shazip

I can get accommodation at Plumwood, Avondrood, Rusthof Country House, Rusthuiz, Akademie, Klein Genot Basse amongst others. I have such a wide choice as it will be low season in July. We will be 3 adults. We like to meet and connect with fellow travellers at breakfast.

Any suggestions or comments on the places I have mentioned or others?

Sharon

shazip

I might also mention that I am returning to the Cape for a nostalgia trip after 23 years of absence. I have longed to see the Cape winelands again. I now live in California, not far from the Napa and Sonoma winelands, but the Cape winelands are imprinted in my memory as being grand and dramatic compared with the more gentle beauty of the California wine country.

I hope I won't be disappointed.

Selwyn_Davidowitz

Shazip,

I overnighted at Plumwood 3 weeks ago with my main purpose being that we wanted to enjoy dinner with Pierre at Le Bon Vivant. Yummy!

Overall I thought that Plumtree was a fabulous place to stay. It is excellently located in Franschhoek. It also definitely lends itself to you meeting other travellers over the breakfast table in the mornings. I must mention that the breakfast served was standard and there was nothing extraordinary about the culinary side of this experience. The bedrooms are tastefully and practically decorated while Lucienne and Roel are wonderful hosts who will care for all your needs with great sincerity. I am in the process of writing a webpage to show to my own clients when recommending Plumwood so go take a look at http://www.ilovecapetown.com/plumwood/plumwood.htm where you will see many pictures of the venue. Please be aware that the website is incomplete however with that said it certainly will give you a good impression about the establishment.

One factor that you should look into is the fact that Lucienne told me that they were about to do alterations in one sector of the guesthouse this Winter and for all I know it could well fall into the month of July. Thus if you decide on Plumwood please check with her as to whether this will affect your stay.

While in Franschoek I also visited the Akademie Street guesthouses and was quite impressed by them. Also well located, tastefully decorated and I believe well priced for the product on offer. "Gelatenheid" in particular was the house that impressed me most. The one problem that I think you might have is that even though you say that you can obtain accommodation at the guesthouses in July if you go to http://www.accomm-availability.com/a...ty/bymonth.php you will see that the whole guesthouse operation seems to be unavailable in the month of July 2006 so I would double check this fact if I were you.

I have not visited Rusthof however I can tell you that it has an excellent location. I also must mention that past visitors of mine have thought the venue to be overated and slightly overpriced.

Rusthuiz is in Stellenbosch and not Franschhoek??

Unfortunately I cannot comment on Avondrood or Klein Genot in that I have not visited these properties however I can mention that you will definitely need a car if you are going to stay at Klein Genot as it is out of town.

Hope the above helps and ensures that you have a great stay in the Cape winelands.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

Kavey

He he he Selwyn, I'm slowly turning you on to all my finds!!! Bon Vivant and now Plumwood!

My husband and I stayed at Plumwood in May 2004 and really enjoyed our 3 night stay. You may be able to find reviews I wrote back then by searching this site.

Firstly, we liked our room very much. We stayed in the Vineyard room which was pretty, comfortable and quiet with a nice bathroom too.

Roel and Lucienne are indeed charming hosts and very keen to help their guests enjoy the area. Unlike some bed and breakfast guesthouses they also provide tea and coffee in the afternoon, sit and chat with their guests early evening and provide a really wonderful breakfast too. It was thanks to their recommendation that we narrowed down our dining choices and went to Bon Vivant for such a memorable stay.

Location was also good - within easy walking distance of a number of restaurants and in a quiet corner of town.

gaynor

We've just got back from a trip to SA and had our last night at 'Cathbert' which is just outside Franschoek. I booked this based upon Selwyn's earlier posts last year (many thanks, Selwyn). We were not disappointed! We were upgraded on arrival to an executive suite (having booked a standard room) - it was massive and had a wonderful view! I had the best omlette EVER for breakfast and I've had a fair few in many different parts of the world! The different posts on this board were really helpful when planning the trip and we can't wait to return - maybe we'll try Plumwood next time, Kavey, we will certainly plan to stay longer in Franschoek - every place we visited we wished we'd stayed longer......!

Gaynor

DonTopaz

I've also stayed at and can recommend Plumwood. Its setup is excellent for meeting and chatting with fellow travellers (cozy breakfast and public areas).

Kavey

Gaynor, we felt the same way about most places on our trip - that was 9 weeks long and we still wanted more more more!

shazip

Thanks for all the information. I will follow up on suggestions. Are there any other places that are hot desinations in the area that I should check out?

shazip

Selwyn, you wre right on Akademie - I could not get a quote.

Can anyone comment on the following:Avondrood, Basse Provence, Gable Manor, L'Auberge Chanticleer, Klein Genot, Franschoek House?

Am looking for a conbination of aesthetics and comfort, good food (breakfast specifically) and good conversation.

We will have a car.

Thanks in anticipation for any advice.

Sharon