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Winelands

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	The gourmet capital of the Cape. Tasting menus with wine and food pairing are a speciality of this valley.


Staggeringly beautiful vineyards line the mountainsides. Besides the wine-tasting they offer grape-stomping, classical recitals and horse-riding.


	Hiking in the mountains, chocolate and cheese tasting, cycling, fly-fishing, golf, pottery and art studios.


An hour from Cape Town, in a small idyllic valley with a dramatic skyline. The perfect base from which to explore the winelands.


	A strong French legacy remains from the Huguenot settlers who first cultivated the area over 300 years ago.


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LA RESIDENCE

One of the things that strikes me each time I visit La Residence is how utterly charming the hosts are. I don’t mean smooth and glib in any way, but real honest old fashioned charm-your-socks-off lovely. Even when I had parents in tow, and my father took it into his head to whack the buttocks of the large naked bronze in the courtyard with his walking stick (declaring it “an excellent dinner gong”) they refrained admirably from bundling him to the ground.

Less than a kilometre from the old site, the new La Residence offers… well, more everything. It resides in 30 acres of its own land with staggering mountain views all around. Having doubled from 5 rooms to 10 it has managed not only to retain the feeling of old grandeur but to expand upon it, with the huge proportions of rooms and doorways and windows and fireplaces forming an impressive canvas for utterly fabulous objets d’art lovingly collected from around the world. Yet despite the grandeur there is a welcoming frivolity about the house, evident in light-hearted design elements and liberal doses of vibrant, vivacious colour.

The main living area is one vast long hall with open beams under a superb thatched roof, creating an African-bush-meets-Versailles feel. It is strategically divided into various sitting areas, a dining area and a farmhouse-style kitchen where guests are welcome to cook for themselves should they so wish, with many ingredients supplied from the surrounding estate.

Each of the 10 large bedrooms has a distinct theme, whether it be Chinese or gold. Each has a huge bathroom with a free-standing bath and both bedroom and bathroom open onto a spacious private balcony. Most guests, having been shown their rooms, spend the next half hour shuffling from one piece of artwork to the next, mouths slightly agape.

The new La Residence is even more secluded than the previous one, where even the closest neighbours were unaware when celebrities such as Bono and Elton John spent a few restful days. And yet it is still within strolling distance of the humming main street of Franschhoek with its vibrant café life and renowned gourmet restaurants.

I cannot recommend this singularly indulgent establishment enough. Try it out – I guarantee you’ll feel like royalty. Though if you have an urge to whack any statues on the bottom, please deny any relationship to me.

10 min walk from the historic town centre of Franschhoek
35 mins from Cape Town Airport
45 mins from Cape Town Centre

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HAWKSMOOR HOUSE

All too often authentic Cape Dutch houses are stuffed with Victoriana clutter and sticky velvet in a misguided attempt to retain their ‘olde worlde’ splendour. How refreshing then, to discover Hawksmoor. Located on a 220 hectare wine farm, the décor of this gracious house offers a lively twist on the expected, flawlessly matching exquisite antiques with utterly contemporary fabrics and modern technology.

Partway between Cape Town and Stellenbosch, Hawksmoor is just a 30 minute drive from the city centre and yet feels way out in the middle of the countryside. There is nothing but vineyards for miles around and the garden surrounding the house is filled with birdsong. To the west lies the clear silhouette of Table Mountain, dramatically enhanced by the spectacular sunsets of this region.

With just four enchanting en-suite bedrooms, it often caters for exclusive bookings by groups of friends or family. It also regularly hosts weddings and parties. But it is equally the perfect place for one or two people to take a quiet, relaxing break and enjoy an authentic country home experience. The kitchen is a highlight. Here an old Aga sits cheek-by-jowl with a top of the range stainless steel gas stove. Guests are welcome to make themselves completely at home to the extent that they are often found whipping up a meal using herbs from the garden and bits and bobs from the larder. Upon request guests are cooked for, with grand meals served up in the wonderfully elaborate dining room, or out on the stoep overlooking the mountains.

Every detail has been considered, from the degree of privacy at the swimming pool to wireless internet connection to mountain bikes to in-house massage treatments. If guests want to be independent and private they are utterly free to do their own thing. If they would like help with itineraries and bookings or simply want to sit and chat, that also is welcomed.

It is early days for Hawksmoor but already the bookings are rolling in. Get in there quick!

10 mins drive from the historic town of Stellenbosch
20 mins from Cape Town Airport
30 mins from Cape Town centre

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Tel: +27 (0)21 447 5057 Fax: +27 (0)88 021 447 5057
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