PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

On a 220-hectare (544-acre) wine estate called Matjieskuil, with vineyard views of distant Table Mountain, the newly opened Hawksmoor House is a real find. Four friends have meticulously restored an old Cape Dutch manor house and decorated it with an eclectic mix of contemporary classic and antique furniture, but the really fab idea behind it all is that you're invited to treat it as your own country home -- make yourself a cup of tea in the kitchen, or plunder the fridge for a bottle of icy Hawksmoor sauvignon blanc to imbibe around the pool, under the trees in the garden, or on your private terrace. Public spaces include a grand dining room with oversize crystal chandeliers and a drawing room with fireplace; a highlight is the original farmhouse kitchen with an AGA stove where guests can dine on excellent home-cooked meals; naturally you're welcome to cook your own. It's a small staff complement, but the feel is authentic country hospitality, and a real boon to the Stellenbosch accommodations scene. Future plans include family cottages and a spa -- watch this space.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's South Africa, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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