The best tip I received before visiting Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse was not to eat anything for a few days before arriving. This gorgeous farmhouse in the Kamberg Valley at the foot of the majestic Drakensberg Mountains is famous for its gourmet food, which is beyond indulgent and doesn’t come in small portions.

The chatty and charming owner Richard Poynton, who runs the lodge with his wife Mouse, is the magic behind the food: he’s in the kitchen every day cooking up hearty country food. Richard uses farm-to-table ingredients: eggs from their own chickens, organic meat from local producers, and veggies and herbs from their garden in seven-course dinners – cream-laden feasts that include dishes such as roast springbok loin and fondant potatoes and pears baked in puff pastry with butterscotch sauce. Before each dinner, while you’re sipping wine in the cosy lounge, Richard tells a family anecdote or a fascinating tale about local history, before introducing each dish you’re about to eat with the passion and flair of a theater performer.

The farmhouse is set on 200 hectares of land: picture a pastoral idyll of mountains and streams where you can go trout fishing. Hike on farmland, or drive 10 minutes to Highmoor Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site that borders the property. Other ways to burn off those calories and see the spectacular scenery of the area include going horse riding on a nearby farm and on guided San rock art tours.

The Poyntons’ personal touches make Cleopatra so homely that you feel like you’re staying in a relative’s home rather than a hotel. The 11 country-cute rooms are individually decorated with quirky themes such as KwaZulu-Natal history and cowboys. In the main house, which is adorned with family photos and kitchen-inspired décor such as lamps made out of sieves, plump sofas in front of roaring fires invite you to curl up with a book (and perhaps sneak in a nap before the next meal).