The year 2016 has been a crazy ride filled with work, work work! Nothing wrong with that but I was beginning to feel restless. Dan had also been away a lot for work - touring his one man show called Pay Back The Curry. I felt a bit disconnected from nature, the beautiful world and the man in my life.
So what did I do? I took control. I noticed the imbalance in my life and decided to fix it. I started researching and asking around about places to visit in Cape Town. After a couple days on this task I finally stumbled on Slanghoek Mountain Resort. Within a few seconds I felt my heart skip a bit. Okay not literally but it was a truly captivating sight. I fell in love with the little three cabins along an isolated dam. Nothing looked better in comparison to this beauty. And then I looked at the price. A little pricey but well worth it I thought.
Now onto step 2. Convincing the boyfriend that some time away was good.
That Friday evening Dan and I had a romantic dinner at home with candles and some wine. After the evening had taken it's effect on us I decided to show him what I found - a clever move on my part I think. He instantly fell in love with the place just like I did and I was surprised that he actually didn't need much convincing. I think he felt that he also needed some time away from the hustle and bustle of this beautiful - yet sometimes crazy - city of ours. That next Monday Dan had surprised me. He had booked 2 nights away at this resort for our 2 year anniversary gift - which was a month and a half away. WE COULD NOT WAIT!
Fast forward to a month and a half later and there we were, in the Jeep (Dan's parents car of course) and on our way to Slanghoek. About 1 hour later we arrived, collected our keys and made our way to the isolated cabins. It took about 15mins to get there as we had to drive through the wine estate. As we came around the last bend, we both stopped and stared at the majestic beauty in front of us. It was about noon, hot and humid but that did not bother us. We quite possibly had never seen something more beautiful and we could not believe that it was sitting right outside of Cape Town this entire time. Hidden gems I tell you!
We parked the car outside of our cabin - known as Kliphout, which was the last one on the bend - got out the car, left our bags behind and ran up the steps to view what we had gotten ourselves for the weekend. My oh my, they sure did deliver! This cabin could actually sleep 6 people - although it is also perfect for a couple like us who just wanted to be alone. We brought our stuff in, got comfy and just looked out to what lay ahead - nothing. There was nothing else for us to do or think about. There were no sound of cars or people, there were no cell phones going off (we made a pact to turn ours off for the entire weekend), there was no nothing and it was sensational.
That Friday Dan and I felt something we hadn't felt in a few weeks - 100% connected. Not saying that we don't usually but it is so easy to get your head wrapped around less important or important things. Work fills your mind up, you get grumpy over little things, you go away for work, you get preoccupied with life in general! And that's okay, it happens. What I love about us is that we notice when that happens and we actively change it. We make sure not to take each other for granted and this weekend away allowed us to spoil each other.
The beauty about this place is that you literally don't have to do anything if that's what you would like to do. For the first hour it was a bit difficult for me to completely relax. I felt like I needed to do something - anything! So I fought all urges and took out my huge book. (Side note* I got this book a few months prior and it had sat on my bedside table, untouched the entire time because I was 'too busy' to read. This weekend, I read the entire thing from start to finish. It is that kind of time that we take for granted.)
This weekend was spent reading, which Dan and I did together, taking photos of each other and building memories - I finally got to teach Dan how to use my camera. We cooked for each other - well actually Dan cooked and I watched, it was my time off after all ;). We slept in. We talked for hours, and then didn't talk at all. We held each other and had afternoon naps. We walked around and listened to the wind gently rocking the water. We made tea, curled up under blankets and watched the sunsets. We braaied in the evenings, and played board games at night -which we found around the cabin (how cute) - and can I just mention how I whipped Dan's bum at snakes and ladders haha! That Saturday morning we decided to embark on the 6 hour hiking trail. We had been looking forward to this one as it lead up to a waterfall! Surrounded by nature, and not a single person in sight - bliss! BUT 2 hours in, just before we started to hike into the forest section, we heard some strange noises. At first we thought it was people talking in the distance, but as soon as we came round the bend, we stopped instantly in our tracks! We saw 8 huge baboons, waiting for us in the trees, about a few hundred meters away from us. They started to yell warning noises at us (at least that's what I thought), and I started to back away rather quickly. Mean while Dan was entranced and enjoyed watching them. I had to pull him away as I had heard some stories about unpredictable baboons, especially worse when you have food on you (which we did). So our hike was cut short, but nevertheless, we will get back to that hike one day!
Our weekend away flew by us! I wanted to freeze time so that we could have stayed there forever. This place served us on all fronts. It had everything we needed.
Braai facilities? Check.
Comfy bed? Check.
Majestic scenery? Check.
Pot and kettle for tea? Check.
Added bonus: amazing shower, hot water, spacious deck with chairs and cushions, bottle of red wine upon arriving. The overall look and appearance of the cabin was impeccable, and there was nothing else that we could have asked for.
My favourite moment
One of the best parts about a weekend away like this one is that you aren't rushed for anything. You aren't rushed to go anywhere, or cook or do anything that you don't particularly want to do. You are living on your own time and it was a great feeling to experience again. On the Saturday afternoon, the weather changed and it was slightly overcast, nippy and cold. We did't care though! We pulled two chairs together, lay a big blanket on top of us both, had our hot tea handy, a packet of Woolies veggies crisps open, and we both sat there in awe of the moment. Dan and I didn't have to say anything. We looked at each other, smiled and kissed and began reading our books in silence. It was a truly beautiful moment.
Rating: 10/10
Now I know this is my first review on this site and it probably doesn't look good to start with a rating as high as this but it would't do this place justice if I gave them any lower. It was the best weekend away and I recommend it 100%.
Slanghoek Mountain Resort - we will see you again soon!
xxx
Photographs: ©Stephanie Papini
