Akkerbos River House offers something I haven’t seen too often, a triple veranda across the entire frontage. That’s three outdoor seating areas at different vantage points. The 180-degree vista is not just ‘a view’, it’s a naturally-evolving, perpetually-moving canvas, birds soaring or darting, the stippled ripple of the rivers current, the swish of the towering reeds that line the banks, and the clouds that wrap the mountains’ tops.
Family friendly haven
If you bring your kids, you can also experience some adventure. Two couples and six children ultimately beg for fishing, or multiple trips upriver in the two-man canoe, or standup paddle boarding – barely another watercraft to be seen, just the daily river cruise every few hours.
As the evening closes in, we spark up the braai, pour the red wine, prepare the meat and vegetables. Akkerbos’s country kitchen is generously stocked with all ‘mod cons’ from microwave to air fryer, premium gas hob and oven, pantry and scullery, for the serious chefs among you. Off the side of the kitchen, there is a veggie garden – also unique in its grandeur – and fun to pick a few extras for supper.
Each of the bedrooms – there are three doubles and a four-bed bunkroom – face the river. The master en-suite is spacious, fresh and bright, with a modern oval bath, and a huge marble shower that looks out onto the river with its own private patio. Interestingly, while the interior is spotlessly clean and cosy and there is Netflix and two TVs, not one of them was turned on throughout our trip.
On one of the days, we venture into the quaint village of Stanford, strolling the main Queen Victoria Street, also known as the Stanford Antique Route. Kids bought old coins and crystals, mesmerized by the sheer volume of collectables. While Hermanus is just 25 minutes away, there’s easily enough around Stanford, everything from beer tasting at local breweries, to wine, gin or vodka tasting. But you’ll likely be satisfied with the panoramic, privacy and the peace that a river holiday effortlessly delivers.
Reviewed by Dean McCoubrey, LuxuryTravelEditor.com
Edited by Michelle Snaddon