Avondrood Guest House is a beautiful Cape-Dutch home, 5 minutes’ walk from the centre of Franschhoek. After a day out in the winelands, this is a lovely place to relax: settle in on a poolside sun lounger in the garden, pour yourself a drink at the honesty bar and catch up with the other guests. Or ask Justin, your host, for restaurant recommendations. He’ll happily make any bookings too.

The main building at Avondrood dates back to 1870, and still has the original high wooden ceilings and a huge fireplace where guests gather for nightcaps. There are just 8 suites, each individually decorated but all of the same high standard with extra length king-size beds, complimentary WiFi and iPod dock systems. The larger suites also have a sunny terrace or private garden.

Avonrood Guest House is known for its breakfasts. Everything is excellent quality from the freshly baked croissants and artisanal breads to the eggs made to order. Another real selling point is the peaceful setting: the gardens have a large saltwater swimming pool, secluded Jacuzzi and view over the treetops to jagged mountain peaks which turn red at sunset (“Avondrood” means “sunset red”).

Franschhoek lies about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, and is the prettiest of the Cape Winelands towns. The hop-on, hop-off tram is a fun way to visit the surrounding wineries. Do yourself a favour and book at least two nights here, so there’s plenty of time to explore the area, as well as enjoy the South African hospitality and wonderful setting of Avondrood.

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