Oudekloof Wine Estate

The setting was on a farm and had a beautiful view of the Tulbagh Valley

The house was not clean, the bedrooms had a coat of fine dust, and the bathroom had a layer of wood sawdust. In the bedrooms, there were no mosquito plugs, so the first night we were pestered by mosquitos and had very little sleep. The beds also squeaked. We asked the owner if they had plugs and he advised that they did not and we then went into town and bought some mosquito plugs. The geyser was not switched on, so when we wanted to take a shower on the first next morning the water was cold. Upon complaining about the cleanliness of the house - the owner sent someone to do a proper clean. The house was not well maintained, no extension cords for one of each side light in both the bedrooms that we stayed in. The main bedroom door did not latch closed and banged and squeaked all night. In the one of the bathrooms, the toilet seat was loose and so was the tap fitting. In the kitchen, 1) The Defy stove only had two working plates of four. 2) No oven gloves or washing cloths, no Braai equipment e.g. braai tongs 3) No serving mats or food grater 4) The dishwasher leaked water across the kitchen floor. 5) no Gas stove / gas plate - so if there was loadshedding - you could not even boil a kettle of water. There were no battery operated light / gas lights or even candles and matches. For self catering accommodation this is not up to standard. The house was also not serviced on a daily basis.

This was the perfect location for some peace and quiet. The hosts were very welcoming and they arranged some extra days for us at very little notice. The location, up on the hillside gave a perfect view of the valley and the mountains. It is only a few minutes drive to Tulbagh where there are shops and restaurants. The nice garden and the pool made the experience extra special.

The peace and quiet was lovely. We recently returned from living overseas and it was the perfect surroundings to relax and spend time with family with no other distractions. The house was spacious with 4 bedrooms and had most things we needed to braai, cook and “kuier.” It’s a great place to escape city life, no tv etc. We spent our time chatting on the stoep and swimming everyday. The house has a lovely private pool. Our toddler enjoyed looking at the farm animals close by and our dogs had the best time running around the yard. The place being pet friendly was a bonus. The host was very welcoming on arrival and brought us wood, blitz, doom (for the flies) and cold beer.

Although it is an “old school” farmhouse vibe, some of the furniture needs replacing. All the poolside chairs were broken and a few in the house. Two people fell through the chairs and it could have resulted in injury. The dishwasher was broken and there was no washing machine available. This can be problematic for large families and people with kids who change clothes often. Towels and linen don’t get replaced as it’s not a serviced house, so washing your own stuff is actually essential.