Explorers Club

Rooms

You would expect an explorer to furnish his house with items from his travels, but Jo Sinfield’s adventurous take on design goes a step further. We really liked the décor of the cottages: the safari khakis mix with creams and bright reds, the bright kikoys zing, and coffee sacks are recycled as unusual lampshades. It’s quirky and unusual and really works.

All have comfortable sleeping quarters and huge living-kitchen-dining rooms that maximise the views of the mountains and vineyards. Set in the heart of Franschhoek Village, all are an easy 5-minute walk to the main street where you'll find some of South Africa's best restaurants.

Explorer's Club (sleeps up to 10). All ages welcome
The largest property, Explorer’s Club has an understated bush camp style. It has a vast open-plan kitchen-living space with large sink-in sofas and a wall of folding doors on to the sun deck, garden and a solar-heated lap pool. It feels more like staying at a friend’s house than a hotel, and this is reflected in the price.

Three of the four bedrooms are on the ground-floor. The master bedroom has a terrace, walk-through dressing room and ensuite with slipper bathtub and shower. The second double bedroom has a shower room. The third bedroom comes with bunk beds for 3 children and an ensuite. Up some narrow stairs, in the attic, the fourth room has a freestanding bathtub with glorious views.

The Library (sleeps up to 6). For over 12s only)
Next to Explorer’s Club, The Library has a polished, boutique style.
The wonderful first-floor open-plan living space has a double-height ceiling and is accessed via a spiral staircase. The 3 double bedrooms are spread between the ground floor and a separate pavilion beside the private pool.

Tugela (sleeps 6)
Round the corner from the Explorers club, Tugela is a family holiday home now fully interior designed to make the very best of indoor-outdoor living. With rooms blending exotic wildlife prints, colourful furnishings, textured wallpaper beneath open beam ceilings, it creates very grown-up homely feel. It all opens out onto a beautiful garden, swimming pool and pool house with views to mountains above Franshhoek. 3 double ensuite bedrooms and extremely well equipped kitchen makes for some comfortable living.

Tockies Cottage (sleeps 2-4). All ages welcome
We’re yet to visit this chic 2-bedroom cottage, but the classic styling and airy living spaces look very welcoming indeed. There’s a double, a twin, a large open-plan kitchen and living space, plus a walled garden with pool - a true home-from-home.

The Cockpit (sleeps 2)
We've also not seen this cosy 1-bedroom cottage, which comes with a cute courtyard garden with a pergola and a private plunge pool.

Features include:

• Microwave
• WiFi

Eating

Food in South Africa's historic gourmet capital isn't just world class, it's fantastic value too, but if you want to eat in, all of the properties have fully equipped kitchens for self-catering and entertaining.

The dining tables in all of the houses seat 10, so you can invite friends over. All the basics are provided (olive oil, vinegar, coffee, tea and milk), there are a couple of supermarkets in town and groceries and braai packs can be ordered in advance. Catering can also be arranged. We'd heartily recommend Franschhoek's small Saturday morning farmer's market where Jo runs an excellent coffee stall, but serious foodies should make a beeline for the Stellenbosch Fresh Foods Market (Saturdays 9am - 2pm) with its freshly-made salads, bread, cakes, artisan cheeses and organic meat, fruit and vegetables.

When it comes to eating out, you're spoilt for choice. Just some of our many lunch recommendations are picnics at Holdenmanz Wine Estate (expect a hamper full of tempting kilner jars, charcuterie, cheeses, salad, paté, smoked salmon, freshly baked bread, and a chilled bottle of rosé); La Petite Ferme where you can lunch with stunning views of the valley; Môreson's Bread and Wine vineyard restaurant, where the chef specialises in antipasti and charcuterie; Babylonstoren's chic organic restaurant; Ruste En Vrede for fine winetasting followed by the best steak lunch alfresco; Tokara's DeliCATessen where the simple fresh menu, great views and kids play area make it a good choice for families.

For dinner, Protégé serves delectable and imaginative sharing plates and Chef's Warehouse offers serious fine dining at one of the world's best restaurants.

Features include:

• Children's meals
• Microwave
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Browse the boutiques and galleries along Franschhoek's charming main street
  
• Taste some of South Africa's finest wines. You're a hop away from dozens of top wineries and Stellenbosch is within half an hour. Don’t miss Stony Brook, Graham Beck and Boekenhoutskloof; we also like the Boschendal and Plaisir de Merle estates and the wineries mentioned in eating
  
• Head out for lunch or dinner safe in the knowledge that you'll eat fabulous food for half of what it would cost back home (see eating for our recommendations)
  
• Hire a bike (there's a shop in the village) and head for the hills: the cycling round Franschhoek can be as strenuous as you choose to make it. There are many cycle routes nearby and hybrid, mountain and kids' bikes (as well as baby carriers) can be hired locally. It’s also a great way to see the vineyards
  
• Listen to your inner chocaholic and visit Huguenot Chocolate factory for half hour-long tasting, demonstration and history sessions
  
• Saddle up a horse at Paradise Stables and ride through the local vineyards
  
• Go trout fishing in the dams and rivers in the Franschhoek Valley or swim or fish in the Berg river that flows through the valley
  
• Play tennis just up the road on the municipal courts
  
• Shoot a round of golf at the Paarl Valley, Boschenmeer or Stellenbosch courses. There are 7 golf courses within an hour’s drive of Franschhoek
  
• See the Franschhoek Valley from the air with a thrilling paragliding flight or in a hot-air balloon
  
• Head into Cape Town for the day: it takes less than an hour to reach it from Franschhoek
  
• Sightseeing in historic Stellenbosch, with its Cape Dutch architecture, wonderful museum and vineyards
  
• Explore nearby Paarl, with its panoramic hilltop monument and its riverside arboretum
  
• The Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve on top of the Franschhoek pass is very popular for hikers and has a staggering third of the world’s species of plants.

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Shopping / markets
• Wine tasting

Kids

Although restrictions apply to some houses, overall Explorers Club is a great place for kids. Jo can arrange babysitting and provide plenty of information on request for family-friendly activities around Franschhoek; we found that the winery trips worked fine with our 4-year-old daughter in tow.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Explorer's Club, Cook's Cottage, Tugela and Tockie's Cottage are best for families, as they welcome kids of all ages. Explorer's Club has a bunk bedded room for 3 kids. Cook's Cottage has a bunk room for 2, Tockies has 2 ensuite bedrooms (1 double and 1 twin) and Tugela has 3 ensuite bedrooms (2 doubles and 1 twin).
The Library only accepts children over 12 and its accommodation is split between the main house and a pool house/annex, which could work well for teens.

Cots Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes
• Hospital: 20 minutes
• Doctor: 5 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

It takes about an hour to get from Cape Town to Explorers Club, which is in the culinary capital of South Africa - Franschhoek - in the Cape Winelands.

By Air
Fly into Cape Town International (70km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
It's a 45-minute drive from the airport. Airport transfers can be arranged (from R500 one way)

By Car
Most guests will self-drive to get here; see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to South Africa and getting around.