Blue Gum Country Estate

Blue Gum Country Estate Review

Husband-and-wife team Nic and Nicole Drupper run a top-notch establishment on the banks of the Klein River just 10 minutes from Stanford and 30 minutes from Hermanus. Blue Gum is a world away from the Hermanus crowds and a wonderful place to relax. The rooms are individually decorated in a style best described as English country house meets colonial African. Mosquito nets, fluffy white pillows, crisp white linen, and dark wood will make you feel a little like a 21st-century Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame. The emphasis is on comfort, and the hotel seems like an extension of the Drupper's upscale home. The food (dinner only) is exceptional—Nicole is a trained chef, with a critical eye for detail—and you'll likely be only too happy to head back to Blue Gum at the end of a busy day exploring. The menu for the prix-fixe candle-lighted dinners ($$$$) changes daily to make the most of seasonal ingredients, but you might start with chicken-tikka salad, followed by a tender beef fillet with spicy potatoes, roasted beetroot, and butternut squash. Weather permitting, you can have a predinner drink outside around the open fire. On the estate you can fish for trout or wander around the small vineyard with the family dog—or give in to the luxury and just laze near the pool. The Country Villa caters to families and can sleep up to 10 people. The villa has its own swimming pool, and there are lots of board games when the family needs a break from quad biking, hiking, or shark diving off Gansbaai.