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Stephanie recently enjoyed a relaxing weekend at Dunstone Manor in Wellington with her family.
There are so many gems that are within quick and easy reach of Cape Town for a weekend away (or longer if time allows!), and the winelands town of Wellington is one of them. At just over an hour from Cape Town, the picturesque town surrounded by mountains and vineyards ticks the convenience box – and there is plenty to see and do. From wine tasting at the surrounding wineries to whiskey tasting at the James Sedgwick Distillery, as well as excellent mountain biking and hiking trails at Welvanpas Family Vineyards ... and for an overdose of cute, don’t miss out on a visit to the alpacas at Quenti Alpaca & Mill (similar, but not the same as a llama!)
We recently escaped the city for a country weekend in Wellington and stayed at the stylish Dunstone Manor. The three bedroom villa is set on the beautiful and award winning Dunstone Country estate at the foot of the Bainskloof pass. Surrounded by lush gardens, towering oak trees and vineyards that seem to go on forever, the setting is simply lovely.
We arrived in Wellington on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon and found the villa to be under 10 minutes from the centre of the little town - just far enough away to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of nature, but close enough should you need to run to the shops for supplies.
This lovely property is rented as a private house and sleeps 6 guests on a self-catering basis. There are three en-suite bedrooms upstairs – each is light and airy and luxuriously decorated with beautiful linens and sweeping views of the gardens, vineyard and mountains. All of the bedrooms have flat screen TV’s and their own tea and coffee facilities.
Downstairs the lounge is elegant and chic with a large fireplace and doors opening out on to a lovely vine covered stoep (with comfy outdoor furniture & built in braai), overlooking your own private swimming pool.
The house also has a beautiful farmhouse style kitchen and a dining room.
On our arrival we were very warmly greeted by the house staff who gave us a little tour of this stunning place we’d call home for the next two days. We even received a complimentary gift on arrival – handmade coconut ice balls made with Belgian chocolate – absolutely divine!
After enjoying a few sundowner drinks on the patio we headed to the kitchen to whip up a meal which we enjoyed in the quaint country style dining room with its large dining table and a really lovely fireplace.
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing in front of the fireplace in the living room – the perfect start to the weekend. Then off to sleep and those divinely comfy beds!
We awoke the next morning bright and early and headed out onto the estate to explore. We admired the vineyards and orchards and passed by the on-site restaurant, The Stone Kitchen, which looked really lovely with a play area for little ones. We were delighted to come across the resident pigs ‘Hello Kitty’ and ‘Oinky’ - the sweetest piggy’s we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They seemed to love all the attention along with lots of belly rubs and back scratches!
Back at the manor we got to work in the kitchen, preparing a full farmhouse breakfast. The fully-equipped kitchen is every cook’s dream – with a large gas stove and lots of work space - we had breakfast sorted quickly and easily, and were able to enjoy it outdoors on the shaded area in front of the manor. It was lovely to enjoy our meals outside while listening to the gentle and relaxing sound of nature all around us.
Heading into the beautiful town of Wellington a little later on we did some exploring and popped in at the nearby shops – but the lure of the manor house has us returning to laze around the pool. This would definitely be a real highlight in the warmer summer months. Although we enjoyed lovely sunny weather during our autumn stay, the water was still a little too chilly for me to brave a swim.
Just a note that the estate is running on borehole water and so the pools and bathrooms are still in operation during the water crisis, however guests are kindly encouraged to be mindful of the drought.
A lovely braai and another evening spent chatting and relaxing in front of the fire was the perfect end to what had been a peaceful and restful day.
It’s always sad to pack up and leave at the end of a weekend away – it somehow seems to come too soon. We had an absolutely magical stay at Dunstone Manor – if you’re looking for a luxurious and relaxing country style holiday or a base from which to explore the surrounding winelands areas then this is definitely a great option.
Find out more about Dunstone Manor and book your stay now.
