Friday 30 May 2014

Bartholomeusklip, Hermon, near Wellington

An African Farm


This one is simply a must. A real “farm in Africa” feel, this a world of fly screens on green-painted doors, wide, vine-covered verandahs, big lawns and plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas. If you were privileged to spend time on a South African farm during your childhood, this experience will take you right back there. Bartholomeusklip (www.bartholomeusklip.co.za) backs onto the Elandsberg Nature Reserve and here they live out their respect for the natural world.


The combination of superior luxury in a farm setting which respects the local environment is an appealing one. There are (piping hot) solar geysers, underfloor heating in bathrooms, a heated towel rail and fine linen on the wide beds. I stay in the Orchid Suite, which has a cerise orchid with matching floral cushions in the lounge. The scheme is calm and sophisticated, with taupe and white stripes and florals. A generous and inviting couch and a sink-in armchair complete the full open-plan lounge. In the bedroom there is a white cast-iron bed with white linen. 


The bathroom is both traditional and luxurious, with separate shower and a ball-and-claw bath. In the suite there are 3 sets of double doors – in the bathroom, bedroom and lounge. They all open out onto a private pergola patio with views to the mountains and nature reserve.


Despite the loveliness of the décor and architecture, gourmet food is the main attraction here. Locally grown produce is artfully combined into modern and fresh flavours. Decadent use of salted caramel and butter elevate these meals from worthy to worshipful.


Accommodation Experience:
Lying in the bath at dusk, double doors flung wide open, I take mindful stock of every sense. I feel a cool breeze coming in from outside, on which I hear the sweet whistle of a Spurwing Goose. There is the sound of crickets joining their choir one by one. I taste an intense strawberry and drink clear spring water. I smell the locally produced fragrant soap and I appreciate the view of the mountains turning pink, the golden grass in front briefly lit up in a last glow. And I feel like the luckiest, happiest little being on the planet.




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