Rest, restore and immerse yourself in the magical world of Babylonstoren Wine Farm. If you’re looking for a truly unique experience then you should look no further — spending any amount of time in this unique place, is good for your soul. Babylonstoren Wine Farm will steal your heart. It’s a taste of paradise in the heart of South Africa’s Wine Lands. Babylonstoren is staggeringly beautiful — this historic Cape Dutch farm dating from 1692 is one of the best preserved plaaswerwe (farmyards) in the Cape.
Arriving at Babylonstoren Wine Farm
At its heart Babylonstoren is an indulgent elegant yet rustic luxury farm house hotel surrounded by a stunning backdrop of the Simonsberg, Drakenstein and Paarl Mountains. It resembles a quaint country village of days gone by, with wandering ducks chickens, tortoises, and donkeys. Ponds are planted with edible lotus, nymphaea lilies and waterblommetjies, (‘water flowers’ in Afrikaans), and water rills gravity fed from the mountain streams trickle through the gardens bringing life to the gardens and the plants.
Every detail is ‘just perfect” and although the gardens look like they have been here forever, in fact they were only created in 2007. The garden boasts over 300 varieties of plants thats are either edible or have a medicinal value. The fruit and vegetables are harvested all year round for use in the restaurants where food is an “art form”.
The New Fynbos Cottages
Set a short drive from the restaurant, winery and gardens, and elevated above the farm dam, Babylonstoren’s newly built one and two bedroom Fynbos Cottages offer glorious vineyard views accompanied by the farm’s natural soundtrack where guests can fully immerse themselves in the beauty of the natural plant habitat, the Fynbos, of the Western Cape’s mountains, and adjoining vineyards and orchards.
The cottages are newly built in the distinctive rustic Cape Dutch style with lime-washes walls and elegant gables honouring the rich heritage of the farm, while the interiors in Karen Roos distinctive aesthetic take on an altogether contemporary feel with an understated elegance. The furniture comes from leading international design brands such as Kartell, Magis and the Bouroullec Bros. Roos developed her style through a career in media, which included television presenting, authoring books on design and editing magazines such as Elle Décor in South Africa. Her sense of sophistication and style influence everything.
The cottages have an understated elegance with Oregon pine floors, organic tones and textures, a rustic open hearth fire, and bookshelves filled with a wonderful selection to enjoy during your stay. The four poster king-size beds have gorgeous fine linens. . A skylight in each of the rooms ensures plenty of natural light and barn-style doors and window coverings ensure complete privacy. Leading off the lounge is a spectacular contemporary glass cube kitchen and dining area. Your bikes are parked up outside.
The Pool Room at Fynbos Cottage
The simply gorgeous glass fronted Pool Room is filled with an abundance of tropical plants, and botanical prints, contains a lounge and bar area for the exclusive use of Fynbos guests. It overlooks a large circular natural pool cleaned by naturally by oxygenating plants, decking, and an integrated glass-fronted vitality pool.
An exclusive-use Fynbos Family House sleeps 10 with five en-suite bedrooms. Each have a cosy fireplace and glorious soaking tubs. Leading off the spacious lounge is a fully equipped kitchen. A central courtyard is the ideal spot for family and friends to gather with a sparkling pool for refreshing swims.
Dining at Babylonstoren
Food is taken very seriously – Everything organic is fresh and comes either from their garden or the neighbouring farms. The hotel’s incredibly abundant gardens are brimful with seasonal vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, espaliered fruit trees, berries, beehives, fragrant lawns, as well as fragrant climbing roses, a prickly pear maze, and so much more, spread over 200 acres of organic farmlands.
As well as the eye-wateringly pretty gardens Babylonstoren has two fabulous farm to fork restaurants, Babel, and the Greenhouse, plus a wonderful deli, with a dairy and cheese room, a butcher, a baker, and they do have candles! as well as a scented room with a juicery. Babylonstoren is a delight for all the senses.
Health and Wellness
Babylonstoren is like an enormous outdoor spa, where every aspect is considered for your health and wellness. Something that is particularly relevant as we leave behind two years of stress and illness as a result of the pandemic. Spa treatments, once considered a luxury, are now an important addition to our holistic wellness, along with spending more time outdoors and appreciating nature.
Never one to sit on its laurels, Babylonstoren is once more leading the way with its new hot spa, a beautiful and restorative indoor outdoor space, which is accessed via the existing, and also gorgeous Garden Spa, which continues to offer more familiar treatments including a whole list of heavenly treatments including massages, hydrating body wraps, and bespoke facials. A meandering boardwalk past the “beach”, the circular outdoor surrounded by decking and sun loungers.
The Hot Spa has two circular vitality pools connected by a water channel to form an indoor-outdoor heated pool. The differing temperatures encourages blood flow, giving the body an energising and refreshing boost. Theres a steam room, sauna, a second heated pool and a Salt Room, built from blocks of raw pink Himalayan salt that offers a soothing, healing environment. This sought-after natural mineral is known for its therapeutic properties, and has long been used to lift mood and reduce fatigue. A welcoming hearth with a fireplace at the end of the indoor pool provides added warmth during colder weather.
Adjacent to the Hot Spa are Babylonstoren’s new hammam and Rasul treatment rooms. The hammam offers a fresh take on the fabled ancient Arabian public baths that have offered both physical and spiritual renewal for centuries are designed for tow guests, as privacy and quiet are an essential part of relaxation. The hammam is made entirely from heated marble slabs. The ceiling arching over the hammam is covered with mosaics in a range of glorious blues.
Here, guests can experience an hour-long private water ritual, which begins with a scrub and is followed by a choice between dynamic stretching and massage, or a traditional soap treatment for two (including a scrub, soap wash and massage). The Rasul (or mud bath), also offers a centuries-old cleansing practice. In contrast to the hammam, the curved walls of the Rasul are in botanical green mosaic tiles. The Rasul ritual is a four-step process that starts with exfoliation and cleansing. Next, a purifying and detoxing clay wrap is applied to the skin.
The clay is harvested locally from freshwater lakes and is rich in natural minerals. Essential oils, extracted from indigenous healing African botanicals like Aloe ferox, geranium and Kalahari melon, have been blended with the clay to encourage the release of toxins or impurities. After the clay has been applied, guests relax in the steam room, allowing the heat and the clay to perform their healing magic. Finally, the skin is cleansed and buffed, leaving the body smooth and supple, and the mind and spirit relaxed and soothed. Follow a morning at the spa with a healthy deliciously tasty garden salad lunch from the greenhouse restaurant by the pool.
Immersive and Interactive experiences
Inspirational workshops and daily garden walking are just some of the experiential forays you can enjoy during your visit such as learn the art of bonsai, unlock the diversity of indigenous succulents, picking and pressing flowers, grow your own plants from scratch, botanical sketching in Babylonstoren’s garden, and Pasta from scratch.
The Story of Wine at the Wine Musuem is yet another new addition to the Babylonstoren wine experience. Babyonstored constantly evolves in the most pleasing ways. There is always something to discover each time you visit.
Every season offers exciting happenings in the flourishing garden — guest can join the harvesting, pruning, planting or picking of abundant fruit, herbs, nuts, spices and vegetables. Its a heavenly place to stroll though and it is incredibly photogenic with its breathtaking beauty of historical buildings, vineyards, the garden and surrounding amphitheatre of mountains.
What we love about Babylonstoren
Babylonstoren is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and there are so many reasons why you should visit. From the stunning gardens and fruit orchards to the award-winning wine estate and restaurants, Babylonstoren has something for everyone. Plus, with its charming cottages and luxurious suites, it’s the perfect place to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you’re looking for a unique and unforgettable travel experience, then make sure to add Babylonstoren to your list. Scrap that, put it to the top of your list!
An internationally recognised interior architect and landscape designer, she has worked on numerous projects around the world. An eye for detail and love of all things art, architecture, travel and design have led to a nomadic lifestyle resulting in a greater focus on travel and lifestyle feature writing. She is a contributor for a range of international print publications. Living between Hong Kong, Cape Town, and London, traveling anywhere.
