Vineyard Cottage

TRIPADVISOR LISTED BUT UNRATED

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage perched at the highest point of a sloping plot on Fontein Street – from the stoep, you look across the village roofs to surrounding fields of gold, the horizon a smudge of distant mountains. In the front garden are neat rows of vines; to the side, a grove of olive and almond trees (owner Helen Schurink assures me that once you’ve tasted fresh almonds you’ll never go back to pre-packaged). There’s a sheltered braai pit at the back, and a shaded alfresco dining area behind the kitchen. It’s well equipped for long stays – TV, DVD, wood-burning fireplace, washing machine, gas stove, oven – as long as you can live without Wi-Fi. Comfortable and uncluttered, with no personalised tchotchkes or inane slogans on the walls, this is the kind of holiday home you can pretend is your own; its many repeat guests do.

ROOM TIP The twin beds in the front (view-facing) room can be made into a king-size bed; the back room, the main en-suite, has a queen bed.

COST R1 800 a night (sleeps four).

CONTACT 082-451-0308, darlingviews.co.za