When our guests travel to Cape Town and the Winelands, they want to do and see as much as possible. I get it – you want to discover everything and get as much bang for your buck as possible.
I’ve heard our Winelands being described as “a 1000 things to do and then taste some wine”. This is no exaggeration, as there is something for everyone. Cycling, hiking, Segway through vineyards, olive and olive oil tasting, farm visits, art galleries, botanical and sculpture gardens, shopping, gourmet delights and so much more.
Franschhoek is a traditional vineyard town famously known as the French Corner of the Cape and is considered the food and wine capital of South Africa. Visiting this picturesque corner at the foot of the impressive Klein Dassenberg Mountain range for relaxation and a superb culinary experience accompanied by some outstanding wines, Ok, sounds simply a must-do when in the Cape.
When it comes to planning your stay, I am a firm believer that you should not feel like you need a holiday when you come back from your holiday. The Cape countryside, or Winelands, is a place where you should absolutely stay a while.
Personally, I am not a big fan of hotels where you feel you have to speak in hushed tones, or where children cannot be free to explore. I recently stayed at Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard which certainly has plenty of luxe-feel amenities and services to keep you happy, but it also has a lovely country atmosphere, and a sense of humour is found in every corner with bright colours and fun artworks and objects.
Located just under an hour’s drive from Cape Town and is within 35 minutes drive of the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Somerset West wine routes, you are perfectly positioned if you did want to venture further afield.
I was perfectly happy to stay on the property and just let it all soak in. Apart from one dinner off-site, my son and I spent all of our time exploring Mont Rochelle.
The hotel has 26 rooms and suites, with five different types of rooms including four Shiraz Rooms with king-size beds all featuring courtyard or valley views. The six Merlot Rooms are larger than the Shiraz Rooms and also boast king-size beds with valley views. The six Cabernet Rooms include a private terrace overlooking the valley. There are also four even more spacious Pinotage Suites, which each feature a separate lounge and fantastic views. The two largest Cap Classique Suites each offer a separate lounge area, a private terrace, and a private plunge pool.
The views are across the terrace and vineyards over Franschhoek village and up onto stunning mountain scenery. You get the sense of being removed from the city, but get the sounds of children playing and the odd wine tram passing along, reminding you of civilization- all of which is totally charming.
We thoroughly enjoyed the privacy and the plunge pool of our suite. The suites come fitted with all the amenities you would expect from a luxury property: Africology branded bathroom amenities, flat-screen TV, mini speakers for streaming music, tea and Nespresso coffee facilities, a notepad and pen, postcards with stamps, a laundry bag, a safety deposit box, hairdryer, uber-luxe bathrobes, slippers, plug adaptor and umbrella. For heating and air conditioning, there are split units in the room to keep one warm or cool and all of the bathrooms also have underfloor heating. The bathroom is enormous. I just love it when a hotel provides a separate dark make-up face cloth and the adorable bath duckies are a great giveaway.
It is evident that children are very welcome to stay at Mont Rochelle year-round and they have some rooms which can accommodate children on single beds. There is a great variety of children’s (and adult) games like chess, pétanque and croquet, plus a TV, DVD player and games console for extra entertainment if the enormous main pool is not enough to keep them busy. There are also special children’s menus provided at the restaurants.
PIC – games
What to do on the property?
The grounds at Mont Rochelle cover 39 hectares (about 100 acres) and it’s a great space to explore.
- Swimming pool; a crystal clear outdoor swimming pool that has fantastic views of the mountains.
- Bar service is available around the pool; perfect to toast the good life.
- Spa treatments- two dedicated spa treatment rooms using eco-friendly Africology ‘Authentic’ range of products which are made from 100% essential oils and natural plant extracts.
- Gym- a well-equipped and spacious gym for those who cannot go without it.
- Tennis- yes, and onsite floodlit Astroturf tennis court with views to fall in love with.
- Biking- There are some wonderful routes that make it easy to explore the surrounding area on bike.
- Lawn games- There are plenty of lawn games that you can play – it’s a great digital detox option!
- Hiking- Enjoy a hike through the hills, valleys and vineyards surrounding the hotel, as well as in local nature reserves. The walks vary in length from 3 to 8 hours and are of moderate intensity. You are welcome to take walks through the farm, just remember to stay on the walkways, to preserve the fragile vines that produce the splendid Mont Rochelle wines.
Wine Tasting- Wine tastings can be organised in a variety of locations, including in Miko Restaurant, at the hotel bar, at the Country Kitchen and in the wine cellar (as you might expect!). The 150-year-old wine cellar was previously used as a fruit packing shed for the early settlers. Since being converted to a traditional wine cellar, Mont Rochelle can now process close to 150 tons of grapes in a season, and these smaller volumes afford more concentration on quality rather than quantity. Stainless steel tanks aid in the making of the crisp clean whites, while barrels are favoured for red winemaking. Wines are available to purchase.
The Dining
There are two restaurants at Mont Rochelle: Miko and the Country Kitchen. Miko is the main restaurant at the hotel, which at the moment is serving breakfast and light meals (dinners will resume soon). When going to the winery for your wine tasting, pop in at the Country Kitchen, great for a light lunch and a super spot for kids with a jungle gym, more games and plenty of trees to climb.
A must include during your stay is having a picnic, at what I think is the best spot on the farm, the lower dam just beyond the Country Kitchen. Equipped with benches, soft pillows, beautiful trees and bathroom facilities, this is the spot for birdwatching and long conversations.
Family Time
I just loved strolling around the property, really spending quality time with my son, talking about this and that, pausing to take in the view, the tranquilly of the dam and just be silly for a while playing fun games – this was a true luxury to me.