KDA Travel Diary: Brookdale Manor House

This elegant retreat is located in South Africa, in the famous Cape Winelands, not far from the historic town of Paarl. The property is beautiful and very exclusive. The location is ideal for exploring in and around the winelands with Wellington (15-minute drive) and Franschhoek (25-minute drive) in close proximity.

Getting to Brookdale Manor House

Both Cape Town city centre and Cape Town International Airport are just under an hour from Brookdale Estate. During your transfer, your driver will take you to Hawequa Bos Pad where you will follow the signs along a 1.5 mile gravel road before getting to the property gate.

The estate comprises five manor suites in the main house and another separate suite on the side of the house, all offering an intimate and personalised luxury sanctuary. We highly recommend using the manor house as an exclusive-use accommodation for families or groups of friends.

All the rooms are upstairs on the first floor and the walls and doors are very thick, maintaining silence in the house for a very restful sleep. Just keep in mind that one of the rooms, the Vineyard room, is outside, a few meters away from the main house.

Activities and experiences

The highlight for me was meeting Yvonne Coetzee, the General Manager (GM), and Gary Coetzee, the Executive Chef. They are a couple that worked at Singita Sabi Sands for nine years – Yvonne was the GM for Singita Ebony and Gary was the Head Chef for both of the Singita lodges in Sabi Sands. Following that, the two became the private GM and Chef for the late Mr. Sol Kerzner.

Chef Gary is incredibly talented in the kitchen and offers up a truly unique experience for his guests. It was such a pleasure having him cook breakfast for us and I highly recommend asking him to cook you dinner on one of the nights you choose to stay. He is also able to prepare gourmet picnics from local produce and offers cooking classes which you can book during your stay.

The facilities which stood out were the expansive outdoor gardens and huge swimming pool with views over the vineyards. A few hectares of vineyards are separated to produce Chenin – the only varietal of grapes they grow on the farm. 

There is also a TV room, gym with 24-hour access and library in the main house, with plenty of room to work if the need arises.

Included in the room rate is wine tasting, tractor rides, self-guided trails and walks, baking classes for the children and you are welcome to join in the seasonal harvesting.

Overall feedback

If you are not in a rental car, it is recommended to book return transfers. I also recommend a transfer to enjoy a dinner on one of the nights in either Paarl, Wellington or Franschhoek. It would be a good idea to leave one day free to relax at the property and enjoy the swimming pool or take a stroll around the 67 hectares of working farm.

The property is perfect for families. The management couple has two daughters, so they really know how to keep the children entertained!

Overall, the house is gorgeous and the decor is modern and luxurious. The future plans are to open a large wine cellar and to build a restaurant.

I would like to thank Gary and Yvonne Coetzee for hosting us. You both are gems at the property!