The Tulbagh Boutique Heritage Hotel

Celebrating the best of local produce
What could be a lovelier way to spend a few days than in the historic mountain village of Tulbagh? Thoroughly South African, Tulbagh is a beautiful little town with old Cape Dutch whitewashed and thatched buildings, quiet streets and the friendliest people.

Unlike some of the bigger tourist towns, which now seem to stock anything from every country at exhorbitant prices, this town celebrates all that is local. I spend a happy day olive tasting at nearby Oakhurst. The olive oil they describe as 'intense' pops tiny, peppery fireworks in my mouth when they teach me to suck in as I taste. I am now thoroughly enjoying my mission of sampling local wares and I move on to wine tasting at Saronsberg. I am given a local cheese platter which makes the wine perform a symphony in my mouth. I happily totter through fields of art sculptures, clutching two bottles of the superb Voignier under arm. Just outside town on a quiet little road, I am able to wend my unsteady way back to the hotel in Tulbagh without endangering myself or anyone else.

And what a gem is this tasteful South African haven of the Tulbagh Boutique Heritage Hotel! With rooms named after various protea and other favourite regional flowers, the decor manages to be both elegant and bold. Vibrant pinks are muted against peaceful ash velvet and crisp white cotton. The deep, modern, white baths and generous basins contrast the olde worlde charm perfectly. Fynbos soaps and bath products fill the suite with even more local flavour. The turndown service gifts South African chocolate coated nougart, once again perfectly complementary to the fragrances which already fill the room.

I would love to come back to this hotel in winter. My suite has both airconditioner and fireplace and I pray for a cold snap so I may watch the fire from bed. It is 32 degrees today and an unlikely request.

What I especially love about the hotel is the creative art which catches one by surprise at every corner. A fountain pours out of a kettle below an open-faced clock on your way to the sparkly pool. 

A pair of meercat are up to their usual mischief at the open fire area. Hand-painted protea and mountain scenes line the walls. There are varied seating areas and multiple decks looking out towards the mountains which surround the village.

The Olive Terrace Bistro and Lounge restaurant is an outdoor deck under dappled shade, looking out onto the main street in town. Specialising in local, seasonal produce, the menu includes descriptions of cheese from Druk my Niet farm and free range eggs from De Heuvel, while the fruit is from the surrounding valley estates. The vegetables and herbs are from Dream Tulbagh Community Garden just down the street. I choose a Snoek pate as starter and Cape Malay lamb curry as a main, which complement the setting well, especially paired with more local wine.

The breakfast is another experience in fresh local produce, and you can taste the lack of food-miles in every mouthful. The marmalade is the best I have ever tasted and the jams are tart, not over-sugared.

The hotel is well staffed with said friendliest of locals, equally enthusiastic in the advice of where best to sample the fine local produce for which the area is famed.

There is so much to see and do in this vibrant yet gentle part of the country. Art galleries, famous restaurants, a cafe called the Reading Room, chocolate dipping, tractor rides and Cederberg canopy zipline adventures. 

Finally, car filled with all the local produce that I sampled, I reluctantly make my way back to Cape Town via the spectacular Bain's Kloof Pass, a narrow winding road through a river gorge with views to rival any mountain pass. 

I feel somehow that I have imbibed the innocence of a heritage setting and am well pleased that places like this still exist where we have the privilege of traveling back to a simpler time, uncontaminated and vibrant in its essential purity and intense flavour.

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.

St James on Venice, Morningside, Durban

Elegant Number

This is an elegant number – as classy as its name - the St James on Venice.  The guesthouse is a grand double storey building with curved balconies all around, glossy wooden floors and attractive finishings. It is well situated in breezy Morningside, Durban.

My room is decorated in soft grey, from the silvery headboard, to the damask-style wallpaper, cushions, blinds and grey suede couch. There are matching brushed silver wall lights. In one corner stands a handsome shaker-style wardrobe, while on the other end of the suite is a desk by the lovely bay window. Around the corner there is a modern, clear glass, spacious shower in an open-plan bathroom, with a separate, enclosed toilet.

Air-conditioning, large flat-screen televisions, a restaurant and active reception make this a convenient business stay. The guesthouse is set amongst established trees, with plenty of secure parking space and 24-hour security.

Accommodation Experience:

For a couch so stylish, it is surprisingly comfortable. I sink gratefully into it and I find I am perfectly placed within a private nook in the bay windows on both sides of this corner of my room, where I wile away the evening. There are happy sounds of staff from the kitchen and reception area, dogs barking across the road, and I enjoy the feeling of being part of it all and yet resting hidden in peace. The restrained but fashionable décor adds to the feeling of calm luxury. After a tiring day of work at the end of a busy year, I find this space restorative and inspiring. For a place so elegant, I have an inelegant fleeting image of myself holding onto this couch in the morning, being forcibly removed while begging to be allowed to stay and not have to go back to work.

Goble Palms, Morningside, Durban

Edwardian Haven

The description of “a beautiful Edwardian Lodge, set high up on the ridge, overlooking the sea, in Morningside” was more than enough for me and I made my cheerful way to Goble Palms during mid-winter in ever mild and sunny Durban.

A Regency girl at heart, I was not disappointed by the grand scale of the rooms, high windows and double doors. True to their slogan “Contemporary Colonial Comfort”, the decor at Goble palms is opulent, rich and embracing. Oversized furniture matches the spaciousness of the rooms, while pale taupe brushed linen curtains and blinds provide a calming effect. Soft white cottons are offset against dark wooden furniture. Gilded lamp stands and carved golden mirrors punctuate the look with glamour.

What I love about Goble Palms:

• Interconnected Edwardian buildings with a clever use of space and rooms facing different directions
• Conveniently situated in a quiet, green suburb and high on a hill, but with easy access to Durban central or Durban North
• A multitude of verandahs and patios make the most of every aspect of the Durban sunshine and sea breezes
• High windows and double doors allow the rooms to feel light and airy despite their size
• Ball and claw baths face onto green palms outside
• Thick carpets, comfy couches, tiled bathrooms and cool white cotton bed-linen
• Friendly and professional staff
• Complementary sherry and Amarula liquor

Accommodation Experience:

I have heard it said that an extrovert draws energy from being with people, whereas an introvert draws energy from time alone. Goble Palms certainly caters for both – for the extroverts it is well placed near the trendy restaurants and clubs of Florida Road, while the manor house itself has plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas, creating small and larger sociable spaces in which to gather and process the day’s adventures in the company of others. However, I fall into the latter category, and after a week of intensive training, I am seeking solitude and stillness to recharge my social batteries. 

I am delighted to find my room both private and open to the lovely rustling palms. I partake in a strange, furtive dance, sneaking between my room and the communal lounge to swap mammoth, delectable decor books, one after another. I spend a happy, calm evening enjoying the books, my favourite pieces of music and the cool Durban breeze from my open double doors and bay windows. As dark falls, the glow of my bedside lamps create a halo effect of my four-poster mosquito net, contributing to the tranquil haven. As my stress levels decrease, I can indeed feel my creative and outgoing energy rising and soon I will be ready to go out into the world again with enthusiasm and zest – but perhaps not quite yet ...