Winter specials in Darling!

Darling, less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town… but a million miles away, offers great value getaways for the 2012 winter season.

The current economic climate has led to the need for tourists world-wide to trim spend wherever possible and Darling’s tourism community has come together to ensure that value is the order of the day when travelers visit this peaceful, safe and charming West Coast village.

Complimentary wine tasting (something not many wine cellars offer nowadays), country walks in flower reserves, close proximity to the 16 Mile Beach, galleries and the best small town museum in the country at a measly R10 entrance fee are just some of the free or inexpensive activities that beckon.

The time to recharge in a time-strapped world means looking for destinations that are close-by but significantly removed from city life.

With guesthouses and restaurants charging very reasonable prices compared to the more established tourism destinations and very affordable wines to be purchased from all of the local cellars, the visitor is assured that not only will they receive great value but they will leave feeling rested and restored.

Come see why it’s called “Darling”!

Weekend Package at TRINITY LODGE 
Includes 2 nights B&B at a 4 star guesthouse. A dinner in Darling. A ticket to a Pieter-Dirk Uys show at Evita se Perron. An olive and olive oil tasting at Darling Olives. A wine tasting and lunch at the historic Groote Post farm (selected as a Top 10 Alfresco Restaurant by Eat Out Guide)
R 1 500 all inclusive per person – group rates apply
50% deposit required. Subject to availability
Contact Shaun McLaughlin 083 325 4148 stay@trinitylodge.co.za

Accommodation special at THE OLD PASTORIE (Bed only)  
SPECIAL OFFER throughout the winter months – Offer ends 31st July.
R550 per room first night then 50% discount on all following nights –   ie 1st Night R550     2nd AND subsequent nights R275.
Bookings  022 492 3715/ 072 083 9990

GROOTE POST VINEYARDS
Spoil the special Man in your life this June with a free Magnum The Old Man’s Blend Red 2011 by buying 12 bottles of The Old Man’s Blend White 2012 or 12 bottles of The Old Man’s Blend Red 2011 or a mix of both
Tel: 022-492 2825 Fax: 086 527 9991 www.grootepost.com

Accommodation Special at 43 ON MAIN (S/C)
Special offer for months of June/July
R175 pppn sharing (2 persons R350 – double room)
R250 pppn (1 person – double room)
Additional persons on sleeper couches in living room area:
R75 pppn (if double room is occupied by 2 persons)
R100 pppn (if double room is occupied by 1 person)
Bookings: 022 492 2754 /082 882 4954 or 082 573 2135

Accommodation Special at MAISON DE L’AMOUR B&B
Maision de L’amour offers the following promos :
Book any two nights during the month of June, July, and August and receive a third FREE. R800 per room per night (2 people sharing plus a full English breakfast) third night FREE
Special: R650 per room per night (2 people sharing) breakfast included Plus a bottle of rose wine on arrival.
Pay full price for your first night R800 incl breakfast and get the second night 50% off (R400)
Bookings 072 822 5518 | 022 492 3995 | 022 492 3139 www.maisondelamour.net

Accommodation Special at OLIVE & LIME COTTAGES (S/C Farm)
Winter Special: 01 July until 30 August 2012
Self catering accommodation, sleeping 4 people (2 adults & 2 children) @ R300 per unit
Bookings 082 4681 250 079 889 6898

Accommodation at TUINHUIS COTTAGE (S/C)
Tuinhuis Cottage will offer accommodation from now until end July of R275, 00 pp per night – minimum stay of 2 nights weekdays and weekends.   Tea/coffee and biscuits will always be available on arrival www.tuinhuissouthafrica.com
Bookings 022 492 2535 083 655 4237 iw@worldonline.co.za

Accommodation special at ALOE COTTAGE (S/C in village)
Aloe Cottage guests during June, July and August will receive a special complimentary bottle of Darling wine, which can be enjoyed in front of the cosy fireplace (wood is also complimentary!). Special rates of just R850 per night Sunday – Thursday and R1,200 per night Friday and Saturday. Sleeps up to 6 people in 3 en-suite bedrooms. Also ideal for a romantic getaway for 2. The cottage is fully equipped to a high standard and is pet-friendly. Visit www.aloedarling.co.za for photos and more info. Contactpaul@aloedarling.co.za or 083 400 1666 to book your getaway!

Accommodation at THE GRANARY (B&B)
Stay for 2 nights and pay for  < 1 ½ nights:
2 nights in a suite    bed and breakfast (2 guests)      R 1000.00
2 nights in a TWIN   bed and breakfast (2 guests)      R 850.00
Any 2 consecutive days, subject to availability .
Bookings Tel : 022 492 3155 Cell : 083 533 0090 Email : stay@thegranary.co.za

Darling Museum Winter Special
Free entrance for all school-going children (accompanied by an adult) during June/July Entrance fee: Adults R10/Pensioners R8-00
Open Daily: Mon – Thurs 9h00 – 13h00 and 14h00 – 16h00
Friday 9h00 – 13h00 and 14h00 – 15h30
Saturday, Sunday & Public holidays 10h00-15h00
Closed Easter, Christmas & New Year
TEL: (022) 492-3361

BUFFELSFONTEIN GAME & NATURE RESERVE 
Winter Conference Special available from 01 June 2012 till 31 August 2012 for groups of any size.

OPTION 1: DAY CONFERENCE SPECIAL R220 per Delegate
This package will include the following:
Morning Tea & Coffee with Refreshments
Conference Venue Fee
Lunch
Afternoon Tea & Coffee with Refreshments
Optional Activity: 2-3 Hour Guided Game Drive @R200 per delegate for groups of 4 – 15
2-3 Hour Guided Game Drive @R150 per delegate for groups of 16 – 60 delegates

OPTION 2: CONFERENCE & ACCOMMODATION @ R700 per Delegate Sharing
This package will include the following:
Morning Tea & Coffee with Refreshments
Conference Venue Fee
Lunch
Afternoon Tea & Coffee with Refreshments
Dinner
Accommodation
Breakfast
Optional Activity: 2-3 Hour Guided Game Drive @R200 per delegate for groups of 4 – 15
2 -3 Hour Guided Game Drive will be COMPLEMENTARY for groups of 21-60 delegates
This offer allows you up to 25% saving on your conference

Should you have any further enquiries and or wish to make a reservation; do not hesitate to contact our reservations. Terms & Conditions Apply
CONTACT DETAILS: Tel: (022) 451 2824 Email: buffontein@xsinet.co.za www.buffelsfontein.co.za

 

For more information visit www.darlingtourism.co.za

I ♥ Darling Because…

This Q&A article was first published on the SA-Venues blog: http://blog.sa-venues.com/provinces/western-cape/love-darling

 

Hi, I’m Paul Martin from Aloe Cottage in Darling.

Darling IS BEST KNOWN FOR its won­der­fully diverse spring flowers, the Voorkamerfest Theatre and Arts Festival, Evita se Perron (the home of Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout), great wine farms, art gal­ler­ies, country-style res­taur­ants and bis­tros, the Duckitt orchid nurs­ery, the friendly small-town atmo­sphere and relaxed coun­try life.
GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT Evita se Perron where you can pose as “the most fam­ous white woman in South Africa” and take a humor­ous trip down South Africa’s memory lane at Boerassic Park.
THE BEST spring flower PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT the Tinie Versfeld Wildflower Reserve, Waylands Flower Reserve or at the orchid open days at Duckitt Nurseries on the first Saturday of the month from May to November.
OTHER HAPPY SNAPS CAN BE TAKEN while sip­ping wine at some of the local wine farms like Ormonde, Cloof, Darling Cellars, Groote Post and Tukulu.

WHEN THE WEATHER’S GOOD, I LIKE TO cycle around the vil­lage and farm­lands with my cam­era. The Nguni cattle at Oude Post Farm are par­tic­u­larly beau­ti­ful with their speckled hides and long horns.
WHEN THE WEATHER’S BAD, I LIKE TO browse the amaz­ing selec­tion of books at Book League.
I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS any time of the year, BECAUSE sum­mer offers trips to nearby Yzerfontein beach and long warm even­ings around the braai. The Darling Music Experience clas­sical fest­ival takes place in February. Autumn is ideal for wine tast­ing while the vine­yards turn to orange and gold. Winter brings misty morn­ing walks, and cosy nights with good food and wine. Spring brings the annual Darling Wildflower Show, Voorkamerfest, Rocking the Daisies music fest­ival and so much more …

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS Chicory Cheese Café or Brig’s Barn.

FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST The Marmalade Cat.
MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS Bistro Seven, TRY THE Eisbein.
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM Café Mosaic, known by the loc­als as ‘The Stoep’.
MY FAVOURITE bar­gain hunt­ing SPOT IS The Mantis Trading Store.
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY Kraalbosdam on a Friday night.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO the Darling Country Market on the first Saturday morn­ing of the month at the Nitrophoska Building.

Darling’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS the local butchery, Darling Vleismark, per­fect for stock­ing up before return­ing to the city. And don’t miss the cheap homemade jams at the till!
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS enjoy the local beer, Darling Brew, avail­able at most res­taur­ants in Darling.

FOR SOME CULTURE , I LIKE TO GO TO the Voorkamerfest in September, where per­formers from South Africa and around the world give intim­ate per­form­ances in the ‘voork­amers’ (lounges) of houses in Darling. It is not to be missed.

TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO enjoy the beau­ti­ful sur­round­ings.
IF YOU’RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY mak­ing your own wine at the annual Darling Cellars Crush Day.
MY FAVOURITE WALK IS with my dogs at the Renosterveld Reserve at the top of the hill, where you have pan­or­amic views of the vil­lage and sur­round­ing farm­lands.
MY FAVOURITE gift and home­ware SHOP IS is the beau­ti­ful ware­house at the back of The Marmalade Cat.

MY FAVOURITE bird WATCHING SPOT IS from the kit­chen win­dow at Aloe Cottage, where the weaver birds put on a fant­astic dis­play build­ing their nests and show­ing off their dexterity.

IF YOU’RE HERE IN July, JOIN IN THE FUN AT Christmas in July at Evita se Perron.

MY FAVOURITE MUSEUM IS Darling Museum. Discover how Darling got its name and don’t miss the little shop; Ouma’s Treasures.
MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS Koekemakranka Backpackers, FOR ITS cre­at­ive and whacky interior, cre­ated by local artist and co-owner Omnia Grobler.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS Lelieblom Farm Restaurant where the kids can see and touch farm anim­als. Enjoy a lazy week­end lunch where you dine with your hosts and enjoy true coun­try hospitality.

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS tak­ing a leis­urely drive around the coun­tryside.
WHEN MONEY’S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO go wine tast­ing, stock up my cel­lar with excel­lent local wines, then enjoy a cel­eb­rat­ory meal at Hilda’s Kitchen at Groote Post.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS the dif­fer­ence that one per­son, Pieter-Dirk Uys, has made to a com­munity by put­ting Darling on the map and giv­ing so much to sup­port devel­op­ment pro­jects in the area.
MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS Aloe Cottage, of course!
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I sup­port The Darling Trust.

I ♥ Darling BECAUSE the people are friendly and wel­com­ing, the vil­lage is authen­tic and not overly touristy, and it’s an hour from Cape Town… but a world away!

Aloe Cottage

Aloe Cottage offers lux­ury self-catering hol­i­day accom­mod­a­tion in Darling, near to Cape Town, South Africa. We are pet-friendly! The hol­i­day home has been beau­ti­fully dec­or­ated with top qual­ity linen, fur­niture and art­work and enjoys pos­sibly the best views in Darling — over rolling hills and farm­lands to the dis­tant moun­tains. Aloe Cottage is the per­fect romantic get­away for couples as well as for week­ends away with friends or fam­ily holidays.

Visit Aloe Cottage
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Chicory Cheese — +27 (0)72 852‑6644
Brig’s Barn — +27 (0)22 492‑2451
The Marmalade Cat — +27 (0)22 492‑2515
Bistro Seven — +27 (0)22 492‑3626
Café Mosaic — +27 (0)22 492‑2307
Kraalbosdam — +27 (0)22 492‑3803
Lelieblom Farmhouse — +27 (0)82 573‑7736

November Special at Aloe Cottage, Darling!

Aloe Cottage is offering special rates throughout the month of November 2010, including weekends. Rates have been reduced to  just R750 per night for the whole cottage (save R200 per night).

Aloe Cottage offers luxury self-catering holiday accommodation and is the perfect romantic getaway for couples as well as for weekends away with friends or family holidays (sleeps up to 6 people).

The holiday home has been beautifully decorated with top quality linen, furniture and artwork and enjoys possibly the best views in Darling – over rolling hills and farmlands to the distant mountains.

Enjoy your days unwinding on the verandah, where the only sound is birdsong, have a braai (wood is provided), watch a show with Tannie Evita, see the weaver birds build their nests right outside the window, curl up with a book in the hammock, or just relax on the deep, comfy couches in front of the fireplace with some fine Darling wine.

Visit www.aloedarling.co.za for photos and more info, then contact Paul to book: paul@aloedarling.co.za or call 083 400 1666. Minimum booking of 2 nights.