiven. We stayed in De Veepos, one of the characterful country cottages on the Petersfield Farm near Citrusdal. The farm is about two hours North of Cape Town, conveniently off the N7, but it feels miles away from the highway. Silence descends, as does a slight chill as one realises things are about to become very real, as this place is the truth in terms of an escape from the everyday avoidant urban frenzy.

What I love about Petersfield Country Cottages:

• The cottages are nestled in the foothills of the spectacular Cederberg mountains
• The cottages are spaced far apart, not even in sight or sound of one another or the main farmhouse
• The gardens of the cottages celebrate the local Cederberg rocks and fynbos
• Fireplaces, gas lamps, wooden beams and double wooden and glass doors
• White linen and mosquito nets, with soft beds makes this a surprisingly non-rustic character stay
• Deep blue-grey private swimming pools
• The outdoor bath, surrounded by fynbos and views of the mountains

Accommodation experience

Despite the chill in the air, I was doggedly determined to enjoy the novelty of an outdoor bath. I waited until the sun was well up in the sky, and ran a hot bubble bath. I undressed as quickly as possible and immersed myself in the warmth of the water, enjoying the contrast with the cool air. Nothing quite beats the feeling of lying in water under big skies, surrounded by views of mountains and fynbos and I felt a gentle coming home to myself while my soul lifted in greeting to the beauty of such a day and the kindness of being in such a place.

I was reminded of the Hafiz poem “This one is mine”, which goes like this:

Someone put

You on a slave block

And the unreal bought

You.

Now I keep coming to your owner

Saying,

“This one is mine.”

You often overhear us talking

And this can make your heart leap

With excitement.

Don’t worry,

I wont let sadness

Possess you.

I will gladly borrow all the gold

I need

To get you

Back.

Botha House, Pennington

Accommodation art

Any complicated feelings I might have had about staying in a former president’s holiday home disappeared when I saw the beautiful architecture of Botha House in Pennington. Gabled wings, a grand staircase, wood panelled dining room and an enviable position right at the sea make this a spectacular character stay.

What I love about Botha House:

• Impressive architecture with wings of the building facing different directions, balconies, and verandas that maximise the ocean-front setting
• Full height windows and exterior doors make the spacious rooms light and airy
• Understated decor allows the features and fixtures of the building to show themselves in all their historical finery
• Original, classically-lined, grand wardrobes, wood panelling and furniture
• Big bathrooms with sash windows, ocean views and ball and claw baths
• Almost ten decades of history which has seeped into the fabric of the building

 

Accommodation experience:

It is often the unexpected aspects of a place which snag one’s breath. At Botha House, it was a combination of the artistic architecture and the setting right next to the ocean, which created a play of light, with sunrise views to open the heart. I stayed in one of the luxury upstairs suites which had a fireplace, high sash windows on two sides of the room, as well as a grand old door leading onto a balcony. The changing sea and skies seem to come right into the room and lift one’s attention to be aware and appreciative of one’s surroundings.

To me, beautiful accommodation is art which fulfils all the senses. And Botha House delivers on every aspect of this creativity – providing a sense of history and intrigue, clever design, endlessly entertaining views, and soft comfort to awaken one’s body and mind to a unique setting, both past and present.

Jatinga Country Lodge, White River, Nelspruit

A blessing for one who is exhausted

 Nelspruit offers an exciting range of characterful accommodation, especially with the taste of the Kruger National Park in the air. Jatinga Country Lodge is in the neighbouring village of White River, up a high hill overlooking Nelspruit, and even closer to the gateway to the Park. Famed for its gardens, historic buildings and fine cuisine, Jatinga offers the best of country hospitality. One feels welcomed and known by each member of the staff who genuinely care that one’s stay is comfortable and enjoyable.

Colonial, English- and French-country themed suites offer features like outdoor showers, wide baths, and indoor fireplaces. The rooms are spacious, with double doors leading out onto private patios. Paved walkways between the rooms wend amongst gentle fountains, wide lawns and spreading trees.

Accommodation experience

I was doing another week of intense psychological work in Nelspruit, weary and in need of a soothing haven to keep the circling existential despair at bay. This is what I found at Jatinga Country Lodge – with the kindest of staff, ivy-clad buildings, green trees, and calm decor. I wanted to hug my softly lit room at the end of each day, so glad I was for its friendly welcome. Taking a drink out onto my private patio, I let the sounds of bushveld birds and the sight of the fever trees call me back to the present. I would stay outside until darkness set in, then enjoy a hot outdoor shower under cool starlit skies. At night the duvet felt snug and heavy and when I woke I was fully refreshed to start the next day.

In his poem “A Blessing for One Who is Exhausted,” John O’Donohue writes:

You have travelled too fast over false ground;
Now your soul has come to take you back.

Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.

Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free.

Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of colour
That fostered the brightness of day.

Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.

Jatinga offered a taste of this healing process which natural light, stone, water and the small miracles of nature can offer.