5
Western Cape
The Eendracht
Stellenbosch
It’s a tough balance when you’re torn between staying in a hotel made for
chilling, and a new hood you want to explore. The Eendracht hotel solvesthat dilema perfectly. Its door opens onto the heart of Stellenbosch.
So I lingered over breakfast, read newspapers in the comfy lounge, and
was sightseeing two minutes later. Its history is as old as the town itself,
standing as it does on the spot where Simon van der Stel camped during
his first exploration of the area. It’s been through several lives, starting
as a two-roomed cottage in 1710, redesigned by its
artist-owner Jan Adam Hartman in the 1790s, then
morphing into student lodgings. This small, genteel
boutique hotel appeared after its original architecture
was restored, and the spruce-up continued last year
when owner Daniel Lutz redecorated. My room was
history meets convenience, with an old writing desk,
fully-stocked fridge, coffee facilities, a bath and shower
combo, aircon and TV. There’s also a plunge pool for
warmer weather. Breakfast is the only meal served, but
as I drank coffee in the bar one night, the receptionist
delighted me by conjuring upa delicious milk tart.
Lesley Stones
021 883 8843, [email protected]
eendracht-hotel.com4
Western Cape
Marais Cordier Cottage
Gamkaskloof
Set between grey peaks in the Swartberg mountains lies one of my
favourite places, a secret little valley called Gamkaskloof. Most of the
cottages dotted among the acacia trees are now historically listed buildings,
owned by CapeNature and refurbished into comfortable self-catering
accommodation. But these houses were not always there for lodging.
Legend has it that, in 1830, a group of weary trekboere discovered the
valley, saw it was lush and fertile, and decided that they would trek no
more. And so they stayed, in relative isolation, with nothing but a few steep
and arduous footpaths to connect them to the outside world. It wasn’t until
1963 that a dirt road was built to the Gamkaskloof, a road that saw themass departure of residents. Each cottage here was once a family home,
and all have been named according to their owners. I love the way the
walls are adorned with old black and white photos of the residents. And
I really felt what it must have been like to live in such peaceful isolation.
There is even a museum dedicated to the settlers of yesteryear. Your
only company here are the few CapeNature staff members and a lot of
bushbuck and vervet monkeys. To reach the Gamkaskloof, we ascended
the legendary Swartberg mountain pass (itself a historic landmark built by
Sir Thomas Bain in 1884), and then drove a scenic route into the hidden
valley. It’s a magical place, surrounded by magnificent nature and steeped
in the history of a farming community of some 120 people, who stayed
hidden from the rest of the world for 130 years. – Dale Morris
capenature.co.za/reserves/swartberg-nature-reserveSeptember 2019 http://www.countrylife.co.za