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Situated on the outskirts of Swellendam, close to the beginning of the Garden Route, Klippe Rivier Country House is a gracious Cape country homestead, built around 1820 and now a national monument. The main building is crammed with Victorian and Dutch antiques in the original owners’ style and there is a labyrinth of rooms with period pieces, fireplaces and ancient coffee table books. Its timeless ambience, glorious scenery and impeccable attention to all guests’ needs, make this the perfect holiday retreat.
The original ’Waenhuis’ and stables have been converted into six luxury bedrooms preserving much of the original ambience. Downstairs, three spacious bedrooms each have an open fireplace, dressing room and generous en suite bathroom with separate shower and toilet. Three loft rooms upstairs are under thatch, offer mountain views and have private balconies. A secluded cottage is for the more romantic, with its own fireplace and private garden. All bedrooms are fully air-conditioned.
Dining is a gastronome’s delight, with creative country cuisine prepared from produce, vegetables and herbs grown in Klippe Rivier’s own gardens and ceps are picked in the forest in season. A different three course menu is offered each evening, with each course providing a choice of two dishes. Emphasis is placed on the local wines of the region, particularly the Breede River and Robertson area, with wines such as Graham Beck, Springfield, and Zandvliet amongst others.
The hotel boasts a salt water swimming pool and guests can enjoy watching the water birds from a peaceful bench at the water’s edge where two hides have been created. Other activities can be arranged independently at nearby Swellendam, which offers canoe hire, golf, hiking trails, horse riding, glider flips and whale watching flights and mountain bike hire, as well as waterskiing.
