Rebranded from the Cathbert Country Inn in 2013, Angala refers to the energy that formed the planet eons ago and protected the ‘naked planet’ with the love of angels and nature.
This essence is everywhere, with wooden angels and stone cherubs dotting the driveways with all sorts of pretty blossoms blooming in hidden corners of the estate, as well as fluid flowing fountains, soothing water features and other bodies of water everywhere you look. These range from the dam on the outskirts of the property to the admittedly too-chilly-for-anything-but-mid-Summer eco pool enhanced by the sounds of anonymous frogs blissfully croaking. Surrounded by towelling-bedecked loungers just begging you to sink in for a nap, it’s the key feature of many guests’ photos. But the piece de resistance to us water-baby Aquarians was the smaller, ‘hot tub’ eco pool just a hop, skip and squeal away from the infrared sauna. No guesses where we spent the bulk of our afternoon after checking in and taking a tour of the grounds.
There are five pools on the property, with outdoor showers everywhere for the brave – don’t worry, your privacy is never in question here. I mean brave for braving the chilly Winter air – in fact, it’s just the garden suite that’s not equipped with an outdoor shower, but it has a private pool with sunny loungers that more than makes up for it. The river cottage or honeymoon suite also has a private pool on this constantly evolving property. Separated by high garden walls, each cottage is unique yet ties in with the overall secluded serenity of the estate perfectly.
Each cottage is equipped with towel-packed pool bags and yoga mats in each room if you decide to follow your own path to inner peace. The rooms are just as lovely as the setting, so much so that we felt ribbons of calm drift over us as we took in the view of the snow-capped blue Franschhoek peaks through the patio doors from our regal pillow-soft bed. Those views really are remarkable in themselves – so much so that I'd go again just to let my eyes go into screensaver mode staring off into the distance. There's also a surprisingly large ‘bar cabinet’, for want of a more descriptive phrase, with all items complimentary, including the full range of Nespresso pods and homemade cookies, as well as a bar fridge stocked with sodas, beers and wines and all the cutlery, crockery and kitchen goods you’d need for a short stay, including a kettle, ice tongs and handy basin so that you’re not filling the kettle in the bathroom (trust me, we’ve done so elsewhere!)
Each room at Angala has its own individual design personality, but all have the same tasteful natural neutral touches tying in, such as pale grey and silver accents, fresh flowers, extra fluffy blankets, padded headboards, gowns and slippers and bathrooms as big as the bedrooms – this is the ultimate classic French 'chic' without the 'shabby'. And while the overall theme is one of healing body, mind and soul, there’s also Wi-Fi for your social media posts and TVs to ensure you unwind whichever way you’re wired.
Every comfort has been thought of, with Eckart Tolle books and the latest issues of popular magazines as reading matter on the coffee table, and an umbrella near the door, in case of sudden downpours. If it is raining during your stay, you're going to be doing a happy dance that the water levels in the Cape are rising, and just as happy with the heated flooring in the bathroom and in-suite fireplaces. Equipped with a large stock of wood to get a healthy orange glow going all night long, this soon rivals the soft pink aura of the Himalayan salt crystal lamp on the other end of the room, known for its stress relief and healing properties.
Luckily for us, the weather played along beautifully and guaranteed hours of dashing between the steamy steam room smelling of that restorative blend of eucalyptus and resin, the chilly but beautiful smaller cold pool – I’m proud to have dipped my legs knee deep before giving up on that one – and the healing hot tub. We stayed in until we were quite wrinkled and alien-like in the magic-seeming blue-lit waters.
Restored to relaxed human mode and noting our hunger pangs for the first time, we realised it was very nearly time for dinner. Served in the main reception area, we were led to a table for two and swiftly lap-napkinned and presented with a choice of still or sparkling water and six slices of fresh, crusty bread and blocks of salty butter hidden beneath a bell lid to slather on, before meeting the head waiter. With tasteful soft crooning tunes in the background, candlelit tables and a fire warming the reading corner, we were ready for a three-course dinner but not for heavy thinking, so luckily there were just two choices per course. This made my decision easy as I can't eat food from the sea without medical intervention, so I opted for the beetroot tart tatin with baby carrots, onion marmalade and cumin yoghurt; the rack of lamb with potato dauphinoise, smoked aubergine purée and balsamic reduction; and the rosemary panna cotta. My husband had the other options on the night to ensure a balanced review – the crispy seared Franschhoek trout with pea purée and Asian salad with five-spice drizzle starter; the pan-fried line fish with herb crust, baby potatoes, seasonal vegetables and beurre blanc main; and the cheese platter for dessert.
The starters were outstanding, with my not-so-wordy husband describing his trout as 'excellent', and my tastebuds loving the tangy warm cubes of beetroot served in moreish buttery potato case. On to mains, where the balsamic glaze was perhaps a touch too sweet for the lamb, with the three cutlets also a tad too rare for our liking – executive chef Marlin Clayton explained that’s the way they’re usually done unless requested otherwise – but the potato dauphinoise was just delicious, as was the herb-crusted, Sassi-friendly kingklip and lemony baby potato halves served with a glass of house red wine.
Comparing notes (and levels of finger-licking), the starters were clearly the winners of the night but it was all-in-all an outstanding meal. The cheese plate came with a selection on crackers, nuts and fig, with the panna cotta topped with beautiful purple berries – rasp, straw, mull and blue – and syrupy slivers of fig. I judged the quality of the cheeses by the faces my husband pulled: The first was 'pleasantly pungent', the second 'surprisingly sweet', the third 'peppery and spreadable' and the last 'firm and flavoursome'. We also received two espresso truffles that further sweetened our mouths and final impressions with an accompanying cappuccino. All beautifully plated, even the cutlery stood out as sturdy, classy Hepp Exclusiv ware.
Ready for bed, we carefully made our heftier-than-usual selves back to our suite, only to find the fire had already been lit, blankets invitingly placed on the couch and tiny bottle of Amarula with sherry glass beside each bed. An excellent end to an excellent day.
Woken by a sunny sunrise, breakfast the next morning was a lazy buffet with hot plated option and complimentary tea and coffee, with the pot brought right to your table to top up as required. Following a bowl of fancy pistachio-coconutty muesli with assorted berries, stewed peaches, a variety of yoghurts and all sorts of nuts sprinkled in, we both went for the Angala rarebit, the most Benedict-y thing on the menu. Salty and creamy in just the right parts, this was a breakfast hit.
All too soon our healing stay at Angala had come to an end. We simply couldn't find fault in anything, apart from the path back to the rooms after a late-night dip in the pool and dinner being a little under-lit. Filled with magical meditative moments, this was exactly what our Winter needed.
Click here to see the memories I loaded of our stay on my blog.
*Leigh Andrews was a guest of Angala Boutique Hotel and Guest House. Call +27 21 874 1366 or click here for room rates and here for packages running until August 2017 and again from May to August 2018. Note that the three-course dinner is R375 per person and breakfast for non-staying guests is R175 per person. You can also follow Angala on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.
