Fodor's Expert Review Klippe Rivier Country House

Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.

Amid rolling farmland 3 km (2 mi) outside Swellendam, this guesthouse occupies one of the Overberg's most gracious and historic country homes. It was built around 1825 in traditional Cape style, with thick white walls, a thatch roof, and a distinctive gable. Guests stay in enormous rooms in the converted stables. The three downstairs rooms are furnished with antiques in Cape Dutch, colonial, and Victorian styles. Upstairs, raw-wood beams, cane ceilings, and bold prints set the tone for less expensive Provençal-style rooms with small balconies. Some public rooms have trouble supporting the sheer volume of antique collectibles, which gives them a museumlike quality. The delectable three-course dinners are table d'hôte and prepared with fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit, and cream from surrounding farms.