CONTACT US Tel: +27 (21) 885 - 1819 Email: info@cloudsestate.co.za ADDRESS Stellenbosch Helshoogte Road S33° 55,203' | E18° 55,455'
Situated on one of the world’s most beautiful mountain passes, Clouds Wine and Guest Estate is one of the jewels of the Helshoogte. The relatively small, private estate is a working farm that still produces its own wine. It also offers premium guest accommodation that blends designer luxury with all the modcons. A stylish destination surrounded by incredible views, a stay at Clouds is difficult to forget.
The estate came to pass because a Dutch couple holidayed in South Africa back in the year 2000, and fell in love with the wine, the food, the landscape and, the historical connections with their homeland… Great lovers of wine and good design, Paul Burema and Jolanda van Harperen dreamed of owning their own wine farm. A dream that finally came true when they were able to purchase a modest estate with extraordinary views, a guesthouse and a set of villas.
They then set about remodeling the existing guesthouse into a contemporary structure that cleverly opened up to the views. They also landscaped the grounds, and brought in Dutch designer pieces and South African art for the interiors. And voila, Clouds as we know it today was born
Clouds has its own on site chef and provides a seasonal menu for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Finger-style food can be served next to the pool.
Our concierge is at hand to guide you through a range of things to do in the immediate vicinity of Clouds and in the surrounding Stellenbosch and Cape Town areas. Not only will you be given ample information, but we can also make any necessary reservations and bookings on your behalf. For transportation, Clouds has its own inhouse driver and airport and other transfers can be arranged with us, subject to the driver’s availability, as driver bookings are managed on a first come, first served basis. We are also able to arrange taxi and shuttle services for you.
But you may not wish to go far, because at Clouds, Rest &Relaxation are the order of the day! There’s a welcoming pool deck and an on site restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the advantages of being a Clouds guest is that you get to sample the estate’s own wonderful wines.
If you care to dine out, you can venture to neighbouring Delaire Graff Estate and nearby Tokara, or other top local restaurants in the area. Several nearby country markets offer ready-prepared and fresh farm food.
Food enthusiasts can visit Huguenot fine chocolates for a tour of the factory, indulge in goat’s cheese tasting at Fairview or see the Von Arnim champagne sabrage on a Saturday at Haute Cabriere in Franschoek. Alternatively, enjoy a pleasant picnic at Warwick Wine Estate.
Shopping options abound with all-weather upmarket malls and open-air markets. Eikestad Mall, Somerset mall and Canal walk offer ample opportunity for premium brand retail therapy. For homemade produce and goods, visit Root 44, which is open on Saturdays and Sundays. Blaauwklippen is open on Sundays and is kid-friendly; and Slow Food Market is open on Saturdays. Most markets open early in the morning and are usually over by early afternoon.
Venture into nature with helicopter flips over the winelands, biking trips along the Jonkershoek nature reserve trails and wine tasting on horseback. A Sunday drive to Cape Point along Kalkbaai, Simonstown and Muizenburg offers a lovely journey along the coast. Alternatively, visitors can take a scenic drive along the Helshoogte Pass or the 11km long Jan Philips Mountain Drive in Paarl.
Experience South African culture and history by taking the Long Walk To Freedom where Nelson Mandela was released, visit the Huguenot Museum in Franschhoek or the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch. A trip to Pniel, with a monument commemorating the first freed slaves or the Afrikaans language monument offers a journey into the story of South Africa. Alternatively, rev things up with a trip to the Car Museum at L’Ormarins
The property alone is magnificent. Everywhere you look there is a photo opportunity. You could literally sit on the deck and just watch the clouds roll by all day long. But why would you do that when you're in the middle of one of the world's greatest wine regions?! Upon arriving we were shown to our amazing villa (I could live in this villa very comfortably) with an even more amazing view. Not long after we got settled our neighbors arrived and immediately turned on the TV and started talking loudly. We were disappointed to have the tranquility of the place spoiled by obnoxious neighbors, but accepted that this was just how it was going to be. At dinner that night the hostess asked how our room was. We said it was lovely, but a little noisy. She said the villa we were in was the only one that shared a wall with another villa, the rest are stand-alone, and they would be happy to move us. After returning to our room we agreed that moving was a good idea. The hostess and another member of staff came to help us with our bags. After that everything was perfect! While staying here we ate at Delaire Graff and Tokara. The view at Tokara is amazing, but we were not impressed with the food, I guess we were just expecting more since it's so highly rated. However, we were thoroughly impressed with Delaire Graff! Overall, we loved our stay at Clouds and would be thrilled to stay again!
What a stay! We completed a multi night stay here with the goal of seeing vineyards in the area. We were fortunate enough to arrive after night fall. In the morning, we were greeted by simply spectacular views of the mountain. The staff was very warm from welcoming us with a glass of wine, showing us to our rooms, arranging dinner reservations, putting together a tasting of their wine, and making sure we were well fed for breakfast.
The room was very nice, we had great views of the mountain, a huge room, comfortable bed, stocked fridge, and great toiletries (bought some from the US distributor). The balcony was spacious and a great place to enjoy some wine and laughter. Everything was very modern, clean, and fashionable.
The location is great for starting wine tours with groups as you are already in the heart. There are great wineries as neighbors and even more close by. We took a couple hour trip down to Stellenbosch proper and were happy we stayed out of the town, though it is nice to walk around it a bit.
If anyone I know is heading to this area, this would be the place I would recommend. Service was great, room was phenomenal, time spent in the hotel did not feel like time wasted. Great, great, great!