A few weeks ago M and I did our cycle tour of the Overberg and we stayed in three towns along the way: Grabouw, Sandbaai, Caledon.

We wanted affordable self catering accommodation which would offer us a good opportunity to rest up for the next day and was close to a grocery store so that w could buy supplies. Here is what we used and how they compared:

Belfield Wine Farm: Acorn Cottage

Belfield Wine Farm is just behind the Peregrine Farm stall. We stocked up on food here and cycled the 1km down the road to get to the farm. The Owners Mel and Mike and very friendly and welcoming and  ensured that we had everything we needed. The organised a braai pack for us for supper and when we arrived the Weber was ready. “Oh and there is fresh coffee in the fridge” Mel said as she left us to get settled. We strolled around the garden and relaxed. The setting is nice and quiet and feels like you are very much in the countryside. There is one other cottage on the grounds and also the farm house. The wine tasting room is less than a minute away 🙂

The Verdict: Accorn Cottage is spotless and you can see that is has just been refurbished. The rooms are small but perfectly adequate. There are a few books on the shelf but for those looking for a TV you will be dissapointed, we were not!

Real attention to detail and a love for what they do shone through. I can only reccomend this. We will be back.

Price PPPN: R 275

Sandbaai Country House:

Initial contact with Angelique and Riaan was a bit unenthusiastic but I guess this could be a language thing. Our apartment opened onto the parking area so not a huge on the atmosphere front but we soon got used to it and relaxed. All amenities were there and we had to ask for nothing. We plopped down on the couch and watched TV to relax before taking one of the dogs for a walk on the beach.

Breakfast is included in the price and seeing as we were going to head out the door at first light Angelique made us some sandwiches to die for which we consumed on the road. We really appreciated the gesture. We parked our bikes in the garage. The closest food shop was the Engen garage about 1,5km away on the main road so supplies were a bit limited but we managed.

The Verdict: Sandbaai Country House is good value especially if you include the breakfast ( I can’t judge how good this is). If you want a beautiful setting then I would look elsewhere but if you plan to be out all day and are just looking for a roof over your head then look nowhere else. I can certainly recommend this.

Price PPPN: R 300

Little Lotta Cottage: Spacious Cottage

Spacious it certainly was! A large lounge / dining area / kitchen. Inside braai, etc. We had only very brief interaction with the staff who showed us the cottage and then the bill. A bit strange. Not much hospitality shown. Out of the three options we were most dissapointed bu Little Lotta. There was nothing wrong per se but the broken tiles in the kitchen, not clean counters in the kitchen and unfinished bathroom was not what I would expect.

The Verdict: Spacious Cottage is adequate if you intend to just spend a night and leave the next day. With a little bit of attention and care shown by the owners this would be a great spot.

Price PPPN: R 330.

All three accommodation have a website. contact them there.

Full disclosure: We paid the full advertised price for each of the above for one night each between 21 and 24 Dec 2013. We received no benefit for writing this and these are our opinions alone.

Let me know if this is of interest and I will post more reviews like this.