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Acara Guest House

Stellenbosch Wine Route - South Africa

Email Acara Guest House Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com

Dave and Fiona offer exceptional hospitality and can offer suggestions on day trips, restaurants and things to do in the region.

Acara Guest House Accommodation

There are 3 options for guests staying at Acara:
· Willow Tree Cottage
· Lavender Cottage
· Jacaranda suite

All have double doors leading to their own terrace or deck area.
All have beautiful views to the sparkling swimming pool, large gardens and paddocks, and of course to the mountains beyond.
Relax and enjoy!

Acara - Willow Tree Cottage:
The cottage has 2 bedrooms - one King and one twin - and can sleep up to 4 people.
The King bedroom (with an extra length bed) has an luxury en suite bathroom with bath and separate shower, underfloor heating and a heated towel rail.

- The twin bedroom is upstairs under the thatched roof, and has its own en suite bathroom.
Both bedrooms have programmable airco/heating units.

- The fully equipped kitchen has a combination microwave/oven/grill, fridge/freezer and electric hob.

- The double volume lounge area features an open fireplace and has satellite TV with PVR for recording your own programmes. A DVD and CD player, and surround sound system is also provided.

- Both the double bedroom and the lounge area have double doors opening out onto your large deck (42m2!) with access to your private garden area.
- There are views to the swimming pool, large gardens, paddocks and mountains beyond.

- There is also an iPod docking station and wireless internet access.
- There is room to park your car directly beside the cottage.

- The cottage is normally offered on a self catering basis, but a luxury hamper breakfast can be arranged - please just ask.

Acara - Lavender Cottage:
This cottage used to be a farm-labourers cottage and also has a thatched roof.
The old, thick, cool walls are in the original format - with smallish rooms. In other words, this is not a custom built cottage, but an original! It has been entirely renovated, but features like the terracotta floor remain.
It has 2 bedrooms - one Queen and one twin - and can sleep from 2-4 people.

- There is a fully equipped kitchen with oven, fridge/freezer and microwave/grill, a modern, tiled bathroom with shower, and a sitting room with open fireplace and satellite TV with PVR - for recording your own programmes.

- The sitting room and the double bedroom both have double doors opening to the terrace.
- There is also an iPod docking station and wireless internet. A DVD, a CD player and surround sound system is also provided.
- There is an air conditioning/heater unit in the Queen room and a ceiling fan and underfloor heating in the twin room.

Double doors from the Queen bedroom and the sitting area open out onto your own terrace - with access and views to the sparkling saltwater swimming pool.

- There are beautiful mountain views and opportunities to relax in the hammock under the willow trees. There is room to park your car directly behind the cottage.
- The cottage is offered on a self catering basis, but a luxury hamper breakfast can be arranged - please just ask.

Acara - Jacaranda suite:
This suite is situated below the main house, but has a completely separate entrance.
It has a King bedroom (with extra length bed), modern kitchenette and bathroom with shower.

- The kitchenette is fully equipped and has a microwave/oven/grill, fridge/freezer, toaster, kettle, and 2-hob stove.

- Wireless Internet access is available and there is also a large flat-screen television with satellite TV and PVR - for recording your own programmes. There is also an iPod docking station.

- The bedroom has double doors which open out onto your own terrace, with views to the sparkling saltwater swimming pool and large gardens.

- There is underfloor heating throughout. Parking is available behind the suite.
- The suite is normally offered on a self catering basis, but a luxury hamper breakfast can be arranged - please just ask.

The Garden:
The garden here at Acara is a labour of love!
If you are a keen gardener you will know - there is always something to do!
We are constantly developing and growing our garden - with everything from indigenous species to the rare and unknown!
At the last count we had over 100 different roses growing in the garden!
We are keen to make the most of the views, the tranquility and the birdlife here. There are a variety of places to stop, to sit, and to relax.

From the cool stone seat underneath the tree in our vegetable patch, to the rose-covered pergola or simply on the grass or in the hammock underneath our willows.
The birdlife is amazing - weavers, fish eagles and 2 resident spotted eagle owls can often be seen!
There are also walks through our paddocks and across the streams.
There are beautiful mountain views from almost everywhere in the garden.

Things to Do whilst staying at Acara:
There is much to do in the region! You can:
· Go wine tasting - plenty of wineries can be found in the region!
The farm is situated on the famous 'Stellenbosch Wine Route' between Somerset West and Stellenbosch and is right next door to the Stellenbosch Vineyards winery - a good place to start!

· Go brandy tasting and find out how they make it. The Van Ryn Brandy Cellar has a programme to explain the entire distillation process and The Oude Molen Brandy Museum in Stellenbosch has an exciting audiovisual programme which complements the many old artifacts of the brandy making process on display there.

· Enjoy local restaurants - many wineries also have great kitchens and creative chefs.
There are many fantastic restaurants in the area. We would be pleased to give you some suggestions.

· Visit the beautiful sandy beaches - only 10 minutes drive will take you to Strand beach. Many more sandy beaches and rocky pools can be found further away, including the two King Penguin colonies at Betty's Bay and Boulders Beach.

· Go whale watching - during the months of August, September, October and November you may see the awesome Southern Right and Hunchback Whales.
You can see them from land because they come in very close to shore along False Bay, Pringle bay and Walker's Bay. This is one of only two places in the world where this is possible. This is their mating season and it is an interesting time to watch whales as they breach and cavort in the sea.

· See the beautiful Namaqua wild flowers. In August and September see the desert with vast swaths of colour. In a day trip it's possible to see wild Eland, Wilderbeest, Bontebok, Zebra, Ostrich and hundreds of wild birds some unique to this region.

· Sport to be played.
Play golf on the many stunning courses in the area. De Zalze and Stellenbosch club are the closest being only 7 minutes away. But there are 5 more courses all within 1/2 hour drive.

Tennis courts, 10 pin bowling, climbing walls, horse riding (lessons or outrides) and mountain trails for those who enjoy walking are all available. For those seeking sports and activities with more adrenalin there are Scuba diving courses, Shark diving, Base jumping, 'Harley Davidson' road trips into the Karoo, quad bike nature trails, Hot air Balloon trips and many more.

· See the wildlife - visit one of the Nature reserves in the area - eg the Helderberg Nature Reserve and take one of the many various hiking trails. Alternatively stay with us at Acara and watch the exceptional local birdlife from your window or from the garden/terrace.

· Go shopping - there is a beautiful Somerset Mall in Somerset West just 5 minutes away. And the 'Waterfront' in Cape Town is just 35 minutes drive.

· Or finally... just relax!
While away some time by our sparkling swimming pool at Acara, or snooze in the hammock under the willow trees. There are also many wellness spa's in the area (also within walking distance) if you wish for a relaxing facial, aromatherapy or reflexology treatment.

Email Acara Guest House Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com