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Relaxation and indulgence in the Cape Winelands
The next stop on our road trip through South Africa was at Rosendal Winery & Wellness Retreat. After some nice and exciting days in Cape Town and Paarl, we were already looking forward to some relaxing massages.
This luxurious 4-star guest house in the Cape Dutch style, is located secluded and idyllic on a large pond, in the small village of Geduld, near Robertson. It can be reached via Route 62 in less than 2 hours from Cape Town.
The wine farm, built in 1805, has new owners now for about 5 months. A young couple from Norway has fulfilled their dream and bought this small luxury retreat. We got together with the charming and friendly owner, Shinniva Skjerven Holmelid. Apart from a few impressions of the hotel, you also get to meet Shinniva briefly in the video.
After we had been welcomed by Tina and while we waited for our room, we enjoyed ourselves at the pool. And what do you do in the Winelands – drink wine, of course! The welcome drink – a great white wine.
The whole atmosphere in the guest house, the beautiful surroundings and even just the views of the vineyards and mountains alone, is relaxation pure.
After a leisurely walk around the pond, you reach a small sundeck where you can listen to the chirping of the birds.
Rooms
The romantic guest house has 8 cozy rooms. Five of the bedrooms, the Spa Suites, are located in the main house and have great views of the infinity pool. Three rooms are located in the farm house with beautiful views of the vineyards.
The rooms are furnished with beautiful furniture and accessories in the colonial style. There are plenty of candles for romantic moments and for the colder nights the beds even have heating pads.
We stayed in one of the beautiful Spa Suites overlooking the pool. All the rooms have terraces with comfortable beach chairs, a romantic bathroom with freestanding bathtub, silk curtains and a separate shower.
Even from your bed you have a great view of the pool and the vineyards.
Restaurant
The cozy restaurant with typical South African cuisine is very popular with the locals as well as guests from abroad. The gifted chef, Sipho Sibanda, who especially came to Rosendal from Johannesburg, works his magic by making the finest and most delicious gourmet meals on a daily basis – what a lucky find!
I have never before eaten such delicious and tender duck with such a tasty sauce! Unfortunately, the recipe is top secret.
Opening times: Breakfast 8:00 – 10:00 Lunch 12:00 – 13:30 Dinner 18:30 – 21:00. Booking is essential.
In sunny weather you can sit on the terrace, enjoying the beautiful view and the food. In the case of bad weather, it is very cozy inside.
Unfortunately, we experienced severe stormy and rainy weather while we were there, with the result that the entire guest house was affected by a power outage. This actually happens quite often in Africa. But thanks to the flexible chef and a gas cooker, we were still served a delicious 3-course dinner by candlelight with an open log fire that evening! True to the motto, every cloud has a silver lining, dinner was even more romantic than usual! Plenty additional candles were also placed in our room.
Extract from the menu:
“Thai prawn salad with noodles, fresh mango, coriander and mint”
“Crisp confit duck leg, spinach and pancetta lentils and raspberry vinegar jus”
“Warm soft chocolate tart with raspberry sauce and vanilla pod crème fraiche”
In our opinion, the breakfast could be improved upon. But it was supposed to be changed just a few days after our departure. So I guess it will now probably be very delicious! In any case, Sipho’s egg dishes were already delicious before!
Part of the great team: The ingenious cook, Sipho and the kind, Tina.
Wine Tasting
South Africa is famous for its fine wines and of course you can also taste some of Rosendal’s own award-winning wines! From Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage Rosé, Merlot, Shiraz to Brut, you will find everything that your wine lover’s heart desires. We prefer white wine, but also found some of the red wines, such as the Shiraz, really delicious!
And the wines, with names like “HE SLEPT BENEATH THE STARS” and “HE STOLE MY HORSE” from Claus Voigt, do not only taste great, but also look really cool!
Anyone that would like to, can also order the wine online.
Rosendal Spa
The Rosendal Spa with its great spa treatments, TheraVine care range and steam bath, is highly recommended! Upon arrival we immediately booked the Rosendal Face and Body Glow Experience (120 min for 47 EUR per person).
“Your experience start off with a full body exfoliation, then indulge in a facial cleanse, exfoliation and facial massage and end the treatment off with a relaxing and soothing 60min Aromatherapy massage”
Both the therapists, Bianca and Flores, really do a great job. All the treatments were very pleasant and relaxing.
The next day we continued with the Signature African Wood Massage (90 min for 34 EUR per person).
The African Wood Massage is a deep relaxing and holistic massage recommended for individuals seeking complete relaxation of body, mind and soul. The treatment will end with the enchanting sound of the African Rain Stick.
Anyone who would like to really spoil themselves, can book the Full Day Spa – Rosendal Deluxe Package with “Rosendal Face and Body Glow Experience, Hair Treatment, Manicure, Pedicure and Lunch” and be pampered from top to toe.
Our tip: Book the massages in advance. If you would like to receive a partner massage, it is also best to let them know in advance, because regular treatment rooms are only intended for one person. The spa will be enlarged soon. Then there will certainly also be massage rooms for couples.
Tips for Trips
Besides a boat ride with a picnic on the Breede River, climbing, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, golf and parachuting, there are also more than 50 wine farms you can visit. According to Tina, Excelsior Wine Estate and Kranskop, are well worth a visit.
Olive Tasting – Marbrin Olive Farm
We highly recommend the Olive Tasting at Marbrin Farm! Clive and his wife, Briony extract award winning extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality (2013 SA Olive Awards and Top 20 Oils in South Africa) on this small family-run olive farm. It is all the more impressive, as they are self-taught. Amidst huge olive groves, very interesting stories and lots of information, different olive oils, balsamic vinegar, truffle oil and homemade olive tapenade can be tasted here.
“The olive tree is surely the richest gift of heaven” – Thomas Jeffersen
And of course, olive oil can also be purchased directly. We took about 5L home with us. Sooo yummy!
Marbrin Olive Growers, Klaasvoogds East, Robertson, 6707, South Africa
www.marbrin.co.za
More tips for trips can be found in the Africa Geographic: 6 things to do in the Robertson Wine Valley
Conclusion
We had a romantic and relaxing time. The great massages, the pool and the whole ambience was very relaxing! Here you can take things easy! With delicious wines and wonderful food, you can really spoil yourself.
It was also really great that Tina invited us to the village church one evening. There the whole village has lots of fun on Saturday nights, singing gospel songs and dancing together. We were immediately welcomed with warmth and hospitality and as such got more insight into the daily lives of the locals and staff.
For a stopover in the Cape Winelands, it is highly recommended! We stayed for 2 nights and that was definitely too short. There is just too much to see. The Robertson Wine Valley is such a nice place to relax and unwind, enjoy nature and get to know great people and their stories.
More tips for a romantic tour of South Africa can be found here.
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Monique De Caro
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