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Cottage in the Kloof

Location: Robertson, Western Cape

_{*All information provided below is based on our booking at the time of this publication. It's always best to verify all information with the host when confirming your booking.}

 

(Photo credit: Airbnb listing)

 

To check out the details of the listing, availability and rates, please click here: TAKE ME TO THE LISTING.

 

Sleeps: 2-3

Pet friendly: No

Child friendly: Yes - but I recommend this more as a romantic getaway or an escape for a lone traveller. 

Rates: R1250-R1300 a night excluding service fee. (Rates subject to change - always check with the host/listing for current rates)

Wi-fi: No

Electricity: No

Hot water: Yes

Bathrooms: 1

Fridge/Freezer: Yes

 

Hey, kindred spirits!

 

I have had so many of you private messaging me for the deets, so I am thrilled to post this experience on my blog for you! I hope you enjoy it, and more importantly - I hope that some of you make it happen and go check it out for yourselves!

 

Let's not keep you waiting anymore!

 

You can arrive at Paradise by a quick scenic 90-minute drive from Cape Town. Directions were simple and easy to follow! 

The description for the roads to the cottage is described as the following:

 

"Best accessible with a high clearance vehicle (not necessary for a 4x4) - it is a 4km gravel road into the mountains. Please contact us before arrival to check on accessibility. There have been occasions where guests have driven a small sedan up - but that is dependent on how careful you wish to drive - the 4x4 or 2x4 saves your nerves! Please, no low-profile tyres."

 

We had my Avansa (not a 4x4) but having high clearance meant we cruised through to the cottage with no issues whatsoever. 

 

 

(Photo: The farm road)

 

The first thing we did on arrival was to check out the deck with the hot tub. We were not disappointed. The photos do not do it justice. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the host had prepared the fire pit and the hot tub by pre-packing them with firewood and blitz. We only needed to light them to get them going. They understand the hot tub life and that time is of the essence!

 

Top Tip for Hot Tubs

Anyone that knows me knows that I am all about the hot tub experience at these kinds of getaways. If you are a hot tub enthusiast like myself, you know that these fire-fueled hot tubs need time to heat up. So if I can give you one tip when booking a stay at a place with a hot tub, before you even unpack one single item, do yourself a favour and get the fire going. Depending on the size of the tub and the weather, it can take anything from two to six hours to heat up!

 

(Photo: We have arrived! Time to get the fires going!)

 

Once the hot tub was on the go, we could explore the rest of the cottage and its surroundings.
The back door of the kitchen leads you out to the back yard of the cottage, where a stone wall surrounds you. Here you can find a large family-sized outdoor table and a fire pit in the corner, surrounded by stone seats, that make up for a perfect cosy braai spot. 
The wall provides some protection from chilly breezes in the evening, and the open fireplace allows for perfect star gazing at night!

 

(Photo: making pizzas on the braai)

 

(Photo: the fire pit and the stone slab seats)

 

(Photo: The kitchen and the back door leading to the fire pit area)

 

The stone cottage is very rustic but has everything you need to have a comfortable stay. The kitchen has a two-plate gas stove and a gas fridge. There are solar panels that power the lights in the evening, and there is a USB plug point to charge your phone. There are no other power points so forget about plugging in your laptop or hairdryer. It is best to visit this place with a digital detox in mind because the signal is poor. 

 

I love that there is a little coffee station with coffee, sugar and milk. (but do bring your own - this is more about the thoughtfulness of the host in case you have forgotten essentials or rocked up late and can only get to the shops the next day.)
You will also find salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil if you need them. The kitchen has dish soap, kitchen tea towels and a recycling box. They also provide lighters and firestarters, along with two bags of wood. (for two nights booked). 

 

You will need to bring extra wood, if you are like us and enjoy having a fire going for most of the time. We used eight bags in total(18kg a bag). Some places we have visited have had much larger hot tubs that required a lot of wood, so rather be over-prepared than risk running out of firewood. (You can organise extra wood at R50 a bag from the farms' local restaurant - but that must be arranged).

Two bags of wood kept this particular hot tub going for the two days, and the other six bags kept our fire pit going for most of the day and our evenings. 

I am pleased to say that the coffee cups are a decent size. I mention the size of coffee mugs because a huge pet peeve of mine is going away only to discover tiny cups! There is nothing worse than having to make coffee in a cup that even an ant couldn't drown in. (sorry ants)

 

(Photo: I am a coffee cup snob - but who can find anything to complain about with this view?)

 

Let's talk about the extras! The host is not only on the ball with communication leading up to the day of your arrival, but they also go out their way with the little things. 
Upon entering the cottage, the first thing you will notice is the soft, fluffy sparkling white towel robes hanging on the rail. We ended up using them all weekend, and I felt rather spoilt sitting on the deck in just a robe without a care in the world!
Clothes? Who needs clothes when you have your own private little secluded spot in nature! 

 

p.s. Although the cottage is private, there is another cottage down the road. You can see a bit of that cottage and vice versa - so if there are other guests - be aware that if you are standing on the corner of the deck with just a gown looking down at the Kloof, other guests may report sightings of giant "tits" in the animal sighting guestbook and no - we don't mean the birds. 

 

(Photos: Nothing quite like flashing at nature once in a while)

 

The weather was perfect! We had warm sunny days and clear starry nights. However, it was freezing as soon as the sun went down. The cottage has two gas heaters, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. These made a huge difference, and we loved our evenings sitting in the living room with its panoramic views, playing cards, enjoying some brandy and warming up in front of the heater. 

 

(Photo: Warm and toasty in front of the heater - wish you were here!)

 

The bathroom consists of a toilet and a gas-geyser shower. The shower is big enough for two people, but the heat only lasts about five minutes before it switches off again. If you quickly turn off the taps and then turn them back on - the gas will switch back on. I had a five-minute shower and didn't run out of hot water. My partner had a longer shower and had to go through hot/cold/hot/cold about three times. So maybe it's best to keep your showers short when it comes to a gas geyser. 

What I enjoyed was the views from the shower. The shower has a large panoramic window with a stunning view.  Oh, and you get an equally spectacular view from the toilet. We live in a world where taking your phone with you to the bathroom is as common as making sure there is toilet paper! So it can be daunting sitting on the toilet with only your thoughts and no air-freshener labels to read! Having a view of nature while doing your business adds to the experience of the digital detox.

 

The bathroom has its own separate space where you need to leave the cottage to walk along the deck to get to the bathroom. This can be a bit of an inconvenience for some during the night, especially in winter. But if you have ever gone camping, and gotten up at 3 am to go pee, only to get your socks drenched from the dew damp grass, and having to let yourself "drip-dry", because peeing next to the tent is easier than trying to find the communal toilets in the dark, 300 meters away! - then this is going to feel like a 5-star safari lodge experience.
Try change my mind.

 

Side note: My partner used the guest body wash and commented on how lovely and fresh the lavender-scented soap was. He came out of the shower with his white bathrobe on and a smile on his face. This coming from a guy that has been using a bar of "no-name" soap for everything for his entire life and could never care less for "fancy" soaps - let alone scented! 
Nobody is escaping this place's charm!

 

(Photo: Loo with a view! Who needs Facebook anyway?)

 

Things to do!

Our mission was to relax for the two days. The farm does have some walking/hiking trails, including a 4x4 route that takes you up to the top of the Kloof with the most spectacular views of Worcester and Robertson. 

 

We did take the recommended short walk to the farms' water source, a bubbling mountain stream! Bunda bashing is encouraged for the more adventurous, so we made our way up along the mountain river stream until we reached the farms' border fence and could not continue further. On our way back, we spotted the little mongoose that has developed a reputation of being the resident thief. Pack away any snacks and foods such as biscuits, bread and chocolates when you go to bed. They have tried to seal up the cottage to prevent any more "burglaries" during the night, but just in case - don't leave things lying around. We did spot a mouse in the kitchen when we came inside from being around the fire for a few hours - so there are other little guests as well. 

 

 

(Photo: Spot the cabin)                               (Photo: The mountain stream)

 

There is a little "animal sightings" journal for guests to write up about their experience and if they have spotted any animal activity during their stay. It was fascinating to read up on other guests and their encounters. The mongoose and her family are very popular and feature in almost every second entry in the journal.

 

Next up on the list was the bird wildlife.

I counted at least ten different bird species in the space of ten minutes. I've recently taken an interest in bird watching and can identify at least two of the birds I saw. I, unfortunately, wasn't able to get any photos of the birds, so I am using photos courtesy of the interwebs!

 

My partner was the one to spot this "Yellow Bishop" first. 

 

(Photo credit: biodiversity explorer.info: The Yellow Bishop)

 

 

We had this funny little character visit us quite a few times on the deck! At first he kept his distance, eyeing us out very cautiously but he grew braver by the minute and soon he was hopping about looking for crumbs. He kept returning and kept us entertained for a good twenty minutes. His name is very suitable because he is known as the "Cape Rockjumper".

 

 

 

(Photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_rockjumper) 

 

The most active part of the day for the birds are late afternoons as they get ready to nest for the night. They catch insects and soak up the last few remaining warm sun rays. They seem to all be dancing and chasing each other, wings fluttering and singing as loud as they can. I saw spiders parachuting on strands of glistening silk threads as they gently glided across the valley.

To be able to sit in the hot tub and watch the concert that the birds put on every late afternoon is a magical observation!

 

 

(Photo: The Dramatic setting to the "Dance of the birds" presented by the birds of the Kloof. Every day from 4pm.)

 

There is Game on the farm, however they tend to roam on the lower part of the reserve. Some of the guests were delighted to have reported seeing a lone wildebeest visit up at the Kloof. We were also lucky on our first morning at the cottage as we spotted what seemed to be either a little Grysbok or a Duiker. It was hard to tell as he was covered quite well by the thick vegetation. He stayed for quite a while grazing before disappearing into the ravine. We didn't see him again. 

I did spot a little fieldmouse outside the cottage on our first evening. This little critter was munching away on leaves, carefully selecting the youngest shoots from the vegetation. Every time a bird flew over him, he would get skittish and dart off under the brush. Only for him to re-emerge a few minutes later. It was pretty entertaining watching him eat his dinner while trying to avoid becoming dinner himself!
The journal mentions a robin that visits frequently, and I believe it's the same robin we saw. He stayed the entire time and cheekily helped himself to some fruit off the table, but we didn't mind. 

 

(Photo: You can see the other cottage in the distance)

 

The cottage advertises for three pax. I have included the photos of the sleeping arrangements from the official Airbnb site because I forgot to take a pic of our bedroom.  I also wanted to show you the bed they can set up for you in the living room, but you must request this when making your booking.  The cottage can sleep up to four if you include the living room sleeper couch and the double bed in the main room. I do suggest you confirm the number of guests and sleeping arrangements with the host.  

 

Side note: The hot tub can fit two people comfortably. Keep that in mind if you want to book for more than two guests, as more than two will be a squeeze. 

 

  )

(Photo from Airbnb listing: This is the bed they can make up for your in the living/lounge area upon request)

 

(Photo from Airbnb listing: where we slept in the cottage)

 

The bed was super comfy, and the linen smelt fresh and clean! The bedding was warm, and we had extra blankets along with hot water bottles. The pillows were so comfortable that I wanted to steal one! I have seriously contemplated contacting the host again to find out where she bought her pillows because they are that comfortable. There is a free-standing cupboard to pack your clothes in if you are one of those travellers who don't like to live out a bag. 

 

All in all, it was a wonderful stay! The highlights for me were the midnight hot tub dips gazing at the Milky Way, and the early 5 am hot tub dips watching the sunrise! It was a much-needed break from the "world", and I was able to unwind and come back feeling relaxed and calmer. 

 

We will be back, and I can highly recommend this as a perfect escape for couples or solo travellers just needing some time out.

 

Let me know if you are planning to book at Cottage in the Kloof! I'd love to hear about your experience! If you know of any hidden gems, please feel free to share them with me! I am always on the hunt for new places to explore!

 

Side note: This place is popular, so make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

 

Travel safe and make good choices.

 

-Jill on the Hill-

 

                                                                         

 

(Photo: See you at the next watering hole fellow kindred spirits)