Babylonstoren
Farmstay · Cape Winelands ·
Working farm estate offering luxury suites, gardens, winery, spa
Information
Klapmuts - Simondium Rd, Simondium, 7670, South Africa Get directions
Working farm estate offering luxury suites, gardens, winery, spa
Klapmuts - Simondium Rd, Simondium, 7670, South Africa Get directions
"On my visits to this stylish wine estate in the Cape Winelands, I found dirt pathways that lead beyond vineyards to destinations such as an essential oil distillery and a gelateria, and 12 acres of working farms that now feel like the main reason to come. The property still showcases prized wines in a contemporary glass tasting room with views of the Simonsberg and Banghoek Mountains, but I spent my time sniffing garden fragrances of persimmon and rooibos, wandering a prickly pear maze and lotus ponds, and enjoying the heightened sensory pleasures that make it easy to spend a vacation here without ever having a glass of wine." - Sarah Khan
"Set by owner and visionary Karen Roos, I find Babylonstoren in South Africa to exemplify the new wave of farm hospitality: beauty, design, and land stewardship merge there, and it has set the bar as an estate where guests love grounding themselves on a working farm." - Samantha Shankman
"A beloved vineyard estate in the Stellenbosch wine region known for its vineyards, garden café, and broader agritourism efforts—presented as a local favorite and hidden gem for food-and-wine-focused visitors; the wider region benefits from a refreshing seasonal breeze locals call the "Cape Doctor." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A South African wine-farm resort in Simondium favored by readers for its bucolic setting and placement on the continent’s resort list, representing the appeal of vineyard properties that combine scenic beauty with cultivated, rural luxury." - Heather Richardson Heather Richardson Heather Richardson is a journalist based in Cape Town, South Africa. She writes about travel, conservation, and environmental science for publications such as National Geographic, Nature, BBC Future, and The Guardian. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town in the heart of the Cape Winelands, this restored farm functions as a luxury winery hotel and self-contained ecosystem across about 1,070 wooded and cultivated hectares, with 33 rooms, suites and cottages and roughly 12 acres of fruits and vegetables. Historic whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings (some dating to 1692) sit alongside elegant modern structures; a super-luxe five-bedroom Fynbos Family House that opened in 2024 offers sweeping mountain views, a private pool and terrace ideal for relaxing or braai-ing meat from the farm shop. The estate’s broad red-earthed avenues lead past Merlot vines, blood orange trees, lavender, vast herb gardens and unusual features such as a rice paddy, a prickly pear maze, calabashes on trellises, naartjies and a num num tree; water buffalo produce mozzarella and milk for gelato served in a whimsically lit Gelato Room, and there is also a glass-walled Greenhouse cafe famed for fresh-baked scones with house-made conserves. Food is thoroughly farm-to-fork at Babel restaurant, where meat and fish are paired with vegetables and herbs plucked from more than 300 edible plant species (guests can even pick their own), and the estate’s wines—from pretty Chardonnays and a herbaceous Mourvèdre rosé to a structured Babel red blend (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) overflowing with blackberry and dark chocolate notes—are showcased through tastings, cellar tours and a decorative Wine Museum with amphorae. Non-wine options include a house fizz called a bitterlekker made from homegrown citrus, honeybush tea and rosemary, while on-site experiences and inclusions (room plus breakfast starts around $570) range from guided garden tours, bread baking, fishing, cycling and rowing to mountain drives, workshops, a personalized larder and a farm experience; the property was also named among F&W’s Top 15 Hotels for Food and Drink in the 2025 Global Tastemakers awards." - Nina Caplan