Arumvale Country Retreat

Bev and I are widely travelled having been to in excess of 60 countries. We previously owned and ran ( for fourteen years ) a 26 room boutique hotel with restaurant on the Lesotho border. That was in our younger days - when we had heaps of energy ! But we have learnt over the years, what guests are seeking , and we have made sure that Arumvale meets the needs of the precious people who we are privileged to host. When we sold our 26 roomed boutique hotel - Cranberry Cottage- we decided to downscale to a small self catering establishment and move to the fairest Cape. We fell in love with Swellendam which is a charming historical town with friendly kind people and very little crime. Arumvale is our own personal refuge from the stresses and strains of busy life and we love to share it with others. We both love the outdoors, birds, walking ,unspoilt scenery. We ride our BMW motorbike on the backroads on most weekends. Bev loves gardening and her vegetabe garden and loves sharing the produce with guests and friends.

Arumvale is a tranquil piece of paradise in the verdant Hermitage valley with a spectacular view of cows grazing languidly in green pastures against a backdrop of the spectacular Langeberg mountains. If you are stressed , weary and in need of some serious rest, peace and calm, then you are most unlikely to be disappointed. We are a mere 3km from the town of Swellendam - within 20 minutes walking distance. Our lush gardens are home to many wild birds, plus our family of chickens who lay fresh eggs daily. We encourage our guests to gather organic salad greens , fruit and vegetables from our vegetable gardens. Our guest rooms have been thoughtfully and stylishly decorated with antiques and interesting items from our extensive travels. Rooms all have beautiful views , separate entrances and private patios with pre- packed barbeques just ready for you to light ! Most rooms have open fireplaces for cosy winter fires. All firewood is provided free of charge. We have a lovely salt water swimming pool for those really hot hots , and secluded little shady spots in the garden for your sundowners, or to hide away and read a book.

We are roughly a 3km walk to the village . Swellendam is a well preserved delightful historical village dating from 1745. The famous iconic Moederkerk is situated here ,along with the only remaining original Drosdty ( Dutch Magistrate's court and jail ) in the country. Swellendam has two award winning restaurants - in the top 500 in South Africa, as well as a selection of quaint coffee shops. It is perfectly situated as a hub - 90km from the sea and the incredible De Hoop National Park, 200km from Cape Town, 200km from George and the Garden Route. It is 45km from the famous Route 62 and the little Karoo and 110km from the Southernmost Tip of Africa. Two hours from Cape Town airport and the same from George airport. Two national parks are to be found in within minutes of Arumvale - Marloth National Park which has some spectacular hikes and mountain bike trails through indigenous fynbos and to see waterfalls. The other park a mere 7km away is the Bontebok National Park which has a number of antelope species and some nature walks.