No visit to Southern Africa would be complete without
seeing Cape Town - that awe-inspiring sprawl of humanity at
the base of the continent, with the dramatic hulk of Table
Mountain brooding over it. And no traveller can appreciate its
unique laid-back charm in a faceless, formulaic hotel,
regardless of how luxurious. To really get under the city's
skin, you need to stay in a B&B.
Luckily, Cape Town does B&Bs better than almost any
other city in the world. Most have striking decor (whether
Edwardian, Victorian or a modern fusion of deck and glass),
ludicrously generous breakfasts and memorable views of the
city, ocean and mountain. Our favourite five not only offer a
personal vibe in a naturally blessed destination - they
represent excellent value for money too.
WELGELEGEN
BEST FOR: bringing out your inner Lawrence
Llewelyn-Bowen
More evocative of a fashionable, lived-in
home than a guesthouse, Welgelegen - correct pronunciation, I
learnt the ugly way, requires rasping tonsil action -
sits in a serene cul-de-sac beneath Table Mountain in the
suburb of Gardens.
You'll leave with kudos-garnering snaps ('…this was our
B&B') - and serious design ideas for your own home. The
late-Victorian property, with its original marble fireplaces,
wrought ironwork and u wooden floors, has squashy sofas and
striped chairs alongside vibrant oil paintings, African
carvings and ceramic bowls. Huge mirrors hang on exposed brick
walls, while stained glass and 19th-century photographs
overlook the marvellous old staircase.
The decor, reflecting the friendly owner's eclectic taste,
flows into the 12 en-suite bedrooms, many with private
balconies or patios. They're a riot - or, rather, a sedate
cocktail party - of crisp white cotton sheets, papyrus and
terracotta walls, and rooibos bath potions. Room One has a
bath near the fireplace - one regular guest demands flickering
flames, poured wine and a hot bath on arrival - while Room
Eight, across the pretty courtyard, is a seductive cocoon of
fine organza drapes, subtle shades of grey and sparkling
lights.
Outside Welgelegen, with its friendly, knowledgeable staff,
it's just five minutes to Table Mountain's cable car station
and a short stroll to Kloof Street's superb restaurants.
Doubles from £82 (00 27 21 426 2374, www.welgelegen.co.za).
DE WATERKANT HOUSE
BEST FOR: a heavenly plunge and kicking back in
style
Reclining on the slope of Signal Hill - the low level
peak that juts out towards the waterfront with views across
Table Bay - De Waterkant House has one of the city's most
alluring plunge pools. It's the perfect spot from which to
contemplate your failure to invest in the explosive local
property market. Discreetly hidden from pedestrians passing
just below, it has a great view out over the lime, blue, ochre
and crimson facades of the Malay Quarter's picture-postcard
cottages.
The popular nine-room guesthouse sits at the heart of the
gay 'village' of De Waterkant, an easy walk from excellent
restaurants, cafés and sensational apartments. I found the
cutesy perfection of the neighbourhood a little cloying - with
security guards on main entry points - but undeniably
beautiful.
Stylish without being precious, the accommodation mixes
comfortably worn sofas, old chandeliers, Cape Dutch wooden
furniture and huge still-life drawings. But it's the
laid-back, near-horizontal vibe that really comes through with
an honesty bar, permanently furious parrot and smiley 'madam',
Sarie Jacobs, whose freshly baked rusks have to be tasted to
be believed.
Doubles from £52 (00 27 21 409 2500, www.dewaterkant.com).
BLUE WATERS
BEST FOR: breakfast, sundowners and whale-watching with
your landlady
If you want to start the day with a sea
breeze on your face and a truly epic meal in your belly, then
Blue Waters, close to Cape Town's renowned Atlantic beaches,
is the place for you. The morning feasts knocked up by highly
hospitable landlady Rose Holtman would flatter a five-star
hotel: 30 different fruits from cape gooseberries to pawpaws;
freshly baked bread and muesli; and vast trays of jams,
cereals and meats.
Remarkably the spread is offered each and every morning to
the occupants - many of them international regulars - of Blue
Waters' four double bedrooms. All deliver views to match the
food: the best have balconies overlooking the Atlantic, the
others have a panorama of the 12 Apostles peaks. From my
shower window I could see the cable car rising up Table
Mountain.
This isn't one of the wealthy coastline's most fashionable
houses, but its cool white Mediterranean decor dazzles in the
ocean u light. The odd colourful picture stands out like a
pale Englishman on Clifton Beach.
Camps Bay's bars, restaurants and powdery sands are an easy
10-minute walk away. If, on the other hand, you don't fancy
swimming in the icy Atlantic, Blue Waters has its own small
but perfectly formed pool. It also has access to a petite
private beach, complete with spectacular sunsets and views of
migrating whales.
Doubles from £84 (00 27 21 438 9068, www.bluewaters.co.za).
VILLA LUTZI
BEST FOR: families, pets and Germans. At Villa Lutzi,
you're in a prime location for the city and its beaches - and
you can throw a little history into your dream winter break.
Built as a retreat for the Oppenheimer family, this sprawling
Edwardian mansion in tiered gardens was one of the original
gracious homes in the elegant suburb of Oranjezicht,
immediately below Table Mountain.
For all its impressive architectural features - acres of
Oregon pine, stained-glass windows and a grand staircase - it
has a homely, unpretentious atmosphere. 'We welcome kids,
babies, dogs, everything,' says no-nonsense owner, Dagmar
Lothaller.
Contemporary design fanatics are unlikely to wax lyrical
about the flower-print curtains and bedspreads, but the 11
high-ceilinged en-suite rooms (there are five more in a
separate annexe) are flooded with light through large windows,
and several come with superb views. Guests often request rooms
specifically for their outlook: city, Table Mountain or Lion's
Head peak.
Villa Lutzi is particularly popular with Germans. But I'm
happy to report little tension over the sun loungers around
its attractive pool -- perhaps because guests were taking
advantage of its proximity to Clifton and Camps Bay beaches.
Doubles from £84 (00 27 21 423 4614, www.villalutzi.com).
LITTLE RUO
BEST FOR: food and wine appreciation. Little Ruo's artfully
revamped fruit-farm packing sheds sit in the heart of the
beautiful Constantia Valley, surrounded by purple-tipped
mountains, within walking distance of some of South Africa's
finest vineyards, including Groot Constantia and
Buitenverwachting.
Each of the self-contained suites and cottages has its own
patio, surrounded by lush gardens of palm, willow, grapefruit,
plum and guava trees, where the sound of popping corks is a
late afternoon ritual: a chilled Sauvignon Blanc, perhaps, as
the sun kisses the eastern slopes and pine forests of Table
Mountain.
There's something of a Provençal feel, with beams and cream
walls the backdrop to white curtains and sofas. The
husband-and-wife owners - he an architect, she an interior
designer - have littered spaces with arty posters,
architectural drawings, black-and-white prints and tastefully
distressed wood furniture.
Beautiful earthy bathrooms have showers delivering
refreshing torrential downpours worthy of a Cape Town winter.
There are good beaches close by at Muizenberg and Hout Bay,
but the best news for guests who like to sample gourmet food
with their fine wines is that Little Ruo is close to two of
the Cape's finest restaurants: La Colombe and Constantia
Uitsig.
Doubles from £80 self-catering (00 27 21 794 2052,
www.littleruo.co.za).
NEED TO KNOW
South African Affair (www.southafricanaffair.co.uk)
has three nights at the following B&Bs, including flights
to Cape Town from Heathrow, from £883pp (Welgelegen); £838pp
(De Waterkant House); £886pp (Blue Waters and Villa Lutzi);
£880pp (Little Ruo). Regional add-ons available from
£59.
