Situated in the Elgin Valley, about an hours drive from Cape Town city centre,
The Old Mac Daddy is an ideal getaway for anyone looking for some relaxation and time in nature.
The Elgin Valley falls into the UNESCO-protected Kogelberg Reserve and is one of the Cape's renowned wine & fruit growing areas. It is definitely a must visit place for any nature lover.
The resort itself is set against a mountain, with beautiful valley and lake views. It offers a few types of accommodation - there are 12 themed trailers, 2 tented camps (more "glamping" than camping ) and 2 self-catering villa options (for groups or bigger families).
The Trailer:
On our recent visit to Old Mac Daddy we stayed in one of the themed, family trailers.
The family "suites" have a living area (including outside deck) and a bathroom built on to your vintage, airstream trailer. This is fantastic if you have kids or just want more living space.
Trailers are all equipped with mini bars, coffee machines, towels, queen sized beds, air-conditioning and heating unit (pretty much everything you need to keep you comfortable). Some trailers have better views than others, if a valley view is important to you, be sure to ask for a trailer that is set higher up.
What I really appreciated what that the trailers are not positioned too close together, so you still feel you have some privacy.
'The Dream' theme:
We stayed in the trailer called 'The Dream'. The theme was inspired by Henri Rousseau's 1910 painting by the same name and was designed by artist Sarah Pratt.
On entering this trailer you feel as though you have just stepped in a magical jungle, filled with plant life. It was so peaceful and exotic - I absolutely loved this theme!
The resort:
Surrounded by nature, the resort encourages people to interact with the great outdoors.
There is plenty to do here for the whole family, especially for those who like to stay active. Some of the activities on offer include: nature walks, biking, kayaking, archery and fishing.
There is also a lakeside beach, with a bar, and loungers - which looks like the perfect place to spend summer days.
In winter, as we discovered on this visit, there are still things to do. You can visit nearby wine farms, take a nature walk, book a spa treatment or borrow a book from the mini library. Plus, there are fireplaces and comfort food in The Barn.
The Barn restaurant is the "heart" of the Old Mac Daddy resort. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served there daily. All the food I tried was good - I especially enjoyed the wood-fired pizza and the buffet breakfast.
There is also a bar, with happy hour taking place between 4 and 6pm. Since there are no TV's in the rooms, there is one in the lounge area (just in case there is a sports game on that you can't miss).
Also located in the building is the reception, a kiddies play room (with a jungle gym), conference area and adventure activities desk. Just outside is a swimming pool, with deck chairs, and a braai area.
I really enjoyed our suite and loved our trailer's theme - but, I think next time I would book a different trailer. Our's overlooked a children's play area and in high season I can imagine it's not a very peaceful place to be (unless you have kids).
One thing I really liked was that there were no TV's in the rooms and, while there was wifi available, it was not very good anywhere but in The Barn. This fact encouraged us to disconnect more from technology and just take in nature.
The best advice I have for people booking, is to stay at least 2 nights if you can (we only spent a night and I really don't think it was long enough ).
We will definitely be going back.
Please note: My accommodation was complimentary - but all opinions and thoughts are my own.
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