Forget those looming deadlines! Pile into the car and take a road trip to the best little village in the Karoo for an unforgettable weekend of small-town hospitality and amazing local produce, all to be enjoyed from your very own Karoo cottage – kitted out to the nines so you can either kick back in luxury or cook up a storm to your foodie heart’s content.
Why foodies love to stay here
- The chance to experience the laid-back vibe and friendly, small-town hospitality of Prince Albert, also known as the heart of the Karoo’s pantry
- You’ll get to spend your days visiting local producers, from an artisanal cheese maker and olive oil producers to deli owners and fruit farmers, tasting and discovering the authentic, unique produce that makes the Karoo so special.
- Explore on your own, or go on a guided produce walk with the friendly folks from African Relish Cooking School
- The opportunity to take hands-on cookery classes at African Relish or be treated to one of their legendary 3-course fine-dining dinners.
- Don apron and get creative in your very own Karoo cottage with the local produce that you stocked up on during all that Eatsploring
Eatsplore the heart of the Karoo
Hands up, who’s had the fantasy of packing it all in, moving to a tiny country village, and making preserves for a living? But then, realising exactly how many bottles of fig jam you’d need to make to pay off your new little country cottage?
Yeah, us too. African Relish Cooking School offers you a pretty great alternative: the chance to break away from the rat race and soak up small-town life in the picturesque Karoo village of Prince Albert, stock up on amazing local produce – think hand-crafted Guernsey milk cheese, plump preserved olives and cold-pressed olive oil, succulent Karoo lamb, and fresh, sweet figs – and go whip up a feast in your very own Victorian or Karoo cottage.
That’s right, the legendary cooking school also knows a thing or two about small-town hospitality and would love you to experience the laid-back, unhurried vibe of Karoo life, while pampering you with those little luxuries you love including King-sized beds dressed in crisp cotton linen, deep baths and fluffy, thick towels, air-conditioning, fireplaces and, best of all, thoughtfully kitted out kitchens.
Oh, and Wi-Fi, if you need it. Whether you choose to stay in the Karoo cottages Akkedis or Doringbos on the outskirts of town, or in Deurdrift 1, or Deurdrift 2, the semi-detached Victorian cottages in town, you’ll almost forget about all those unanswered emails waiting back home…
Karoo Cottage – Akkedis
Entire Cottage, 4 Guests, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Beds
A raised bed planted with a row of hardy aloes welcome you to Akkedis, a shining example of a typical Karoo cottage with its flat roof, white washed walls and… cheeky lime green sash window frames, a clue to the classic-with-a-quirk décor inside. See, this not-quite-so-humble abode once belonged to South African artist JP Meyer, who, it turns out, had quite the knack for injecting the rustic building with a pared-down, modern aesthetic and touches of warm playfulness.
Both en-suite bedrooms are super spacious – one with a queen-sized bed; the other with a king-sized or two twin beds – with contemporary screed floors softened by flowy, romantic mosquito nets tumbling down from the canopy bed frames, choice pieces of antique Cape furniture and the ever-present splashes of citrussy green.
Come breakfast, you’ll want to kick back around the homey kitchen table for some strong coffee with complimentary homemade rusks for dunking (the Prince Albert folk are all about making guests feel welcome!) while dinner time you’ll want to take things outside, light a fire in the built-in braai and feast it up around the long table on the covered verandah overlooking your very own private succulent garden.
Location, Services and Important Information
Prince Albert is just about 4 hours’ drive from Cape Town when you travel via the N1.
Services and Facilities
- Wifi and DStv Satellite TV
- Tea and coffee tray with milk and home-baked rusks
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Private terrace with a braai and outdoor furniture
- Private gardens
- Off street parking
- Swimming available at the pool of African Relish Cooking School
- Cottage serviced daily
- Toiletries
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher
