So for a little bit more on our last spa break at 5 Mountains Spa. We found it by Googling “spa specials”. I have to say it was a particularly good special.
We arrived Tuesday late midday and departed Saturday just before lunch. Essentially we had 4 nights and 4 days. The special included breakfast, lunch, supper and a complimentary bottle of really good wine every day. We had two different treatments each per day.
Location 5 Mountains Spa
Treatments were along the lines of Indian Head Massage or Hot Stone Massage. We also had a manicure, a pedicure and a facial.
We did pick the coldest and wettest week of the decade to decide to have a spa break. A pity because the spa is set on a vineyard just outside of Wellington. It would have been nice to take a walk or maybe visit more of the wine estates close by.
What made our stay special was a bevy of salon girls. The chef had the week off and this team cooked our food to perfection. They offered us tea and biscuits the minute we sat in the reception area to catch up on e-mails. Nothing was too much for them and I found them utterly charming.
5 Mountain Spa treatment room
We got a different menu each evening with a choice of two starters, two mains and two deserts. I had made it clear that I am vegetarian before we went and they had tailored the menu to include me. Examples of starters were “Slow roast tomato salad topped with goats cheese” or “Fried haloumi on a bed of leaves with a berry compote”.
How about “Stir fry served with cous cous & tofu” or “Caprice parcel served with veggies and crispy potato wedges” for a main? And then still chocolate brownies or meringue tarts for desert. I think I gained about 2 kilograms there. The food was that good. The price for all of this? R7500 for two.
On our way home we stopped in at Bovlei wine cellar next door and took advantage of some wine specials. There were plenty more wine estates in the vacinity.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
My other half and I are partial to spa breaks. During winter, there are bargains to be had in Cape Town. We have had spa breaks at The High Rustenburg Hydro, Twelve Apostles Hotel, Romney Park and recently we spent four nights at 5 Mountains Lodge.
The other breaks were before my blogging days so I wasn’t taking pics or making notes. But here is a little bit of information from memory about the spas, and links, should you want more information.
The High Rustenburg Hydro is one of the oldest spas in South Africa. It is set in the winelands near Stellenbosh. Their approach is very much on healing and detoxing. Our room had twin beds and we were assessed by therapists to decide which meals and treatments we would have.
5 Mountains Spa dining area
The agenda was cram packed. Breakfast arrived on a tray. One of us had fruit only, the other had fruit and muesli. Then we headed off for either a treatment, a massage or to the hydro centre for hydro therapy.
Most guests tended to remain in a dressing gown provided by the spa. We had a bowl of soup between main meals and lots of herb tea or water. Lunch and supper were buffets of nothing more than vegetables presented in different ways. They also allowed us one jacket potato with our evening meal. No alcohol.
It’s not a romantic break and we found keeping up with the program a bit hard going. The food was better than I expected. It’s the place to go for a body overhaul.
5 Mountains Spa pool area
Twelve Apostles was more about a great location, fine dining and a five star hotel with a few treatments thrown in. I can’t remember how we stumbled on this special. We loved the flotation tank and the chocolate body scrub.
We did not like the young manager who told us lunch wasn’t included. We had to drive back home to fetch the confirmation and show him that actually, it was. And from then on he had an attitude toward us.
Romney Park is a couple of meters from our guesthouse. So we stayed at home and walked down to have the day packages on offer there. I can’t speak about the food or the accommodation as we did our own detox and stayed at home.
There is a full salon and we had the works. Body scrub, facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, like I said the lot. What we saved on eating and sleeping out, we spent on pampering. The staff were thoroughly professional. We still pop in there for the odd special.
