Five Reasons Why You Should Visit Babylonstoren

Five Reasons Why You Should Visit Babylonstoren

Journey into a garden oasis, which lies in the breathtaking Drakenstein valley between Franschoek & Paarl surrounded by mesmerizing, scenic mountains and abundant fruit trees & vineyards. Welcome to Babylonstoren! The story of Babylonstoren dates back to 1692, where the fertile lands brought settlers to start establishing farmlands, making this Cape Dutch farm one of the oldest in South Africa.

 

Come escape with us & we’ll show you a glimpse of this stunning place. And once COVID-19 is a thing of the past be sure to book a whole day to explore this sublime place or better yet book an overnight stay in one of their enticing cottages.

Since opening to the public back in 2010 it has become a favorite destination for locals as well as international guests. With a splendid hotel which was voted one of the best hotels in Africa by Condé Nast Traveler. And we know why! With magnificent surrounds & fine dining, to the rejuvenating spa, and so much more!

 

 

5 Reasons why you must visit Babylonstoren

1.  The Magnificent Garden – The beautiful, well established gardens are a maze of abundance, designed by renowned French garden designer, Patrice Taravella. Eight acres encompassing a vast & diverse edible garden & impressive botanical collection, all grown in traditional & organic ways. It’s a real treat to explore the grounds, around each little corner you will definitely find a charming surprise. You can even book a guided garden tour https://babylonstoren.com/visit-our-garden

 

 

 

2. Fine Dining – With not one, but an awe-inspiring three top notch farm-to-table restaurants, take your pick! Will it be at the Babel restaurant housed in the old cow shed, turned into an inspiring restaurant, “It’s a wonderful mix of Cape Dutch architecture and contemporary glass walls that makes for a simple yet edgy environment in which to try our tasty yet often unconventional combinations.”

Or maybe visit the Greenhouse, this steel & glass conservatory serves some fresh & delightful meals & is situated in the beautiful estate garden. The Bakery, during the day supplies the restaurants & the farm shop with freshly baked bread & by night transforms into a celebration of delight, serving wholesome, tasty food. Don’t forget you’re dining on a vineyard so you might want to order a glass of excellent Babylonstoren wine with your meal.

 

3.  Rejuvenating & Revitalizing Spa – “Like everything else at Babylonstoren, the Spa is inextricably linked to the garden and the ever changing seasons.” Spoil yourself with a day of pampering bliss, with an array of sublime treatments, complete with sauna’s, steam rooms and tropical showers, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

 

 

4. The Scent Room – Exhilarate your senses & spend the day foraging for flora and then bring your bounty back to The Scent room and get your aromatic apothecary on, and learn to make your own scrub or facemask. If getting your hands dirty is not for you, dont stress about the latter, but we still highly recommend you visit the barn as the mesmerizing aromas of fynbos & essential oils are so enticing.

 

 

 5. Luxurious farm accommodation at Babylonstoren – With so much to see & do it’s worth making a weekend of it to fully enjoy the whole experience. The gorgeous suites cater to any occasion, from a cozy romantic evening at a warm wood burning fire, to a family fun get away. The interiors are traditional yet sophisticated, keeping with the traditional Cape Dutch style, the white colour scheme is fresh, calming & wood tones add an inviting warmth. See more of this stunning place https://babylonstoren.com/hotel

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The beautiful Babylonstoren

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Gypsy Wagon Holiday!

Gypsy Wagon Holiday!

There’s a lovely little gem in the Southern part of the Netherlands that you need to know of. Situated in Haaren (Brabant, between Tilburg and Den Bosch is a beautiful spot where you can get in touch with nature and enjoy the tranquility together with your family. We are talking about a authentic “Pipowagen”, which this is called in Dutch but it’s actually a lovely little circus Gypsy caravan that has been fully renovated with tons of charm and magic, how cool right?!

So to get back to it all, the reason that we stumble upon this little bit of paradise in our “back yard” was due to the Covid-19 outbreak in March of 2020, basically travel between countries was impossible and we where so due to just get out there for a small break. So like most people we went on a hunt for the coolest spots in The Netherlands and we found this amazing Gypsy wagon “de Bosuil”.

So we went on and booked it for a few days and boy it was so worth it. I actually did’t tell my wife that we booked it so actually it was more like a “I booked it” and surprised her with it when we arrived, which was great because she loved to watch “Big fat gypsy wedding” on tv back in the days. So when she finally found it where we where staying she cried from laughter.

When you arrive there’s a gate on the left side of the scheurbroeksesteeg, the road is a bit tricky to find because it’s not clearly marked but with a couple of U-turns you’ll manage to locate it. You can park one or two cars on the premisses and if needed lock the gate behind you. Everything was done “contact free”, meaning that you just needed to call a lady called Marga (the owner) and she kindly instructed you what to do. She would give you a code for the a little key safe outside the main door, and you guessed it, there where keys in it for the door 😊.

Fully equipped wagon

The wagon has all the needed attributes for a fun stay, everything is small, quirky and being a large dude it was quite a unique stay. I must say however that the owners thought out everything. There’s a cool little lounge area at the front, then you would get a kitchen with dining area and at the back you would find a shower, toilet and the main bedroom. There where also tons of guides for exploring the area, not that it was needed at the time because all the restaurants where closed but just the thought was great. 😊 The wagon also had every tool available, so if you needed something specific, they had it.

Green green green!

The area is green, lush and situated in a beautiful forest. There are a few vacation homes around the premisses but the garden is quite big so you won’t see your neighbors. So sitting outside in full privacy is possible. The best thing actually is when you light that fire (you can find the fire pit under a metal latch) and start getting your first meal ready, it just brings you back to it all and we absolutely loved it.

Go for a bike ride!

If you want you could also rent two bikes if you wanted to explore the area a bit, Haaren is actually gorgeous …Brabant is actually beautiful in general because of all the authentic buildings and raw architecture. So taking a bike ride is a great way to explore the surroundings. You can discuss this before hand together with the owner and she will arrange that the keys are available for both bikes.

Furthermore, the shower is great…the wagon has a 50 liter boiler so if you like taking long showers you can. The water pressure is perfect too, which you wouldn’t really expect in a gypsy wagon. Also a nice thing to know is that you have to wash everything by hand, but ok…look where you are…it’s part of the experience 😎

Our only tip:

Our only tip for your stay: bring your own pillow with if you can. It’s a personal preference but I struggled a bit with the pillows that they offered.

Anyway guys, that was our mini-holiday tip for a amazing stay in Haaren, The Netherlands. You should really give this a go! We loved it!

You can book via Airbnb and Natuurhuisjes.nl, just look up “Natuurhuisje in Haaren” or “Pipowagen de bosuil”

And let us know how it went! ✌️

Cheers! Have fun 🌸

More information:

For more information about this awesome gypsy wagon called the “Bosuil”, you can visit there facebook page

and if you would like to book yourself, you can do this via Natuurhuisjes

Address:
Pipowagen “de Bosuil”
Scheurbroeksesteeg 21, 5076SM Haaren
The Netherlands

 

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A little DIY project

To bring a fresh look to your home, make a beautiful unique flower hoop wreath.  It’s such a versatile decor item which you can hang against any wall in any room

Lets Get Creative

Pretty Ribbon

Beautiful Flowers

Green Foliage

Make A Beautiful Unique Flower Hoop Wreath.

 

We created these for the wedding, but just think how lovely they’d look in your bedroom & depending on what foliage you use, you can make them to last, for endless joy. And an added bonus, dried flowers & leaves are all the home decor craze right now.

 

You will need:

 

  • Circle hoops, you can find them in sliver, gold or even wooden bamboo in a variety of sizes.
  • Greenery, our personal favorite is eucalyptus as it drys really well & we just love the colour. But there are many other options, go explore your garden or a local florist.
  • Flowers – a few great choices for drying, we recommend baby’s breath, hydrangeas & roses. Get adventurous and add dried pampas grass.
  • Ribbon – we added this for a bit of extra fun & texture. Combine hessian ribbons with a silk satin type. We chose natural, earthy tones, but you get creative on your choice of colours.
  • Other – Garden pruner or sharp scissors, & a stapler.
  • Florist tape & wire or otherwise you can use a home sewing thread preferably in a green colour similar to the leaves.

 

Directions to creating a flower hoop wreath:

 

  1. Get all the items on your list & lay them out on your work station.
  2. Start by laying your circular hoop down first in front of you.
  3. If you’d like to add ribbon we would recommend doing so before starting with the foliage, you can double up the ribbon & staple it around the hoop.
  4. Cut the greenery you’d like to use, use long stems so that they can wrap up the sides of the hoop. Fasten a piece of thread or florist tape to the hoop & wrap it around the leaves to secure the leaves to the hoop.
  5. Cut short stems on the flowers you would like to use, you should be able to slide the stems of the flowers in between the leaves, again you can run the thread around to secure. Get creative and see what looks good.
  6. Remember to have fun & enjoy to process.

 

Beautiful Home Decor

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A year ago to the day, my beautiful sister in law & brother said “I do” in the stunning location of Ugchelen, near the city of Apeldoorn.

Situated in the gorgeous green surroundings of the Veluwe, you will find the enchanting & charming little house of Huisje James.

Before the magical day of the wedding we were invited to Huisje James to decide on a menu for the day of the wedding, I was fortunate enough to tag along with Jo & Den as I had the honor of helping them put together their special day.

We parked our car at Van Der Valk Hotel,
 and walked along the gravel path past the hotel & magnificent veggie garden, by the sweet smelling lavender bushes we turned up the winding path & walked towards the avenue of sweeping trees, as you come around the corner you are greeted by a warm welcoming smell of a wood burning fire & the quaint cottage, which is called De Werkplaats/The Workshop. The old barn was used as a workshop, by the previous residents the James family, who used to restore vintage cars.

 

 

Exploring De Werkplaats & Huisje James

When we walked into De Werkplaats, there was someone was playing the grand piano, the sound echoed beautifully through the room and so began a lovely evening of fine dining.

 

The special day

The day of the wedding was truly amazing & the staff at Huisje James excelled.

 

There are many reasons as to why Jo & Den chose this beautiful venue, besides the enchanting exterior, the interiors are just as inviting, and each little corner has it’s own story to tell. The coziness is alluring & we just love the warm, rustic interiors of Huisje James.    

Stay the night at Van Der Valk – de Cantharel, the luxurious rooms are modern & fresh, & the hotel has a unique, super stylish feel. This will give you an extra opportunity to explore more of this exquisite place.

 

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