Aloe Cottage, Darling

Aloe Cottage is a luxury self-catering holiday accommodation located in Darling, near Cape Town, South Africa. It is a pet-friendly establishment. The holiday home has been beautifully decorated with top-quality linen, furniture, and artwork, offering panoramic views over rolling hills, farmlands, and distant mountains, which are considered among the best views in Darling.

Aloe Cottage is an ideal romantic getaway for couples, as well as a suitable option for weekends away with friends or family holidays. It features three en-suite bedrooms, providing luxurious accommodation for up to six guests. Downstairs, there are two bedrooms (one with a queen-sized bed and the other with twin beds), both en-suite, along with an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area with a fireplace, leading to a large, sheltered verandah with a built-in braai. Stairs from the dining area lead to a spacious loft with an additional sitting area, a queen-sized bed, and a free-standing Victorian bath, as well as a separate toilet and basin. The loft also has a small balcony offering panoramic views, and guests can even stargaze from the bed.

The cottage is situated in an indigenous renosterveld estate with only nine other houses, designed for privacy and relaxation. While restaurants, shops, and galleries are just a three-minute drive away, guests may prefer to unwind by enjoying the peaceful country atmosphere and wonderful views over the neighboring farmlands. Beautiful walks and trails are nearby, and two mountain bikes are provided for exploring the quaint village of Darling.

Aloe Cottage is fully equipped with a dishwasher, fridge/freezer, gas stove, electric oven, microwave, and a chef's array of pots, pans, and appliances. It also includes a fireplace, heater, fans, books, games, a small fenced indigenous garden, and more amenities for relaxation. Additionally, there are two televisions, DVD players, a selection of DVD discs, and a CD player. Guests can either bring their own DStv satellite smartcard or use the one provided for a nominal fee.

Guests can enjoy their days unwinding on the sheltered verandah, listening to the local birds, having a braai (with wood provided), watching a show with Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout, observing the weaver birds build their nests right outside the window, curling up with a book in the hammock, or relaxing on the deep, comfortable couches in front of the fireplace with fine Darling wine. The adjacent fields of the Oude Post farm occasionally offer a glimpse of the beautiful long horns and speckled hides of the Nguni cattle.

Other activities in the area include wine tasting at nearby wine farms (Ormonde/Alexanderfontein, Cloof, Darling Cellars), the Darling Morning Market (1st Saturday of the month), excellent country restaurants, art galleries and local crafts, the Duckitt Orchid Nursery (1st Saturday of the month, May to November), Yzerfontein beach, spectacular wild flowers in spring, the Voorkamerfest arts festival in September, a 9-hole golf course, and Christmas in Winter at Evita se Perron (throughout July). Darling is perfectly situated to explore the rustic West Coast and Swartland, including wine farms, beaches, wildlife, birdwatching, and nature.