Garden route hotels
 

anyone stayed any of these 2 places ???bloomestate or Phantom Forest Lodge

jj......

Hi Glentoran,

Bloomestate???? Never heard of it! Where is the venue and do you have the name correctly spelt?

If you are going to go into splurge mode then I would suggest that you dont stay at Phantom Forest. I have stayed there and believe me as great as the venue sounds so it has problems too. If you are a young energetic type of person who loves hiking and being on the move then Phantom could just be worth your while however if you are looking for a relaxing, romantic stay then I would caution you about this venue. As romantic as the rooms might seem to be so unromantic they truly are when it comes to practicality. Amongst others the lighting in the rooms are shocking to say the least. I have to add that this could be a case of one man?s meat is another man?s poison but if I wanted to have a stay equivalent to what Phantom Forest profess to offer then I would rather stay at Tsala (http://tsala.com). I know that this venue is much more expensive but you cannot compare the two establishments in that Tsala is so much better. As a matter of fact they are incomparable imho.

Due to bad experiences with Phantom ranging from a very abrupt and unco-operative owner to dark rooms, I would choose Tsala any day over Phantom Forrest. Furthermore charging R225+ (last price that I have heard and suspect that it is much higher these days)for a meal anywhere in SA is a total rip-off and even though Phantom's cuisine is excellent I dont believe that it is worth the money when you can find just as good meals in nearby Knysna for 60% of the price.

There could be other Fodrites who might not agree with me with regard to the above so let me stress that this is a PERSONAL OPINION that it is based on a highly professional outlook of wanting to keep my own touring clientele happy.

Just my twopence worth. :)

Selwyn Davidowitz
Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

wow you don't mince your words lol -- http://www.bloomestate.com/ this is there website. am i right in saying you can do townships tours ?

i was wanting maybe to try 1 when we're in C/T . any info is it safe enough.


jj....

Glentoran,

After looking at the Bloomstate Website I still dont know the establishment and btw this afternoon I was in Swellendam travelling down the Garden Route. It does look nice from the site though. I will be returning to Swellendam on Wednesday next week (Nov 26) and will see if I can go view this guesthouse on your behalf. No promises that I can do this but rest assured that I WILL try.


In answer to your question "yes I do a township visit to Kayamandi in Stellenbosch". I want to stress the word VISIT as I dont "tour" townships in that I deem this to be a zoo like event and I detest these type of trips. When you visit Kayamandi with me I CANNOT tell you upfront as to what we are going to do nor can I tell you how long we will be in the township in that we visit my friends in the area and in that manner my visitors get to know the REAL people of the township in an honest and sincere manner. All in all the whole experience is a dynamic and special one. I really dont want to say much more as I would deem this as advertising on Fodors (even though you asked the question of me) and I am not in favour of this concept on this great webpage. Thus if you want to know more I would appreciate it if you could write to me on my email address for more info.

Hope the above is acceptable to you.

Selwyn Davidowitz
Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

Sorry Selwyn for putting you in a difficult postion ( in future i'll email you sorry )

WOW do you think they'll let you in ( Bloomstate )Selwyn??


jj...

Glentoran,

No need to apologise simply write to me with your queries about a township visit if you require more info.

As far as Blomstate is concerned, or for that matter any place that offers a service, bear in mind that I am a tour operator/tourguide and that means that I bring and send people to places like Bloomstate. Thus I represent trade to them and believe me all it takes is a phone call and they scream for joy and cant wait for me to inspect their premises etc. It is when I arrive that matters start taking a different turn sometimes as I generally take a very critical look at wherever I inspect and tell the owners etc exactly what I feel as my interest lies solely with the comfort and well being of my visitors or friends on whose behalf I am doing the enquiry and I will fight tooth and nail for this. The exact same goes for any Fodorite request as it truly is very important to me to ensure that all folk who visit our wonderful country have a great time and will never forget us as being a great value destination with people who are extraordinarily hospitable and sincere. With that whole mouthful said let me assure you that if I have the opportunity (I reckon I definitely will have this time while passing through Swellendam on my way back home after the Garden Route tour that I am doing as I write this mail) I will certainly visit Bloomstate next week to check it out. Furthermore if there is any other place that you or any Fodorite needs info on I would do the exact same if possible at any time, that is if I dont know the place or establishment already.

One fair warning though is that I am super critical and as you have already remarekd I say it EXACTLY as it is so if you get a thumbs up from me you just have to know this is a great place because it means that I would be happy to stay or use the facilities of the amennity for my own personal purposes. With that said rest assured I have very high values in this regard.

Selwyn Davidowitz
Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa