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GROOTBOS NATURE RESERVE
All I can say about the Grootbos Nature Reserve is ... wow! It's a 25-unit, all-inclusive resort (meals and activities, not drinks) on a 1,600-hectare (3,952-acre) piece of property. There are two separate “camps”. One is family-friendly with nine privately situated cottages at the original Garden Lodge, while the adult-only crowd can enjoy the 16 brand spankin' new cabins of the Forest Lodge. They are about half a mile apart along a dirt road.

FOREST LODGE
My first impression of the Forest Lodge was that it has a similar feel to Longitude 131 in the Australian outback, except with an incredible ocean view. I have stayed at some spectacular lodgings before and this one ranks up there with the best. Not only is the Forest Lodge new but it sits on the hillside in the middle of a 1,000-year-old Milkwood forest. Guests follow a winding brick, flora-covered path to get to their suites and everything is very secluded but for the balconies. No wonder Brad Pitt and other celebrities have stayed here.

SUITES
Unlike the lodge in Australia's Daintree Rainforest, it's not scary walking to your room at night because the path is well lit. And coming back to your room after dinner is a treat because the night maids light a fire and burn floating candles next to the tub. It doesn't get much more romantic ... too bad I was all by myself. The villas all have three rooms: A living room with a fireplace, a bedroom with a king-size, mosquito net-covered bed and a giant bathroom with a walk-in shower and a bathtub pressed up against the picture glass window. Even though Walker Bay is a good mile or two away, I could still see the splashes from breaching whales while I was soaking in my tub! Totally unreal.

GROOTBOS ACTIVITIES
Don't let the bed's mosquito nets frighten you. I think it's just for decoration as there was no sign of bugs in my room. I hear there are baboons in the area but I didn't see any. Instead, I woke up in the morning to birds chirping. I lay there, contemplating what I should do for the day: a whale watching tour (one is by boat, the other by plane), a fynbos (natural shrub land) drive with the resident botanist and/or an hour horseback ride. I chose the latter two and they were both worthwhile. But the place is so cozy I would have been perfectly happy to just lounge in my room and fill my Buddha belly with Grootbos' incredible food.

GROOTBOS FOOD
Speaking of food, meals are served in the main building. For dinner, I couldn't decide on two dishes so the waitress suggested I have both ... half gnocchi and half butternut ravioli. Yum! The same went for dessert. I highly recommend the white chocolate brownie with a side of chocolate and coconut mousse and a scoop of coconut sorbet. Don't even get me started on their divine breakfast buffet - I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Rates begin at $300USD per person. Grootbos Nature Reserve; tel.: 028/384-8000.

GREEN FUTURES
If I had to find something to complain about it would be that the room lights are difficult to find and the drains in both the sink and tub were hard to figure out. There was also no Internet access in the rooms and the free computers in the main building offered patchy service at best. One of Grootbos' best attributes (besides the fact that they are eco-friendly) is that they created the Green Futures school. This is where 12 dedicated underprivileged locals (who meet the criteria: 18-35, education til 9th grade or higher, hasn't had a job in a while) get to work in their school, which teaches them about planting and the importance of the environment. The class lasts from July to July and the top three students get sent to the U.K. to spend three weeks working at the Eden Project. For more, visit the Green Futures website.



FRANSCHHOEK (WINE COUNTRY)
An hour and 45 minute drive from Grootbos is the touristy town of Franschhoek, one of South Africa's oldest towns. It's in the heart of South Africa's wine country and the trip over the mountains alone is worth the drive. The views are outrageous. Franschhoek was settled in 1688 by French Huguenot refugees and the Dutch name Franschhoek means “French Corner”. Today, there are 13,000 residents and it has eight of South Africa's best restaurants and 29 wine cellars. There are a lot of shops though none particularly interested me with the exception of the grocery store (I stocked up on South African candy for souvenirs). Franschhoek has a similar feel to the towns in and around the Blue Mountains of Australia. Sorry for all the Australia references but I can't help it – they are similar in many ways.

GRANDE PROVENCE ESTATE
I had lunch at Grande Provence at a popular, expensive, snooty restaurant. The herb- crusted Karoo lamb with soft polenta and ratatouille topped with black olive lamb jus (how's that for a mouthful?) was not as tasty as the locals boasted and the service could definitely use some work. But still, the Grande Provence estate is worth visiting and like all the other wineries, they offer wine tastings. If you can afford it, book a room at the Owner's Cottage. It's ridiculously nice and its sister property is the world famous Huka Lodge in New Zealand. Grande Provence Estate, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa; Tel: +27 (0)21 876 8600, Email: enquiries@grandeprovence.co.za.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH
The first South African wine was created in 1659. If you want to go off the beaten path to try a new vineyard, I suggest you visit Dieu Donné. It's up a rocky dirt road but the view from their home/cellar of the Simonsberg Mountains is worth the trip. Dieu Donné Vineyards, Franschhoek; Tel: +27 21 876 2493, info@dieudonnevineyards.com.



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