Drakenskloof by Kerala

Drakenskloof by Kerala is an exclusive-use, mountain sanctuary for discerning families boasting 2 iconic houses with 5 suites, connected by 4 gardens and a perennial river. This luxury escape is just a 90-minute drive from Cape Town a 20-minute helicopter ride, making it the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Settled around the ankles of the Bainskloof Pass mountains, on over 800 hectares of private reserve, in proximity to the Witte and Bastiaanskloof rivers, Drakenskloof emerges from the soil it so reverently occupies and seamlessly synthesises with the abounding nature that surrounds.

At the helm if Drakenskloof by Kerala rests India House. The design is widely focused on central Morocco offering a courtyard adjacent to the main area and dining space. Four en-suite bedrooms and an additional guest bathroom disperse themselves down corridors where natural light floods through the tall windows.

The heated swimming pool and a pavilion are set just outside of the main area where a long table sits beside the fireplace, beneath the pergola looking up towards the mountain peaks. The second bedroomed en-suite cottage boasts a generous open-plan space that leads out through large glass sliding doors to a wild bedded oasis.

Being at Drakenskloof by Kerala is like being in a boundless, utopian paradise, where the hours are as long as you want them to last. When you’re not reclining on one of the daybeds, allowing the stillness of the surroundings to captivate your thoughts, you’ll be traversing the mountain trails learning about the flora, the fauna and the active conservation projects that are paramount on the reserve. You’ll certainly invest many a long hours feasting around the tables, indulging in a simple, plenty, wholesome menu that’s consciously designed to bring out the best banter from the clan. At times you’ll gather in the dining room or in the pavilion.

About Bainskloof

Just west of Wellington - the town along the longest wine route in the Western Cape - lies Route 303 along which Bainskloof pass runs from Paarl to Ceres, passing over the Limiet Mountain en route. The pass was planned through the Kloof where the Witte River sloughs its way between the Limietberge and the Slanghoekberge. It is only a 30-kilometre stretch of road but is regarded as one of the best and most beautiful passes in the country.

Bainskloof Pass was built as far back as 1853 by the Scottsman Andrew Geddes Bain, hence the name, who amazingly had no engineering training. But the proof is in the pudding as Bain went on to build further passes in the Western Cape, although Bainskloof is considered his 'magnum opus'.

Part of the Bainskloof pass's charm is that it has been altered very little and much of the landscape is unspoilt, apart from the odd wine farm, guest house and hiking trail through the beautiful valley. Fynbos abounds and the wildflowers during spring are worth a trip from Cape Town to take in the beauty (during winter, Bainskloof is one of the Western Cape's better-kept secrets when it comes to beauty, if you don't mind a bit of rain).