Set in a 750-hectare at the heart of Cape Winelands, Babylonstoren is one of South Africa’s oldest Cape Dutch farms where the first vines were planted over 300 years ago and where the owners have planted a garden in between the vines and they simply had to build some guest rooms for people could enjoy it.
You can find six one-bedroom suites, a handful of one and two-bed cottages, and nine farmhouse suites. Built-in 1777, the Manor House has five bedrooms and accommodates up to 10 people. The contemporary rooms feature four-poster beds, marble en suites with freestanding tubs, and underfloor heating. The Fynbos Family House is designed with five bedrooms to offer families and friends an intimate shared space.
Babel restaurant serves modern creative cuisine though book early – there’s often a two-month wait for a table. The Greenhouse is an ideal place to enjoy refreshments under the oak trees, and Bakery offers Italian and African cuisines.
A wide range of activities is offered at Babylonstoren Farm Hotel. Guests can cycle through vineyards, go birdwatching, whale watching, and shark diving, and visit wine farms of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, Cape Town and Cape Point.
Babylonstoren Information
Location & Getting ThereBabylonstoren is right on the crossroads of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek where the Cape Town International Airport is a 45-minute drive away.
Accommodation
The 9 One-Bedroom Farmhouse Suites are set beneath a copse of trees and combine authentic architecture with modern design: refined and moody. Each suite provides an expansive living and sitting area with an in-room fireplace. Set adjacent to a 3,5 hectare cultivated fruit and vegetable garden, the Garden Cottages (six one-bedroom suites, as well as three one-bedroom cottages and four two-bedroomed cottages) are characterised by thick whitewashed walls, elegant gables and hearty fireplaces that emulate an authentic farm stay experience.
In Fynbos, you can find four two-bedroom cottages and two one-bedroom cottages that are newly built in the Cape Dutch style and adjoin vineyards and orchards – ideal for our more adventurous guests. Here you can fully immerse yourselves in the beauty of the natural plant habitat of the Western Cape’s mountains.
Nestled at the foot of the Simonsberg and Franschhoek mountains, the Fynbos Family House is an elegant, exclusive-use home in Cape Dutch style in the heart of the Cape Winelands.
The Manor House dates back to 1777. This exclusive house has five bedrooms accommodating ten guests. The interior has been beautifully restored to its former glory, but with a definite contemporary touch. Bookshelves are filled with a wonderful selection of books and the traditional farm kitchen boasts a roaring old wood-burning stove.
Activities
You can enjoy the private gardens, guided walks around the farm through the vineyards and orchards and up the Babylonstoring Koppie, cycling, canoeing/rowing and fishing on the farm dams. As the kitchen gardens have been extended, all of the produce can be grown on the farm and you are invited to help out in harvest season and join in as much as you would like to. You can enjoy the new sundowner experience – up into the hills beyond the farm in a landrover and where it is possible to see as far as Table Mountain as the sun slips beyond the horizon.
The Spa gives you two signature treatments, the hammam water ritual and the bamboo massage. In addition, it has a wonderful selection of classic treatments.
Children
The farm is a paradise for children! Our beloved donkeys live opposite the Farm Shop. We invite our young guests to help feed the donkeys, collect eggs and help harvest fruit and vegetables from the garden, especially for the breakfast table. Children are also welcome to help the bakers knead and bake delicious farm bread. And don’t forget to go on the scavenger hunt.
Thoughtfully restored by owner Karen Roos, Babylonstoren has a lovely homely and rustic feel. Originally built in 1777, the contemporary rooms and suites emulate a historic and luxurious farm stay. The restaurant Babel uses ingredients straight from the gardens and is world renowned with a lengthy waitlist for non-residents.
AUTHENTICITYWe won't take you to the usual tourist traps, instead we'll introduce you to people that show you the true side of a country. With our contacts in each destination, we can arrange for you to meet locals away from the crowds and ensure an authentic experience.
EXPERTISEYou can rely on our extensive first-hand knowledge and years of experience in the country you’re visiting. We use only the best expert guides, and provide insider tips on the local customs, and everything from vibrant festivals to hidden Himalayan monasteries
PERSONAL SERVICEYour vacation will be as unique as you are. By getting to know you and what makes you tick, we fuse our wealth of expertise and a deep understanding of our destinations to create unique day by day itineraries that are built around you.
