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Amanda spent the weekend at Orange Grove Farm and had a great time amongst the vineyards, fruit trees, and dams. Make sure to book a weekend away at Orange Grove Farm.
I never understood the value of getting away for a weekend. By the time you've packed everything you need, mapped out the route, driven to your destination of choice and unpacked, you've lost a good few hours that you could have spent relaxing at home. Perhaps I'm more of long holiday person. That was until recently when I went away to Orange Grove Farm for the weekend. Orange Grove is a wine and olive farm (yum) nestled away in a valley about 20 kilometres outside of Robertson. This makes it about a two hour drive from Cape Town. And let me tell you, those two hours are well worth it.
We were greeted by a friendly farm owner at the office upon arrival, and guided to our little (or not so little) cottage. After being forewarned by the owner that the interior was a little 'rustic', I quickly realised he had a sense of humour. The interior was anything but rustic.
We walked through our own private, sheltered braai area (complete with stunning wrought iron table and chairs for outdoor dining) and entered our cottage. Delportshoop, our two bedroomed (four sleeper) cottage was nothing short of breath-taking. Forget rustic, this was borderline regal.
The cottage's kitchen was almost big enough to swallow us whole. The open plan kitchen / lounge design is great because it allows you to be sociable while still preparing food. And you'll want to be in the kitchen cooking away because the high end finishes and attention to detail in every little thing (including cooking utensils) will have you chomping at the bit (excuse the pun). Needless to say, the bedrooms and bathroom was equally as luxurious. Complete with fresh flowers, carefully folded towels and a personalised welcome note.
But the real cherry on the cake had to be the view. And man, WHAT a view. Our private patio, complete with private pool, overlooked one of the farms dams. This dam was situated at the foot of a large hill, and frequented by the local duck family. The surprisingly comfy patio furniture basically insisted we spend the better part of Saturday adorning it with our presence. So we grabbed our books and did exactly that.
After a sizable portion of sunshine and stillness, we hit the beaten track to see where it would lead. Orange Grove offers a number of hiking trails, from casual to intense. And if walking or hiking isn't your thing, there is also the option of cycling - just grab a few of the mountain bikes that he farm provides and explore at a slightly speedier pace. But, we opted for a tame walk along the dirt road in the valley to see where we would end up. Along the route we passed tomato patches, plum trees, lemon trees, olive trees, and even a few chickens. Turns out, the farmer is a pretty busy man.
It also turns out that one weekend just wasn't long enough. We didn't even make it to the farm's shop where they sell their own wine, olives, and beauty products made from local ingredients. I can say for certain, however, that the range of products, named '1812' after the year the farmhouse was built, is pretty heavenly. Our bathroom was generously stocked with an assortment of bath salts, shower gels, shampoos and creams. It's safe to assume I spent the majority of the weekend smelling sublime.
We braaied both nights. Even though it was windy, our sheltered braai area negated any unpleasant conditions. And, we wanted for nothing. Because 'fully equipped' really meant fully equipped. Right down to fire starters, breakfast trays, electric rechargeable lanterns (in case Eskom decided to pull a fast one on us) and a coffee filter (hallelujah). And if you're not big into cooking in the mornings, guests are able to order a breakfast picnic basket filled with fresh farm goodies, and have it delivered directly to the front door at a specified time. And then there's a cleaning service too - so no worries about all those dishes or cleaning the braai from the previous evening.
So, in a nutshell... now I get it. I get why people go away for the weekend and spend extra time to prepare for attempted relaxation. Because, once you arrive (well, at least at somewhere as comfortable and tranquil as Orange Grove), unwinding become your default state of being. And with next to no stresses, chores, responsibilities or disturbances, it's hard to feel anything other than a blissful combination of elation and calm for the duration of your stay. All wrapped up in one stunning setting.
To find out more about Orange Grove Farm and to book a weekend away, click here.
