De Denne, a four-star country guest house enveloped in farmlands in the heart of the Klein Karoo, South Africa, just outside
the town of Oudtshoorn, ostrich capital of the world. A perfect stop over halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth travelling on the Route 62.
De Denne Country Guest House is situated on a working ostrich and Alfalfa farm. Offering tranquility, spectacular views and soul touching moments. Sunsets you will never find elsewhere and hospitality to make you feel at home.
The accommodation offers you the choice of either staying in beautiful garden or family suites within walking distance from the main house or deluxe suites located in the main house. Also in the main house is a spacious guest lounge. Just a few metres from the main house is a separate building housing the Ma Belle Restaurant and Bar area in close vicinity to the swimming pool with spectacular views of the Oliphant and Swartberg mountain ranges.
Activities include bird watching, scenic walks, stargazing, environmental and farm tours where you can experience the ostrich chicks hatching. Activities also available in the area to enjoy is the Sunrise Meerkat Tour, Cango Caves, feeding the elephants and riding an ostrich at Highgate Showfarm.
De Denne is perfectly situated for a day visit to the surrounding towns of Prince Albert, Mossel Bay, Calitzdorp (The Port Capital) and Knysna.
Perfect for romantic getaways or family fun time, with modern amenities with an olde-world charm.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation comprises of 5 deluxe suites, 5 comfortable family suites and 4 garden suites each with spectacular views of the surrounding farmlands, majestic mountains and luscious garden.
Each unit has its own individual décor ,style and personalized touches – catering to all your needs and offering you all modern comforts .
Smoking is not permitted indoors but ashtrays are provided in designated outdoor areas.
Offering a true farm experience for those family get-togethers, smaller groups and romantic getaways!
Deluxe Suites
Situated in the main house with each having an own private entrance, De Denne offers 5 Deluxe and well-appointed en-suite bedrooms. Each suite consist of King or Twin beds, a sitting area and spacious bathroom with separate bath and shower.
Attention to detail and comfort are what we opted for, making your stay as memorable as possible.
The communal lounge area in the main house has a cosy setting which invites you to relax, enjoy reading a book or playing cards. Luxurious leather couches and fire place to complement cold winter evenings. Available facilities include complimentary local port to enjoy.
Family Suites
When decorating the 5 beautiful family suites, focus is on ensuring that the guests enjoy a comfortable stay without neglecting luxury touches. Four of the suites consists of a bedroom with a king sized or twin beds, a lounge area with an additional twin beds and a spacious bathroom en-suite with a separate bath and shower. These family suites are in the vicinity of the swimming pool surrounded by huge lawn areas. Perfect for playful children and family picnics. Two of these suites do have fire places to keep you comfortable in winter.
One of the family suites is a two bedroom two bathroom unit with a lounge area. The main bedroom consists of a king sized bed or twin beds with a spacious bathroom en-suite with a separate bath and shower. The second bedroom consists of twin beds with an en-suite bathroom with a shower.
Each of our family suites have a unique view over the farmland and gardens. Relaxing on the verandah watching the Karoo sunsets will be one of the highlights of your stay.
Garden Suites
De Denne offers 4 luxury garden suites. One garden suite is situated close to the swimming pool, the 2nd & 3rd garden suites are closer to the main house, all of them have magnificent individual views over the Swartberg Mountain range. Each suite consists of a spacious open plan bedroom / lounge area and a bathroom with separate bath and shower.
Each garden suite has its own private veranda leading onto gorgeous stretched lawns and gardens.
Standard Room – Guinea Fowl Room
Queen size bedded ensuite bedroom, accommodating 2 persons only. Spacious bathroom with shower only. Private verandah overlooking the surrounding farmlands. Equipped with tea & coffee facilities, guest amenities, TV with DSTV & free wifi.
The communal lounge area in the main house has a cosy setting which invites you to relax, enjoy reading a book or playing cards. Luxurious leather couches and fire place to complement cold winter evenings. Available facilities include complimentary local port to enjoy.
Ma Belle restaurant
Louise always had a passion for cooking, being a little girl she spend quite some time with her grandma in the kitchen. She was the only grandchild allowed to be around while grandma was creating masterpiece wedding cakes. Quietly sitting and watching her grandma’s every move, she came to love the art of food. “Cooking is like therapy, and every dish is a kind of art – expressing your mood at that point”
Dreaming of having a place where guests can enjoy good food and good wine a restaurant was slowly established at De Denne. Living out a dream became a reality when she kept on feeling the need to name the restaurant and take it to higher levels. Literally one night in a dream the name Ma Belle was in her head, not knowing what it meant she googled it the next morning and was amazed by the meaning. It fitted what she had in mind perfectly, beautiful food – beautiful wine and beautiful views.
The kitchen staff are all local people who are trained and still being trained ( cooking food never reach a know it all point)
Our BBQ Ostrich signature dish is very popular and something unique, our exclusively selected wines will compliment every dish on our enticing menu. Fresh vegetables & herbs from our garden add the little organic touch.
Dinner is an experience ; from a glass of wine watching the sunset – tease your taste buds with beautiful food, and rounding of with something sweet under starring skies.
ACTIVITIES:
Ostrich Farm Tours
The tour starts at 08:30 at De Denne and the guests are welcomed by our tour guide. This private tour is interesting as well as educational as the history of the ostrich; feeding, breeding and different species are discussed and shown to guests. You will be able to see and experience the ostrich in the farm environment. The incubator room is the ultimate as the hatching chicks are the most adorable little things and exciting moments of seeing them hatch is something you will remember forever.
Stargazing
We take pleasure in sharing with you some interesting facts about what can be observed on a cloudless night in the Klein Karoo at De Denne. Your guide will introduce you to the night life of the Klein Karoo evening skies.
Bookings can be made at reception by 17h00 prior to the day of the tour. Price to be confirmed on booking at reception.
Minimum of 4 persons, subjected to weather conditions
Other Things To Do
Bird watching – for the bird lover this will be an absolute paradise as a number of bird species have been spotted at De Denne.
Walking and cycling trails – feel free to bring your mountain bike or comfy walking shoes along with you and explore our farm at your own pace.
Highgate Ostrich Show Farm
Highgate Ostrich Show Farm has been telling the fascinating story of ostriches and ostrich farming in Oudtshoorn for over a hundred years, and its tours have delighted visitors from all over the world. Meet ostriches face to face, learn about ostrich farming. We are one of the most popular things to do in Oudtshoorn. People describe us as family fun, interesting and informative, great experience, ostriches and more ostriches, and more.
Elephant Feeding
While feeding our elephants you will experience them (Jabari, Malaika and Bulelo) up close and personal. You will find they may be huge, but are gentle as can be. You may feed them, touch them and take photos with them while our skilled elephant guides share their knowledge of these gentle giants with you. Afterwards they will even reward you with an elephant hug as a special goodbye.
For those who are a bit careful and weary, we offer elephant walking experiences. Take a leisurely stroll with our elephants in the early morning or late afternoon. This is a great way to take in some of our Karoo beauty whilst walking with the biggest land mammals on earth.
Meerkat Tour
Join us daily at dawn to witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, just in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities. Meerkats are also referred to as the Suricate or in German as the Erdmännchen and are known to be part of the Mongoose family. They are small species of foraging mammals that’s usually found inhabiting the harsh conditions of the open and arid, semi-desert plains in Southern Africa. Meerkats are known for their upright stance and their sociable behaviour. Situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo and offers the ideal environment and vegetation for Meerkats to thrive.
Swartberg Pass Experience
This tour departs at 08:30 from Oudtshoorn and travels via De Rust, Meiringspoort Gorge, the Great Karoo, Prince Albert, the Swartberg Pass and then back to Oudtshoorn. Enjoy the exciting transition in vegetation, climate, and farming methods of the Little and Great Karoo. There are stunning views all along the route. Is this the most spectacular scenic route in the country? See for yourself.