Keisie Cottages Montagu

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Email Keisie Cottages Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com

The farm, called ‘Vredendal’ (Peace in the Valley) is below the Burger Pass just 1 km along a dirt road from the R318, the road less traveled which leads through the Keisie, to the Koo Valley and on to the N1 just after the Hex River Valley.

Guests are welcome to wander around the farm with their (friendly) dogs, fish in the neighbour's dam or just enjoy our gardens, sit under the oak trees and pick herbs from our organic herb garden as well as fruit, on request.

Please feel free to ask your hosts, Mike and Toni van Hoey Smith about the many hikes, especially one to a series of small rock pools and our ‘Enduro’ hike / mountain-bike route.

"Keisie" means "Sweet Water" in San, and the Keisie Valley is renowned for the flavour and quality of its fruits and wines. On Vredendal Farm we farm gooseberries, apricots, quinces, merlot, chenin blanc and pecan nuts. We also have a variety of citrus, almonds, figs and plums and we use all of the fruit for making our own range of jams, marmalades and preserves, mostly organic, which are available for sale on the farm. Try our fresh farm eggs, straight from the free-range chickens.

Views are stunning, we are surrounded by mountains and nature. If you’re lucky you might even see buck (deer), hares, or a mountain tortoise. We have a community of dassies living here which the black eagles sometimes feed on.

Your holiday here is all about getting away from the madding crowds - no TV’s or mobile reception so sit outside at night, enjoy the unbelievably starry sky and listen to the sounds of nature!

What's more you can bring your (friendly) dogs if you want, as long as they bring their own bedding!!

Keisie Cottages Accommodation

Mountain Chalets
We have four charming restored farm cottages. Vine (sleeps 2), Lavender (sleeps4), Fig Tree (sleeps2) & Keisie Cottage (sleeps6-8). All are self-catering, self-contained and electrified for convenience, this however, does not detract from their rustic appeal.

Three of the cottages are together, but not adjoined. There are screens between the cottages for privacy. These cottages are near the pool, and close to Keisie Cottage. They are all rustic but cosy and comfortable. They have large indoor fireplaces stoeps and braai facilities and are fully self-catering.

Each cottage has been transformed into a quaint, cosy environment with a traditional fireplace to wardoff those chilly Cape winter nights.

All have a kitchen, fully equipped for self-catering with fridges, hotplates and either a stove or a microwave or both. All linen provided but please bring your own towels, although we can provide on request if you forget, or if it is not convenient. In Winter bring an extra blanket if you feel the cold but there are feather duvets, blankets and heating panels in each room and fans for summer.

What to do
Montagu is an historical town with many beautifully preserved examples of early Cape architecture. It is also unique in that vineyards and orchards grow right in the town. There are very good restaurants and farm stalls. You will find menus in your cottage.

We are perfectly located to enjoy the Robertson, Bonnievale and Barrydale Wine Routes which is a great way to while away the day… or two.

The Tractor Ride up to the summit of the Langeberg is a long time favourite of visitors and locals alike. Look out for your cottage, which can be seen from the ride. Afterwards stay for the potjiekos, cooked on open fires in the forest, which is delicious and great value for money.

Adventure Sports are very popular in this area, especially rock climbing, abseiling, mountain biking and 4x4 trails. Our farm is perfect for mountain biking so don't forget to bring your bike!

Avalon Hot Springs resort offers hours of fun and relaxation and you can benefit from the healing powers of the springs which are amongst the most pure of any in the world.

Hiking trails are many and vary from very relaxed to quite challenging hikes. We will provide you with information on your arrival.

Game viewing at one of our local game reserves (you can even view the Big 5!), or nature drives with an experienced game ranger, knowledgeable about the area are available.

GOOSEBERRIES
Montagu gooseberries have become quite sought after in the last few years. We have been growing gooseberries in the Keisie Valley for about 5 years now and have increased production vastly in the last two years, to the extent that we are probably the largest growers and suppliers of gooseberries in South Africa at this time.

On Vredendal farm we grow our own berries as well as buying them in from our neighbours. We then package them into punnets and sell them to the Cape Town market.

We also supply the big packers for major food chains in South Africa. The second grade gooseberries are sold to jam makers and our latest addition to our product range is Dried Gooseberries which are dried organically - without preservatives. These are absolutely delicious in trail mixes, muesli, snack bars or used for baking. We are currently the only producers of dried gooseberries in South Africa - a popular addition to the dried fruit market.

Gooseberries (also called Goldenberries or Appeliefies in Afrikaans) grow well in our somewhat harsh climate and we are proud to be giving work to the local women who are otherwise usually unemployed in the winter months, when the berry season is at its maximum output. They also require very little in the way of pesticides as are only rarely attacked and usually when the plants are still very young and before the berries start to show.

Email Keisie Cottages Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com