Accommodation

De Bos Guest Farm is your perfect base in Montagu

The scenic drive on the R62 from Cape Town to the small Karoo town of Montagu, with its own unique blend of expansive plains, rivers, twists and bends as well as rugged mountain landscapes, is quite a treat for the senses. Still, it’s what awaits you after the Cogmans Kloof pass tunnel that is truly breath-taking.

Nicely hidden in a rocky mountain valley, Montagu is a town of lush gardens, orchards, vineyards, historical buildings, coffee shops, craft markets, fine restaurants, hot springs, sunshine, golf, friendly locals and lazy evening strolls.

The nearby rock faces, however, make it a major rock climbing destination for thrill-seekers in addition to its hiking and mountain biking trails.

DE BOS SWIMMING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY

Without a doubt, the most appropriate way to explore this dorp is from the De Bos Guest Farm, a working pecan nut farm that is located in the foothills of Cogmans Kloof and within walking distance of Montagu’s lazy main street.

The De Bos Guest Farm offers a variety of comfortable family-centric, self-catering accommodation options, which include shaded camping areas, a backpackers’ barn, three private en-suite rooms, a garden cottage and four fully-equipped bungalows.

I found the garden cottage and bungalows very clean and neat, while the kitchens had all the basics one would need for a long self-catering stay. Each unit has its own braai place. While the units don’t have TVs (not that you’ll need one), there is free Wi-Fi available.

While the camping sites have no electrical points, there is access to a dedicated kitchen with a double gas hob, fridge and washing area.

The Backpackers’ Barn, which was built during the 1890’s, is great for those travelling light.

Meanwhile, the Barn can sleep up to 13 people consisting of seven stables, each with two comfortable beds. There are two bathrooms with clean toilets, washbasins and hot showers as well as a fully-equipped kitchen.

There is also a communal pool on the farm for those hot summer days, with loads of open areas for children to explore while you relax with sundowners. The farm is 100% pet friendly and I met Nana and Blossom, the resident donkeys.

Owners – who are your hosts, Tracy and Andy, bought the farm about two years ago and have been hard at work to turn it into a place that offers the best experiences for their guests.

According to Tracy, offering great accommodation at affordable prices as well as the experience of life on a working farm in the middle of town, is what sets them apart in the area.

I recommend the De Bos Guest Farm for outdoor enthusiasts or anyone needing a comfortable ‘base camp’ from which to explore Montagu. For more information, call 071 462 8812 or visit www.debos.co.za

For great savings on life’s little pleasures visit Bargain Buys! Know somebody who is getting married, Wedding and Function can assist. Have kids, then you need to visit Kids Connection.

Enjoy reading this article? For more articles like this click here

Looking for factual news? Click here for Eastern Cape and Here for Western Cape news.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

About us

Actually, Home Food and Travel offers a lot more than just reviews of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities. We also visit great destinations, receive advice from interior designers and stop to smell the roses and taste the coffee.

Our team of journalists are seasoned travels and love visiting the myriad of exciting places around South Africa. Whether it is off the beaten track or in the heart of the top attractions of the country, we’ll be there,

Home Food and Travel advice on finding the right accommodation

So what is the right accommodation? Well more often than not, it’s your travel budget that dictates the type of accommodation that you choose.

Expensive is not always better. Our team at Home Food and Travel will tell you that they have camped in areas with limited ablutions and had a wonderful holiday. They have also spent a night in a five star hotel only to be disappointed because their expectations exceeded the experience.

The reason for your travels will also affect your choice. A business trip requires different amenities to a beach holiday.

Our articles, reviews and experiences can certainly help you make your decision.

Restaurants with a good mix of service, food and ambiance

To my mind a great restaurant offers three things – excellent service, great food and a wonderful ambiance. Of these, service is the most important.

No matter that the food is delicious and the setting delightful, poor service can ruin the occasion. However, great service combined with mediocre meal and a plane jane restaurant can still be a pleasant night out.

We’ve eaten in restaurants that are really dirty but with incredible food and couldn’t help but give a rave review. We’ve also hardly noticed what we ate because the setting was just amazing.

However, the best restaurants come with the best of service, food and ambiance.

Spas are the ultimate relaxation aid

How do you know when you have had a great spa experience? The answer, of course, is when you doze off on the treatment table.

Well that’s our theory anyway. It also doesn’t take a grand location with enormous facilities for a spa to be really good

A small, personal spa that is owner run can result in the best massage you have ever experienced. However, the grand spas in five star hotels offer unsurpassed facilities in an environment that just makes the stress in your shoulders and neck melt away before you even finish checking in.

Adventure!

You don’t have to be an adrenaline junky to enjoy an exciting experience. In fact, what are commonly termed adventure activities usually have incredibly high safety standards and unblemished safety records.

Ziplining, bungy jumping and shark cage diving are all very safe. It’s just that our mind tells us we are craaazzzzyyyy to be doing this.

On the road to great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities

If you’re driving, be safe and make use of all the wonderful farm stalls that populate South Africa’s open roads.

If you overhear somebody asking a lot of questions or see someone taking photos of empty bedrooms chances are it’s one of our Home Food and Travel team members.

We’re out looking or those great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities.

See you on the road!