Nearby Game Farm
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Hoogekraal Country House
is the oldest of the pioneer houses in the Southern Cape, some of the
buildings dating from the early 18th century, stemming from the times
when it was at the outer limits of the settlements in the 1720's. The
old road to George passed by the houses at Hoogekraal.
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| Hoogekraal is ideally located for touring the entire Garden Route and Klein Karoo. Its position affords panoramic views of the bay and the mountains. Fly in to George Airport on scheduled jet or propjet flights from any of the main cities of South Africa. Cars are available at George Airport from Large Car Hire firms. Hoogekraal is only 7 minutes away. |
| Only 1km off the N2
highway and 3 minutes to the beach, it is close to the airport, near
fine golf courses, a Game Ranch, Mossel Bay (15th Century,
Mariner's stop-over), and George with its famous Steam Train.
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is within an hour or so of Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and the Oudtshoorn
Cango Caves and Cheetah farm. The famed Zwartberg mountain range in
the Little Karoo and its dramatic drives and passes and quaint
villages, are easy day-touring from Hoogekraal.
Hoogekraal is
unique among country houses of this status.
Guests are accommodated only
in original 18th and 19th century houses, set in old family gardens.
Additionally, the reception rooms display some of the rare private
collections of antiques and paintings in the country. |
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Three historic double/twin rooms en-suite,
tastefully furnished with Cape antiques and heirlooms, are located in
the original 1760 house. This building is one of the oldest in the
Southern Cape.
In addition, two full suites are accommodated in the 1820 house. Each has a separate sitting room, one with a third bed. One has two bathrooms & private patio and garden entry and the other one bathroom. Each has a small kitchenette for self-catering. A further full suite for a family also has a second bedroom in the attic, suitable for teenagers and is accessed by an original yellowwood staircase. |
| Hoogekraal is
one of the few historic estates in South Africa still owned by the
same original family, and as a result, centuries of fascinating
history and anecdotes have been handed down. Not only were there
notabilities connected with Hoogekraal in earlier times, but since the
current owners purchased control in 1979, many important local and
international personalities have also visited the old home.
Old vrouw Botha, from whom one of the
present owners is descended, offered accommodation to passing
travelers as far back as in the 1840's. It is documented in the
records of the Catholic church in George, that the Priest stayed over
at Hoogekraal on his way home by horse from Mossel Bay in 1845. |
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