The Retreat is situated in the quiet village of Aurora, 35 km inland on the West Coast, nestled below the Piketberg mountains. The Retreat is one of Aurora's old homesteads, built in 1928; it has thick walls, wooden floors and high wooden ceilings. The property has beautiful trees and a developing garden, and there are several areas within and around the home and garden for sitting and relaxing.
The house comprises 4 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 8 guests. There are 2 bedrooms with a double bed in each, 1 bedroom with a king-size bed, and 1 bedroom with 2 single beds. These bedrooms have mosquito nets. There is 1 bathroom with a shower and toilet, and one separate toilet. Please take note of this when booking for several guests as facilities are limited.
The kitchen is the hub of the house, and features a long wooden table for meals. The kitchen is equipped with a gas hob, an electric oven, a large fridge, an under-counter deep freeze, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. The kitchen opens to an area with 2 large wing-back armchairs in front of an open fireplace. This area leads to the lounge, with double doors to a long, wide verandah. This is a lovely cool spot on a hot summer morning.
In winter, there is an open fireplace to sit around in the living area. In summer, relax on the verandah listening to the birds, cool off in the swimming pool, or read a book or snooze in the hammock slung between the trees. Sundowners on the verandah while watching the sunset is the ideal way to spend the evening. The pool is not fenced off, but it does have a safety cover; children need to be supervised at all times.
Please be aware that Aurora is a small, quiet village; this is to be respected, and guests may not play loud music or party.
Please note we have security cameras, one outdoors and one indoors. These are deactivated remotely on the day of guests' arrival, and reactivated in the afternoon of their departure. Cameras must not be tampered with in any way as they are vital for the security of the property whilst it is vacant, and we cannot risk them being disrupted.
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The Retreat
The Retreat
The Retreat
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The house comprises 4 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 8 guests. There are 2 bedrooms with a double bed in each, 1 bedroom with a king-size bed, and 1 bedroom with 2 single beds. These bedrooms have mosquito nets. There is 1 bathroom with a shower and toilet, and one separate toilet. Please take note of this when booking for several guests as facilities are limited.
The kitchen is the hub of the house, and features a long wooden table for meals. The kitchen is equipped with a gas hob, an electric oven, a large fridge, an under-counter deep freeze, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. The kitchen opens to an area with 2 large wing-back armchairs in front of an open fireplace. This area leads to the lounge, with double doors to a long, wide verandah. This is a lovely cool spot on a hot summer morning.
In winter, there is an open fireplace to sit around in the living area. In summer, relax on the verandah listening to the birds, cool off in the swimming pool, or read a book or snooze in the hammock slung between the trees. Sundowners on the verandah while watching the sunset is the ideal way to spend the evening. The pool is not fenced off, but it does have a safety cover; children need to be supervised at all times.
Please be aware that Aurora is a small, quiet village; this is to be respected, and guests may not play loud music or party.
Please note we have security cameras, one outdoors and one indoors. These are deactivated remotely on the day of guests' arrival, and reactivated in the afternoon of their departure. Cameras must not be tampered with in any way as they are vital for the security of the property whilst it is vacant, and we cannot risk them being disrupted.
The house comprises 4 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 8 guests. There are 2 bedrooms with a double bed in each, 1 bedroom with a king-size bed, and 1 bedroom with 2 single beds. These bedrooms have mosquito nets. There is 1 bathroom with a shower and toilet, and one separate toilet. Please take note of this when booking for several guests as facilities are limited.
The kitchen is the hub of the house, and features a long wooden table for meals. The kitchen is equipped with a gas hob, an electric oven, a large fridge, an under-counter deep freeze, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. The kitchen opens to an area with 2 large wing-back armchairs in front of an open fireplace. This area leads to the lounge, with double doors to a long, wide verandah. This is a lovely cool spot on a hot summer morning.
In winter, there is an open fireplace to sit around in the living area. In summer, relax on the verandah listening to the birds, cool off in the swimming pool, or read a book or snooze in the hammock slung between the trees. Sundowners on the verandah while watching the sunset is the ideal way to spend the evening. The pool is not fenced off, but it does have a safety cover; children need to be supervised at all times.
Please be aware that Aurora is a small, quiet village; this is to be respected, and guests may not play loud music or party.
Please note we have security cameras, one outdoors and one indoors. These are deactivated remotely on the day of guests' arrival, and reactivated in the afternoon of their departure. Cameras must not be tampered with in any way as they are vital for the security of the property whilst it is vacant, and we cannot risk them being disrupted.
Features
Reviews (16)
16 guests' feedbackWhat a winner of a place to stay! Lovely, large, peaceful, beautifully furnished, old world feel, but with everything you need. Lovely beds. We had a great time on the huge porch. Wish we could stay another day.
Very quiet village and relaxing stay.
We loved the house! Farm style cottage in a small town. Nice fireplace inside and the beds and bedding were super comfortable. Usually, it takes a night to get used to the bed, but we slept so well the first night.
We had a very nice stay at the Retreat. It is a very nice house with a stunning garden in a charming quiet village, and the surroundings are beautiful in the flower season. The house is one of those places that carry a lot of history; we enjoyed the piano and the guitar! It is also equipped with everything that's needed, and the garden is full of birdlife. The village is quiet; we had some nice walks with our dogs on the little 'koppie' at the top end of Lang Straat by the water reservoirs, with splendid flora and glorious views over the valley. Our host has really been amazing with lots of advice on where to get good food, etc.
The retreat was the perfect "get away from the city" spot. We really enjoyed the pool to cool off every day. The place was clean and tidy, and we were grateful for the mosquito nets over the beds. We slept soundly in the deathly silence outside. Aurora is a very quiet and small town, and the only coffee shop/restaurant in town is "Monica's Coffee Shop" (go and visit - try the milk tart or lemon meringue!).
We were a family of five people and stayed for a weekend. We enjoyed the peace and quiet of the small town. We liked the accommodation since it has Wi-Fi, DStv and enough couches for the entire family. I recommend this accommodation.
I highly recommend staying at The Retreat. I took my dogs with and they absolutely loved it just as much as I did. It is fenced proof for your furkids. The host, Jill, is first class and was extremely supportive in providing suggestions to getting local produce, bread, dips, pesto, which I highly recommend too. I must admit if I could I would love to move to Aurora. The photos do not do justice to the amazing home and the stunning garden that Jill has created is out of this world! I shared pictures and a video and my friends are already interested in staying.
Our family spent a very relaxed weekend at this beautifully eclectic home, at the start of the West Coast flower season. The home is very comfortable and has so many spaces to relax - from the front stoep where we had our morning coffee, the long kitchen table where we congregated most of the day, the deep back stoep where we had sundowners in the last warmth of the sun. The cosy fire nook was so welcome at the end of winter. The garden was a great playground for the kids but there are also quite a few places around Aurora for longer walks up the koppies, some require permission from the farm owner but we found them very helpful. The owner of the house was extremely helpful with directions and information and immediately available for any questions. Even though Aurora seems a bit out of the way, there were quite a few options for a meal out and Veldrif and Laaiplek are only 30 mins drive away. I would highly recommend The Retreat, especially during the spring flower season. We will definitely go back.
The Retreat made us feel right at home. It is very comfortably furnished with everything one could need. We had a wonderful time in front of the fireplace. The information we received from Jill was very complete. The shop and coffee shop are within walking distance of the house and you can also look at flowers on foot!
Lieflike ligging, rustig en ruim. Was mal oor die dekor en kinders was mal oor die tuin.
The Retreat is a lovely large home with a huge garden and big warm pool. It's perfect for a quiet relaxing getaway where going out consists of a walk to the shops a few blocks away. The house has plenty of space indoors and out, so suits different configurations of people (couples, groups, families with children etc.). The owner is lovely to deal with and is very responsive. There is only one loo, which wasn't an issue, but may be if there are ten people, so something to consider. The porch is ideal for endless reading, an afternoon nap or sundowners. The village is extremely quiet and friendly. It's west coast hot, which is hotter than almost anywhere, so come prepared and the mozzies are prolific, so bring lots of protection. The huge mozzie nets over the beds were fabulous. WiFi is great and we had no connection problems. We also felt very safe despite not having high fences and bars everywhere. Jan who tends to the garden is delightful and quiet as a mouse when he comes around early to get watering done before the heat. He likes 3 sugars in his tea! Definitely worth a visit.
Our whole family loved the place! When the kids were not in the pool they were in the treehouse and slides. We sat on the stoep sipping cool drinks, reading and watching them. We went for long bike rides in the quiet streets with the kids. My daughter cast off her training wheels. The owner was super attentive and responsive and everything in the house was a testament to generosity. Best holiday ever!
Owner was very helpful and passed on all the information in a timely manner. House is very well equipped. With more than enough decent sleeping places. Durable linen. Definitely recommend, especially if a group wants to hang out.
Lovely 1928 old house with real kuier stoep and kitchen, beautifully decorated with shady garden. Easy to stroll through town to explore and enjoy the sunsets.Very peaceful place to wind down and relax.
We needed to be there for a house move and all worked out just as we needed. Thank you to our host. Note good coffee shop, restaurant/takeaway, and formal restaurant in town.
We had an awesome time at The Retreat. Its real value for your money. It was a scorching weekend and the pool and porch area helped a lot. The house is perfect for a group of 10 people, we had enough space. There isn't a tv which is ideal as you get to spend more time interacting with friends/family. Would recommend this to anyone who wants to unwind and relax. Had an awesome time there.
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Please note the pool is not fenced off, nor does it have a safety net, so children need to be supervised at all times.Water is still an issue in this municipality, so the pool must be used without splashing, jumping etc.
Please be aware that Aurora is a small, quiet village; this is to be respected, and guests may not play loud music or party noisily.
To be fair to the cleaning staff: There are several bedrooms; please choose a bed and use that same bed for the duration of your stay.
Please let us know if something is inadvertently broken or damaged.
The house comprises 4 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 8 guests. There are 2 bedrooms with a double bed in each, 1 bedroom with a king-size bed, and 1 bedroom with 2 single beds. These bedrooms have mosquito nets. There is 1 bathroom with a shower and toilet, and one separate toilet. Please take note of this when booking for several guests as facilities are limited.
The kitchen is the hub of the house, and features a long wooden table for meals. The kitchen is equipped with a gas hob, an electric oven, a large fridge, an under-counter deep freeze, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. The kitchen opens to an area with 2 large wing-back armchairs in front of an open fireplace. This area leads to the lounge, with double doors to a long, wide verandah. This is a lovely cool spot on a hot summer morning.
In winter, there is an open fireplace to sit around in the living area. In summer, relax on the verandah listening to the birds, cool off in the swimming pool, or read a book or snooze in the hammock slung between the trees. Sundowners on the verandah while watching the sunset is the ideal way to spend the evening. The pool is not fenced off, but it does have a safety cover; children need to be supervised at all times.
Please be aware that Aurora is a small, quiet village; this is to be respected, and guests may not play loud music or party.
Please note we have security cameras, one outdoors and one indoors. These are deactivated remotely on the day of guests' arrival, and reactivated in the afternoon of their departure. Cameras must not be tampered with in any way as they are vital for the security of the property whilst it is vacant, and we cannot risk them being disrupted.