Somerset Gift Getaway Farm



About
This breathtakingly beautiful farm is situated just outside the historical town of Swellendam (the third oldest town in South Africa) in a lush green valley bordering the foothills of the majestic Langeberg Mountain.
The setting is simply idyllic, with stunning views of the mountain, green pastures where cattle and horses graze, a serene spring-fed lake, and the lovely Buffeljags River which runs the length of the farm.
The farm has ownership rights to a few thousand hectares of pristine mountain ground with trails through indigenous forest and fynbos to magical mountain valleys, waterfalls and rock pools.
This truly is a paradise for all.
Media reviews:
"I think it is one of the most idyllic places I have yet discovered... it is a piece of paradise right in our back yard." (CEO Cape Town Tourism, Nov 2007)
"Perfect where the road ends........ owner Dion Wright has ticked all the right boxes when it comes to creating my perfect country escape....." (Sunday Times review of Somerset Gift Getaway farm by Richard Holmes, 3 February 2013)
Somerset Gift Getaway farm has four charming self-catering accommodation options, Fish Eagle lodge, Rose cottage, Loerie cottage and Olive cottage. The cottages are tastefully appointed with Cape cottage furniture, set about 50m apart and staggered for privacy so individually private yet close enough to be convenient for group bookings.
The accommodation is extremely spacious and designed to take advantage of the magnificent settings with large outside undercover furnished living areas for all weather comfort. All the cottages have manicured gardens with large open grassy areas for the kids to play.
The 'Bushbuck pub' is set on the water where guests can socialise, watch a game of rugby or cricket while keeping an eye on the kids swimming, fishing, canoeing and having fun on the zip line. The 'Bushbuck' can seat 24 at mealtimes so it is a great place for large groups to get together on the farm. Please note; I do not sell alcohol.
Somerset Gift can accommodate a maximum of 25 guests.... however for a group booking of adults/couples that do not want to sleep more than 2 per room, the numbers will be limited to 18.
Fish Eagle lodge
This stunning luxury lodge sleeps 8 or 9 in three large bedrooms all en-suite. Two of the bathrooms have showers and one has a bath. It is ideally suited to sleep two families consisting of 4 adults and 4 kids. One of the bedrooms has four single beds in it, however the beds can be moved around to suite the client. Other options would be three couples or three young families with a small child per family sleeping in their parent's room.
The large lounge and dining room flow onto a huge House and Leisure like undercover furnished patio with a fireplace. The lodge is elevated giving it unsurpassed views of the valley, over water and green pastures finally resting on the majestic softness of the Langeberg mountain. Relax in comfy chairs and watch your kids frolicking in the water below. There is seating for 16 at mealtimes for those occasions when friends and family have booked other cottages on the farm and are joining you for a gathering..... however there is also a little 'pub' on the water for entertaining larger groups or just getting together to braai and watch a rugga game.
The lodge is lovingly furnished with genuine Cape Cottage antiques creating an authentic and relaxed farmhouse atmosphere. The kitchen is fully equipped, there is a large indoor fireplace and outdoor undercover braai. All linen and bath towels are supplied as well as kitchen and bathroom consumables, firewood, blitz, braai grid and tongs. Guests need to bring their own swimming towels. For peace and tranquillity, this really is the ultimate place to unwind with family and friends.
Location
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Lots to do with kids and many stoep views for the parents who want to relax. Unfortunately we didn't get to experience the waterfall hike as the river came up quite high after the rain so it was too difficult to cross. We went along the hilltop walk which was lovely.
The zip line is a huge plus if you have brave kids!! There are canoe's available for your free usage.
Beds are comfy, bathroom amenities are tastefully done, cottage was warm (we stayed in Olive) and the hot tub was glorious. There is an undercover outdoor braai and an inside fireplace.
This is an all season spot to visit.
The drinking water is from the mountain so they provide normal bottled drinking water at no extra cost for those who prefer.
I think the next time we visit we will get a group together and stay in one of the larger houses which look incredible!
Thank you Marlien for an unforgettable stay and thank you Tanya for taking good care of us.
Ps if you are a keen bird watcher, you'll love this spot. My favourite bird find for our stay was the brown-hooded kingfisher! Such a treat! They were very busy outside the front of our cottage!



The farm is picture perfect which made for amazing wedding photographs and videos, the Manor House and other cottages (we rented Manor House, Rose Cottage and Olive Cottage) are large enough, clean and comfortable with everything we needed which ensured we were able to have a 4 day wedding venue where everyone, including family and friends from as far as Namibia and Gauteng felt comfortable, relaxed and in close enough proximity to share meals and make memories.
Both Tanya and Marlien are exceptionally accommodating and supportive and Marlien shared a list of vendors previously used to give us a starting point. Tanya, in true Tanya-form checked in daily and supported in her usual problem-solving attitude for anything we needed (with an added hug to moms feeling the moment of their babies getting hitched as well as the dogs, as and when needed - money can't buy the 'heart' that goes into everything she does - the truest Gift of Somerset Farm).
Whether you're considering Somerset for a quick getaway, long-stay, mid-week break or special event, the Farm delivers every time. We've been here in all seasons for various reasons and the only regret we feel every single time, is not being able to stay 'just a little longer'.



The setting is ideal for nature lovers ejoying the outdoors.
The gravel road was well maintained inspite of the recent heavy rains.
Recommended by a friend, we booked the Little Bushbuck Cottage, the only couples cottage on the farm, hoping for a quiet getaway after months of Covid stress. On arrival at 5pm it was difficult for us to reach the cottage because two families with young children were having a picnic right next to the cottage and parked their car there. We have two daughters and love kids but these families were very loud kayaking, running in front of “our” cottage to get to the zipline. This lasted till about 7pm and finally we enjoyed some peace and quiet. The next morning around 07:30am the kids and parents were back, next to our cottage playing with the canoes in the river directly in front of our cottage. We left for the day so they could have some fun. When we arrived back at the farm around 4pm the space in front and next to "our" Little Bushbuck Cottage was again occupied by the same families. They must have realised it was not fair towards us and left within one hour. We were relieved but only for a short time. Another family with young children came to set up camp close to the zipline and the canoes. In addition a family staying in Loerie Cottage came out to play with the zipline and canoes. At one stage around 8pm the children were shouting so loud that we could not have a decent conversation and we asked them if they could respect us a bit more.
We were meant to stay 3 days but we left a day early to find a more quiet place. This is not a paradise for all as mentioned on the website. We would recommend that bookings for Little Bushbuck Cottage are managed according to occupancy of other cottages and maybe inform prospective guests that most of the children's activities is next to and in front of this cottage. Alternatively, maybe convert Little Bushbuck Cottage to a family unit and make other more remote cottages suitable for couples who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Last but not least, please note that Little Bushbuck Cottage is basically one step up from camping, personally I think the price per night is a bit too much for that!
We wrote Marlien (the manager of the farm) an email with suggestions and requesting a refund for the last night but she never replied.



We stayed in Olive cottage - while it has all the basic amenities you need, it is more rustic than I was expecting. The space is quite small and dark, and we found the beds in both rooms to be very uncomfortable. All linen and towels are also very worn and in need of an update.
Overall we had a fantastic stay, and the views and farm charm outweigh the underwhelming accommodation.

We stayed in the Loerie Cottage which has an amazing view of the lake. The cottage was clean, cozy and had all we required. Kids got to run around freely, enjoy the park area and check out some farm animals. Their highlight was canoeing for the first time and relaxing in the hot tub. We were abit sceptical of the zip line and rather didn't attempt due to safety concerns. We also did the mini hike and got to enjoy the beautiful view but would also like to recommend that it has signs or arrows to direct visitors. All in all we had a lovely weekend away and would definitely recommend this peaceful getaway.



I would make one suggestion: the information in the welcome guide at the venue talks about horse riding opportunities and provide contact details for booking a ride. There are horses grazing in front of the farm house, so we naturally thought the riding will take place at the venue. When we booked, it turned out the riding is about 18km from Somerset Gift on another farm. We did not want to leave the beautiful venue to drive somewhere else, since we had only 3 days, and therefore cancelled the booking. I suggest just make it clear in the guide that the riding is at a totally different farm.

The perfect getaway for the whole family and just a short drive from Cape Town. Children of all ages will enjoy the beautiful setting on the Buffuljags River, surrounded by mountains with trails to waterfalls / natural pools and fairy forests.
We stayed in Loerie this time, like the other cottages we've stayed in before, it was fully equipped, fresh and tasteful (recently painted, with clean towels and crisp white bedding).
We spent most of our time on the covered front stoep - watching the kids playing in the park or the rolling lawns in front of our unit. Loerie also overlooks the bigger of the dams - offering kayaking, fishing (catch and release), swimming or ziplining.
If you are looking for perfect sunsets, star gazing, detoxing from your devices and reconnecting with yourself in nature, look no further.
Owner Marlien Wright and lovely manager Tanya will make your stay unforgettable .
"We went in September, so not too hot and I can imagine super hot in summerThe hike to the waterfall is not for the beginner and small children. "Read full review
"Definitely enquired about the road before your visit , we did but we didn't expect it to be so wet and muddy as we almost got stuck and we drive a SUV. "Read full review
"There is no reception, nor was anyone waiting for us when we arrived. When we checked our cottage, we found all the info we needed. "Read full review
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