Fever Tree Cottage, Houtboschhoek, Mpumalanga

Alignment of all things

These are a few of my favourite things – views down a valley, stone farm cottages next to a dam, Black Crakes (I know!), white décor and linen, freestanding deep baths and generous farm hosting. The stars have aligned and I find all these and much more at Fever Tree Cottage, Houtboschhoek in Mpumalanga. The perfect stopover, 10km off the N4 on my way to the Kruger National Park, I rather wished I had booked to stay here a week or more.

I arrive on an unusually cold, wet and misty night after a long day’s travel. A fire is lit in the gorgeous white open-plan cottage, warming the lounge, kitchen and pretty bedroom. Roasted pecan nuts, fresh milk, tea, filter coffee and fruit juice are provided in the cottage – rural hospitality at its best.

Someone with a keen eye for décor and texture has had a hand in the creation of this little haven, with the natural stone exterior of the cottage offset with whitewashed interior walls. A puffy white bed mirrors the uneven walls. Modern and stylish upholstery in the lounge references the rich bird and plant life outside the cottage, which has a private deck and overlooks the dam and valley beyond.

There is nothing dark or dingy about this cottage, and the open-plan design works well to give a fresh and modern feel in such a traditional cottage. Deep-set windows highlight the thick and lumpy stone walls in every room. The well equipped kitchen has also been done by a soul sister, with a butler’s sink, good coffee-making equipment and country style implements.

Accommodation Experience:

After a soft and cozy night’s sleep, I wander out early in the mist, walking around the cottage dam. I come across my said favourite waterbird, the shy Black Crake, swimming in the reeds. With an impossibly lime-green, elongated beak and neon pink legs, he is unaware of my presence. I have never before encountered one so happy and free as he splashes about, chortling and squeaking in delight. It quite takes my breath away and it feels like a rare privilege of belonging in this place. As soon as he becomes aware of me, he disappears in an instant into the reeds and the moment is past.

Amidst the stress and issues of life, this counts as a time in which everything in the world felt right and exactly as it should be. I hope you also have many moments like these where you can feel that rare alignment of all things, where life comes full circle back at you to give a glimpse of its beauty and imperfect perfection.

Cape Heritage Hotel, Cape Town

Celebration of local, traditional and modern

This is one of the best city hotels I have ever stayed at. With a penchant for character, I have always been drawn to historic hotels. This is not without its risks – think musty curtains, dodgy plumbing, creaking stairs and dark, pokey rooms. Not this one. I don’t quite know how they have done it, but the Cape Heritage Hotel in Cape Town is the perfect blend of old and new.

One of the oldest buildings in Cape Town, the hotel has been perfectly preserved. The walls are at least half a meter thick, with deep-set sash windows. The original wooden stairs are solid (and cleverly carpeted in the middle). There are fresh, modern fabrics throughout and the décor is both tasteful and creative. Local vibrant South African art celebrates the context and brings colour and texture to every room. Beautiful modern-but-traditional wall-mounted lights fittings and chandelier add elegance and grandeur. The hotel prides itself on its glamorous and spacious bathrooms, which are a delight to experience.

A sumptuous breakfast is served in the sunny courtyard next to the oldest living grape vine in the city.

Accommodation Experience:

Unusually, I choose one of the standard rooms at the Cape Heritage Hotel, because I have fallen in love with the elegant bath placed in the bedroom up against a high window. The bed is equally pretty and superbly comfortable. I wake early and roll over to find a perfectly positioned light fitting within easy reach. I look around and realise that every single luxury feature in the room is well chosen, and perhaps more importantly, functions effectively. There are thoughtful extra touches – a well placed extending mirror in the bathroom, a glass jar with cotton wool, a heated towel rail. I have a moment, like at the end of a great stage performance, where I want to first sit silently nodding in appreciation, then break out in quiet, slow, lengthy applause.

La Residence Villas, Franschhoek

Rhythms of Grace

I recommend a week’s personal retreat at La Residence Villas in Franschhoek (see www.laresidence.co.za). A row of stylish garden suites, the magical healing formula of these villas is a holistic combination of dramatic views, glamorous décor, clever design and impeccable service. Create your own unique package, choosing from a lengthy menu of treatments, including idle flotation in blue-grey swimming pools, massages and various spa options, fabulous food and wine to lift any spirits, and a kind ear of hospitable staff.

Of course my treatment of choice is simply to gaze upon the rich and creative décor of each suite at La Residence. Sumptuous and daring combinations of purple, cerise and gold hues do their work on my psyche. I marvel at the artistic combinations of colours created by our very own South African version of Trisha Guild, Liz Biden. Marbled floors, gilded mirrors, floating chandelier, and upholstered headboards come together in a fusion of antique meets modern.

Renowned for over-the-top luxurious bathrooms, each bathroom at La Residence is a veritable suite unto itself. Here many restorative hydrotherapy hours may be spent, accompanied by sensual Charlotte Rhys products and mountain or botanical views.

Each of the five villas has a different compilation of rooms but looks outwards onto the Franschhoek mountains and La Residence vineyards and plum orchards. Designed with families in mind, the spacious villas of La Residence are a place of freedom to relax and be oneself.

Accommodation experience:

I have come back to Franschhoek for the many inspiring activities in the area – touring wine farms, eating at some of the world’s best restaurants, shopping, walking and cycling. Yet in this sumptuous haven of La Residence, I find myself unwilling to leave the beauty of my suite. I struggle with this urge to sink mindfully into the simple experience of staying in, with a sense of guilt at letting go of my inconsequential plans. But sometimes the mind and body simply know what they want, and it is necessary to forgo one’s enthusiastic predetermined ideas to follow the deeper rhythms of grace. I gratefully succumb to this invitation to do exactly as I please, to restore my energy and sense of balance.

Papkuilsfontein, Nieuwoudtville

 

Gently Lit

I sit at a small, square, wooden dining table, writing these words in an old journal. My source of light is gentle, even though it comes from 3 sources – a candle, a paraffin lamp and the wood-burning fire. I am at Papkuilsfontein, Rondekraal stone and thatched cottage. There is no electricity, though by day the cottage is amply lit by 3 doors, 2 windows and glass panels at the front end of the cottage. At night the natural flames create a warm glow. 

The Rondenkraal cottage is set within an old, stone-walled horse kraal, in a field of yellow grass or flowers, in the middle of nowhere, on the aptly-named Moedverloorpad (“losing will road”).

There are several thoughtful seating areas facing different directions, to make the most of the rising and setting sun and deep shade. A photographer’s paradise, there is texture and colour everywhere – thatch, stone walls, windmills, fynbos, rolling hills and big skies with cotton clouds. Thanks to the stone kraal wall and vast open fields, the privacy of the cottage impresses me. Usually rather a prude, I am so alone here that even I walk freely between bathroom and bedroom with the windows and doors wide open.

The cottage has a classical long-barn shape which is typical of this area. What gives it a modern twist is the glass wall at the top end of the cottage. Inside there is a pleasing aesthetic, with thick stone walls and recessed windows, old wooden furniture and an open-plan layout. At the top end of the cottage, the inviting lounge has rich red wingback rocking chairs facing the fireplace. In the middle of the cottage, the kitchen is well-equipped with a full sized fridge, gas stove and oven, and a stove-top espresso pot. A friendly dining table divides the living area from the sleeping area. The bedroom is pretty - a double bed with a white mosquito net, white linen and a soft tartan blanket. Finally, there is a bathroom at the other end of the cottage, with a deep ball-and-claw bath, as well as an outdoor shower.

Accommodation Experience:

I light every one of the paraffin lamps, as well as making a fire – it is the main entertainment here at night. I am tired from the long trip - in a good way. Sunburnt, physically sore from too much exploration of the wonderful surrounds, I am left feeling a bit old and weathered. There is a safe vulnerability that this Namaqua landscape brings. Strange contradictions unhinge me – the dry vastness contrasted with the myriad of pretty flowers; the lack of keys in the doors and the sense of complete safety; the organic, rustic nature of this cottage along with the containing, thick stone walls; the simple but ample equipment to meet every need without the back-lit technology and excess which keep us distanced from ourselves.

It is a choice whether to engage this gentle undressing of all pretences and distractions. There is plenty to do in the area if one needs diversions. But I sense that my only task tonight is to sit here alone and give in to this experience of vulnerable openness and see to which new destination it takes me.

The Lighthouse, Yzerfontein

Heaven on Earth

If there is a heaven, and if I should make it there, and if by any chance one may pre-order a heavenly home – I choose this one. Too many “ifs” and I shall rather enjoy heaven on earth, here and now. In true heaven-sent style, I look onto white – white linen, white curtains, white walls, white floors, white beach sands and white spray on the blue-grey sea. Even my cotton pajamas are white. The white ceiling ends in a lighthouse-style round skylight, creating a halo above my bed.

I am at the Lighthouse (see www.lighthouselocation.com), a glamorous beach house, and actual movie set. It is right on the beach, in the pristine little coastal hamlet of Yzerfontein. So close to Cape Town one can actually see Table Mountain across the bay, many of these enviable homes are also available as holiday rental villas. The Lighthouse is a spacious 3-bedroom family-friendly home, with an additional two fully equipped granny flats which may be hired separately or together.

The serene décor is perfectly balanced with every possible luxury – integrated sound system, dishwashing machine, fully fitted kitchen, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, heated towel rails, under-floor heating and marble tiling in the bathrooms. The upstairs deep bath is set against a bank of sash windows, overlooking the bay. Downstairs there is a spacious sauna with a glass front to views of the ocean. One needs a week here just to experience every aspect of this beautifully designed home.

Accommodation Experience:

I sit in bed with 180 degree sea views. It is a calm grey morning after last night's ostentatious sunset. The sun rising makes the skies pale orange. In the far distance there is a light from an actual lighthouse which comes and goes, and one can imagine its circular motion. From my enviable tower bedroom I wonder if the owners of this beach house have saved some orphans in a previous life to be so lucky to return to such a haven. I chuckle, realising that I have actually worked with orphaned children and still I do not feel worthy of such bliss. I guess none of us really deserve or could ever earn or own such happiness, and yet paradoxically such beauty is all around us and is a gift freely given for the receiving. The Hafiz poem goes on to say:

There are so many gifts

Still unopened from your birthday

There are so many handcrafted presents

That have been sent to you by God.

The Beloved does not mind repeating,

"Everything I have is also yours."

Welgelegen Manor, Balfour, Mpumalanga

An invitation to old world splendour

Driving out of Gauteng, it surprises me how quickly enters a different era – a world of sunflower fields and cosmos, of dusty roads, traditional houses and small villages with classical shop-front signage. One of the prestigious Portfolio Collection establishments (see www.portfoliocollection.com), Welgelegen Manor is situated near Balfour in Mpumalanga, but close to the Gauteng border. I arrive in the late afternoon when the sun is low enough to light up individual strands of grass, their heads full of seeds and purple colour. And driving through old avenues of trees, one’s senses heighten at the privilege of entering a different time in history.

The sensitively restored Herbert Baker manor house is both imposing and welcoming, and the friendly host wins many bonus points by allowing me ample time to view every room in Welgelegen Manor. Of quintessential Herbert Baker design, the manor house has many different wings maximising the views in different directions. Baker’s high ceilings with large sash windows and beautiful double doors invite plenty of light, while dark wood panelling surrounding impressive fireplaces balance the light with grandeur.

I am shown to my chosen room, situated at the far corner of a herb-filled courtyard. The outside wall is lined with lavender and rose bushes and the room has four wide stable doors facing different directions. I had been nervous that such an old building would be stuffy and smell musty and dusty. But there is no Miss Haversham feel here. The room is elegantly decorated in pale blue-grey, using matching plush fabric for the chairs, headboard and blinds. Even the oak furniture, while traditional, is not heavy and stolid, but clean-lined, light and stylish. A vase of freshly cut roses stands on the dressing table in the bedroom. Home-baked cookies warm the graceful lounge area of my suite and I sink into the comfortable chaise lounge with a fresh cup of tea.

Accommodation Experience:

I am surprised to find that my favourite time in the room is dusk. This has to do with the many soft lights in the suite. The two pretty chandeliers complement the four stylish side-board lamps on either end of the expansive suite, while the bedside lamps cast a gentle glow onto the crisp white linen.

As I move through to the bathroom, I notice the moon rising in the bathroom window and I run a luxurious moonlit bubble bath in the large ball and claw Victorian bath.

From my bath I notice that there are no curt signs asking one to not do this and that, and one has a sense of being welcomed into a time of comfort and care that was reserved for a privileged few. To this one naturally responds with an appreciation for how far we have come since these days, and a sense of guilty gratitude for being able to briefly experience a particular way of life. I am left with an awareness of my own current day privilege of having this taste of the past and of being invited to participate in the artful preservation of little corner of the country which still reveals a bygone era.

What I loved about Welgelegen Manor:

• The vast grounds with big skies, old trees and interesting relics of the past
• It’s a Herbert Baker designed original manor house!
• Being given time to explore the whole of the manor house at one’s leisure
• That each spacious suite is splendid and has its own unique features, such that there is no sense of unfairness or disappointment in whichever suite you choose
• Elegantly restored suites with beautiful furniture, upholstery and lighting
• Modern thoughtful conveniences like plenty of accessible plug points with multiple adaptors
• Deep baths in huge bathrooms and plentiful large fluffy white towels
• The cinema room with elegant chaise lounges contrasting the modern technology