Portland Manor

From the Rheenendal road, after a 3km journey into the unknown, you suddenly see this old historical Manor, dating back to 1863, in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountain range. Although the restoration is on-going, they have done a remarkable job thus far and it is worth a guided tour. Our standard room was in the Hotel part of the property on the first floor with a small balcony overlooking a giant old tree and the back of the Manor House. The room is spacious enough for 2 but the bathroom is a bit small and needs some hanging space and a shelf for clothes etc. We could see that they want to keep the bathrooms as close as possible to the originals of it's time but if you are into a large modern bathroom, this is not for you. We had very good service from the staff and the food was also very nicely prepared and presented. There is a +-5km walking trail that took us around a large dam, where you can also water-ski, and through a forest where we saw baboons and antelope. A good 80+ minute hike to build up a sweat that we treated with a G&T and a cold beer on the terrace afterwards. The real plus for us was the peace and quiet. To wake up with the sound of birds right next to our bedroom window and no urban noises. This is an ideal place to escape the hustle end bustle of urban life for a well deserved rest.

Portland Manor is slightly off the beaten track about 3km down a single track but the Manor house when approaching is something else. The moment you arrive you notice how quite it is apart from the birds and the odd plane going over. The rooms are huge we had suite 2 but if I had any negative comments it would be the bathrooms they are quite outdated and as my partner was recovering from a broken leg it was difficult to climb into a high bath shower. They also don't have double beds only single not sure if that is something that can be requested. Service in the restaurants was very good make sure you have the pizza one night the flies can be a bit of a nuisance but they have table copters to try and keep them away. I found sitting inside better. Wiifi was general good apart from the TV we struggled the whole time to connect so we could watch something. Pool area was great just to sit for an hour or two and read a book. Knysna was only about a 20 minute drive away so very close. Overall we had a great time and would certainly recommend the property foe a.long weekend getaway.