An African retreat
words Isla McKechnie
photos Abrikoos Kloof Private Pod Reserve
This eyrie in the hills above South Africa’s Montagu takes the concept of retreat to a new, and quite literal, level.
Alone in Africa
South Africa’s Abrikoos Kloof Private Reserve is a place of retreat. Retreat from the world, retreat from the pace of life, and retreat from people; bar those you choose to make the journey with.
Perched high in the hills of the searingly-scenic Klein Karoo, six pods have been built into a 2000 hectare estate, ensuring an insulating buffer of around 300 hectares per pod.
Though the reserve gates are only 20 minutes from Western Cape wine hub, Montagu, that vast space quickly wraps around you as you drive into the estate.
Pass through the gates and onto a beaten earth and rock path, which guides you up the stiff shoulders of the Klein Karoo valley and you move into solitude and expanse.
This is a place which feels like a world apart.
The team at Abrikoos Kloof have let the ancient landscape here speak, keeping their intervention to a minimum. They take pains to emphasise off road vehicles are needed, as the path to each individual pod can take up to 45 minutes over rocky, uneven, and challenging terrain.
Cradled by the Klein Karoo Valley
On silent paths
When we arrive on a late afternoon in March, the track is silent. Discreet cameras monitor our progress around boulders and over stream washouts, all flanked by a vast array of succulent plants and fynbos, though a plume of African dust lit by sunset gives away our direction.
Each of the six pods have been built as partners to this landscape.
The first, aptly called the Cave House, is a retreat in raw stone, wood and steel, built into the limestone spine of the valley. The focus here is on sinking into the vast African landscape around you, but Abrikoos Kloof’s approach is to make that as interactive as possible.
Across the pods, outdoor showers, loungers and hot tubs come as standard, overlooked by wild-growing proteas, the occasional lizard and flanked by astonishing views over the valley’s peaks.
There’s also plunge pools set high into the mountains, and at the Life House pod where we stayed, a yoga platform, lap pool, pizza oven, and sauna with bold views over thousands of acres of untouched landscapes.
The Abrikoos Kloof team show a deep understanding of what it means to retreat. Your pod will be set up waiting for you, with plush bedding to sink into and soft, natural materials that invite lounging, in stark contrast to the harsh elements outside.
On arrival, there’s no need to interact with the Abrikoos Kloof team (unless you want to). The pod will be set up to your liking and when you reach it, and turn off the engine, you’ll be enveloped in silence which soon gives way to bird calls and the slip of small animals through the underbrush.
But that’s not to say they’re not available. Abrikoos Kloof’s private chef is on hand to prepare you three or five course meals as dusk falls, or deliver a multi-course menu, wine matched and prepared in advance.
From massage to private chef
Leave a note on your booking and they’ll time a massage therapist visit, or a guided walk through the land and its rhythms with information on the plants, wildlife, and sweeping mountain views.
For the romantics? Honeymoons and proposals are tailored to your needs, including professional photo shoots.
At night, no lights pierce the darkness and no vehicle sounds reach us. While the wider region is now best known for its wine and fruit, sitting high in our eyrie within Abrikoos Kloof, the landscape feels timeless. It seems natural that Khoisan rock art has been sitting in place here for at least 2000 years.
Abrikoos Kloof is a 2000 hectare reserve, dotted sparsely with six pods, delivering escape from the world.
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Abrikoos Kloof Private Pod Reserve
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Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa.
Fly: Cape Town International Airport.
Drive: 2.5 hours from Cape Town to the gates of the reserve -