A rugged Riviersonderend backdrop + 1000ha of open Boland countryside + three no-nonsense cottages = healthy soulfood for the urban weary. Tucked into the picturesque Robertson Valley, about 32km south of the town, Vredenhof's recently renovated worker cottages make for a respectable group- or families-with-pooches escape.
The cottages are set on a gentle slope, about 50m apart. They are basic, yet perfectly adequate units: clean, comfortable and equipped, including linen and towels. Common to the triplets is an equipped kitchen, dining and living area, a loo, shower, and Dover stove to stave off the winter chill. Each has two bedrooms (double and twin), a covered voorstoep with built-in braai and soothing vistas across farmland and mountain, and a hot outdoor shower for a scrub under the stars.
While endless mugs of moerkoffie and sizzling chops on the braai will keep the bulk of us sedentary types cemented to the stoep, there's certainly enough to do. A worthwhile and easy stroll takes one up the gorgeous kloof near the cottages; there's a farm dam where the kids can frolic and fish; informal mountain bike routes, long walks and wine farms are in plentiful supply; the night skies and general tranquillity are second to none; and Robertson, with its healthy spread of restaurants, coffee shops, wide streets and various other low-key attractions, is 32km up the road. An easy-going and uncomplicated getaway that will tick a bunch of boxes for many a Budget weekender.
