Last weekend our little family headed out to Grootbos for two nights. It definitely was not enough time to explore this beautiful private nature reserve, but we did our best. Grootbos is about 3 hours out of Cape Town if you do the scenic route, and 2 hours if you take the N2. It's right between Stanford and Gansbaai - just past Betty's Bay and Hermanus. They have three different areas of accommodation which is the Villa (about 75k for the night. yes. we did not stay there) that has hosted Brad Pitt and Halle Berry. Then there is the Forest Lodge where we also did not stay. We stayed at the Garden Lodge. And we loved it! I am going to do my bunny-best to give credit to this little piece of paradise, but you really just need to go see for yourself. Here are FIVE reasons why you should choose Grootbos as your next holiday destination.
1. Rates start from R1,645 - R2,350 per night, per person. Included is accommodation in freestanding suites. Welcome drinks. Breakfast, lunch and a five course dinner. The rate includes land-based, guided activities and everything I'm about to mention so pay attention.
2. The accommodation is beautiful and private. You get your own little villa with a separate lounge, bedroom, two bathrooms, front courtyard, sun loungers, wrap around balcony to your bedroom and a bathroom door that opens up to a front courtyard. There is also a television, mini bar, complimentary teas and filter coffee, a fireplace, aircon and a king sized bed.
3. The kids gaming room is like nothing your face has ever seen. Beautiful lounge, large movie projector screen thing, Foosball table, pool table, toys, binoculars, telescope, chess and they'll even take your kids some popcorn and blankets. They have the sweetest child minders. There were loads of kids there last weekend, and they all made friends and played together at every meal time. The gaming room is a bunny-hop from the main dining room, so the kids would sort of run between there and us during meal times. They loved the freedom and space, without feeling stifled at the table with the boring grown ups all the time.
4. There is LOADS to do. Horse riding. Kids petting zoo (bunnies, pigs and chickens). Guided walks. Nature and coastal drives - including cave exploring. Transfers to and from all activities. Picnics. Beach walks. There is also a beautiful pool with sun loungers, couches, complimentary towels, sunblock and magazines. You can pay extra for boat trips, whale watching and shark cage diving. You can take day trips to Stanford and Hermanus to check out the towns and local markets. Don't worry about missing a meal - they will pack a picnic for you!
5. The food. The food. The food. We had dishes like Seared Duck Liver with Vanilla Mash, Matured Keran Beef Fillet with oyster mushrooms and coriander seed jus, Tempura Prawn and Hake with chilli, tomato and lime jam, Chocolate Mousse Tart with orange tuile and truffles, Goats Cheese with Cranberry Compote, Spinach and Ricotta Pappardelle with Napolitana... You don't understand. The place is classy, but they are NOT stuck up. They have fish fingers, pastas and pizzas for the kids. There is a breakfast buffet and also a breakfast menu. There is a bar leading on to the deck and pool area. On Sunday we went to the beach and requested a picnic which consisted of prawns, beef wraps, pasta salad, fresh fruit, juice and water. Really - they do not mess around with food. Everything is delicious. Note that beverages, cocktails etc are not included in your package. Food IS, but not the good wine you definitely will consume. Their wine list is extensive and I highly recommend the Waterford Rosemary with everything!
The staff are all amazing and so great with the kids. They kept the boys busy with pony rides and bunny play pens while Grays and I went on a horse ride in the reserve. They put on movies for them, left them little toys in our room and when we said we were going to the beach, they even packed spades, buckets and umbrellas for the boys. Every tiny little detail is taken care of. I really struggled to choose pictures, but here are some memories that we captured over the weekend. We were very sad to leave, but we promised the boys that we'll go back soon.
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