On a 250-year-old working sheep farm in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, Halfaampieskraal is an unlikely boutique gem. Despite only being a 30-minute drive from the charming town of Stanford and just over two hours from Cape Town, the farm feels blissfully isolated – surrounded by rolling fields of wheat and distant mountains.
On first sight, the farm buildings look unassuming, but once you go inside you realise this is no ordinary farm. Step beyond the thick walls in the main farmhouse and you’re transported to another world. There are plush velvet sofas, walls covered in beautiful ceramics and antique prints, shelves of cascading plants, a taxidermied peacock and an eclectic range of art. It all looks like it’s straight out of the pages of a décor magazine.
The four ensuite rooms are set a bit apart from the main house. The double-story Greek Room – a bit more expensive than the other rooms – is the one to book, with Greek statues and prints adorning the walls, a small kitchen, a veranda, a deep bathtub and a bed up on the loft level with sash windows looking out onto the fields.
While the rooms are fabulous, the real highlight at Halfaampieskraal is the food. Dinners start with snacks and drinks on the veranda, then you’re served an incredible gourmet meal by the lovely couple who own the guesthouse (and are faultless when it comes to hospitality). Expect dishes such as baked mushroom ravioli, ratatouille pie served with steamed asparagus and greens from the garden and chocolate mousse.
The Halfaampieskraal slogan is “the perfect place to do nothing at all” – and that’s just what you should come here for. You can go for a stroll around the farm, laze on a lounger under the shade of the jacaranda tree in the garden, take a dip in the plunge pool and that’s just about it. For a country farm getaway of food, wine and relaxation Halfaampieskraal is hard to beat.
Expert Review
On a 250-year-old working sheep farm in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, Halfaampieskraal is an unlikely boutique gem....
On a 250-year-old working sheep farm in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, Halfaampieskraal is an unlikely boutique gem. Despite only being a 30-minute drive from the charming town of Stanford and just over two hours from Cape Town, the farm feels blissfully isolated – surrounded by rolling fields of wheat and distant mountains.
On first sight, the farm buildings look unassuming, but once you go inside you realise this is no ordinary farm. Step beyond the thick walls in the main farmhouse and you’re transported to another world. There are plush velvet sofas, walls covered in beautiful ceramics and antique prints, shelves of cascading plants, a taxidermied peacock and an eclectic range of art. It all looks like it’s straight out of the pages of a décor magazine.
The four ensuite rooms are set a bit apart from the main house. The double-story Greek Room – a bit more expensive than the other rooms – is the one to book, with Greek statues and prints adorning the walls, a small kitchen, a veranda, a deep bathtub and a bed up on the loft level with sash windows looking out onto the fields.
While the rooms are fabulous, the real highlight at Halfaampieskraal is the food. Dinners start with snacks and drinks on the veranda, then you’re served an incredible gourmet meal by the lovely couple who own the guesthouse (and are faultless when it comes to hospitality). Expect dishes such as baked mushroom ravioli, ratatouille pie served with steamed asparagus and greens from the garden and chocolate mousse.
The Halfaampieskraal slogan is “the perfect place to do nothing at all” – and that’s just what you should come here for. You can go for a stroll around the farm, laze on a lounger under the shade of the jacaranda tree in the garden, take a dip in the plunge pool and that’s just about it. For a country farm getaway of food, wine and relaxation Halfaampieskraal is hard to beat.