Located two hours from Cape Town in a natural amphitheatre amidst the Langeberge Mountains in Montagu, Mimosa Lodge epitomises personal service, attention to detail and superb cuisine. Built in 1859, shortly after the establishment of the town, the Edwardian guesthouse has a rich and interesting history, serving as a boarding house for teachers and an old age home before becoming one of Montagu’s finest country hotels on the alternative Garden Route.

In the heart of the friendly and hospitable small country village of Montagu, the rhythm of life is a slower one. Here, you will find the perfect setting to relax, unwind and re-discover another pace in life. At Mimosa Lodge, Guests arrive to be welcomed and cared for by their hosts, Bernhard and Fida Hess.

Mimosa is an antithesis between old and new. The double-storey main building is a national monument which has been renovated to incorporate modern luxuries. The nine classic rooms in the main building have modern en-suite facilities, and are all individually decorated with warm colours and touches of art deco time pieces, some dating back to the 1920s. In complete contrast to the main building, the seven garden suites are ultra-mod and designed in a minimalist style.

Mimosa Lodge offers 9 Classic bedrooms and 7 Suites, all different and individual, with warm colours and little thoughtful touches such as fresh fruit, chilled water, a decanter with local Muscadel ready to pour, books and magazines. All suites are situated in the garden. Guests can select from twin bedded rooms or those with king size bed. All Suites have their own Hi -Fi system and the bathrooms offer separate bath and shower facilities.

The 9 classic rooms are unique in that the main house dating back to 1859 has been carefully renovated to combine old world charm with modern en-suite facilities. Decorated with original art deco time pieces, some dating back to the 1920's, takes you back into time. Some of the rooms open into the beautiful garden, others are on the first floor level and have access to the Victorian veranda.

The Orchard suite is in a single building and offers a mountain panorama combined with 1½ stories of luxury and space. Light some candles, relax in the corner bath and choose the music from our wide selection of CD's that will suit your mood. The latest exclusive touch is a private champagne pool on the lawn in front of the suite.

Bernhard is a chef extraordinaire who used to run restaurants in Jo'burg and is well known in his native Switzerland. By the time you read this he will be blending his own Mimosa wine, the perfect accompaniment to cuisine prepared using only the freshest of ingredients, many originating from Mimosa's own lovingly tended garden where more than 200 plant species thrive. I am very happy to be able to continue recommending Mimosa for a special treat.

At Mimosa Lodge only the freshest ingredients are used. Come take a stroll in our home grown vegetable and herb garden and indulge your senses with the natural aromas that will be surrounding you.

The breakfast buffet offers home-baked and home-made treats while the cooked breakfast is freshly prepared on request. An old water reservoir with heavy walls from natural stone has been converted into our Wine Cellar. Superb wines have been put down for the perfect match with an excellent dinner.

The beautiful country garden is home to over 200 different types of plants, many of which are used in the kitchen to create delectable country cuisine. In recognition of their continued effort to achieve culinary excellence, Mimosa Lodge recently received a Gold Star grading from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, an AA Travel Fabulous Food Award and the sought-after American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award.

In tribute to the services of John Montagu, the British Secretary of the Cape Colony based in Cape Town, our nascent "dorp" previously known as "Agter Cogman's" in the Langeberge was in 1851 officially named Montagu. Not much later, farmers laid the foundation to our house, a simple farm house with a thatched roof. For a long time, it was the only other lodging provided apart from the hotel and with changing history, it served as a boarding house, an old age home, a boarding house for teachers and a very basic Guest House.

This historic building has been carefully renovated, adding today's luxury to the old world charm. The reputation of the Lodge has been built on attention to detail, personal service and the superb cuisine under owner and head chef Bernhard Hess. Surrounded by magnificent mountains, Montagu is well known for its beautifully preserved Georgian and Cape Dutch buildings. We provide a perfect venue to meet the needs of those very special events such as anniversaries, weddings, weekend treats and rewards to special people.

Montagu, an oasis in the rough landscape of the Little Karoo, is on the scenic Route 62, connecting Cape Town and the Wine Lands with the Garden Route. The Semi-desert climate guarantees 360 days of sunshine, a fantastic Spring Season with flowers and blossoms everywhere and a mild winter with dry sunny days, ideal for hiking. Traveling time from Cape Town is about 2 hours, travel to the Wilderness and Garden Route about 4 hours.

Things to do in and around Montagu:

MontEco Nature Reserve - About 26 km out of Montagu is a 11 000 ha property, well-worth a visit for its undulating nature of the terrain, with mountains, dry riverbeds, trees and its 350 million years old fossils.

Guided 4x4 Day Trip - A wonderful day trip into the Little Karoo, with insights on today's farming and an unforgettable nature experience.
Ben, a local farmer and Satour tour guide will take 10 Guests only per trip over and through the Waboomsberg. The trip requires a minimum of 4 persons and must be pre-booked. The natural plantation varies from typical Klein Karoo flora to fynbos, ericas proteas just within a few kilometers. There are stunning rock formations and splendid views in the Langeberg mountains and the town of Montagu with its valleys, vineyards and orchards. Animals to see are grey rhebok, duiker, klipspringer, dassie, black-backed jackal, caracal, baboon, perhaps the track of a leopard. And of course the small five: tortoise, dung beetle, lizard, tapping beetle and fresh water crab. Up in the sky black eagles, jackal buzzards and many other raptors.

Wine Farms - Robertson wine route, just a stone throw away from Montagu , offers a variety of award winning wines. The edges of the vineyards are planted with Cannas or Roses, in full bloom in summer. Making this one of the most spectacular wine routes to drive through. Here you often have the opportunity to meet the winemakers. At Major's Hill, should the winemaker be available, he will give you a tour of his Cellar and let you taste from the barrel. www.robertsonwinevalley.co.za

Tradouw Quads - Nestled in the Tradouw Mountains, you will never get a qaud bike experience like what Anneke can offer you. This vibrant young lady can take you on various guided routes using a quad bike. You do not need to be an experienced rider as Anneke will give you a short course making you familiar with the bike. By the time you leave you will feel like you are an experienced rider. The routes include a ride through the Karoo landscape where you can pick your own peaches in the orchards when in season or a trip to the waterfall that is the main source of water for the farm. For the more experienced and adventurous you can take a day trip up the mountain ridges, enjoying a picnic lunch at the top of the mountain with breathtaking views. On a clear day you can even see the waves of the beaches that is about 120km away. All rides are taken by the pace of the slowest rider so there will never be any pressure to do more than what you fell comfortable with. This is also great for teambuilding activities and a tailor-made experience can be put together. www.tquads.co.za

Dusty Sprocket Mountain Bike Trails - Offers a choice of ten mountain bike trails, comprising a variety of riding surfaces and visual experiences. The longer rides take you into relatively wild and unexplored territory, with some routes following the original wagon trails used by the early pioneers. Many of these areas still contain an abundance of undisturbed flora and fauna. They can be ridden with a Guide or on your own.

Hiking and Nature Trails - To suit all interests, bird life abounds in the area and for the early riser a stroll into the nature reserve at dawn will bring its own rewards. Small buck drinking from the river, baboons barking in the ravines, hundreds of rabbit like creatures (dassies) dashing for cover then watching you from a vantage point, a pair of black eagles that spiral aloft with the rising thermals, and the sight of a giant mountain tortoises ambling though the coarse grass.

Berger's Tractor Ride - Through the protea fields to the top of the Langeberg mountains with outstanding views of the Robertson and Koo Valleys. Wednesday and Saturday only.

Francois Krige Memorial Art Gallery - Now open to the public, by appointment through the Montagu Museum. The gallery displays 30 of his works, a must for all art lovers.

Historic Houses Route - Montagu boasts many Cape Dutch and Georgian style properties with National Monument status. The Lodge has created a town walk which introduces you to the architecture and to the local history.

An Art Route - Encourages visitors to view the work and meet the many and varied artists and crafts people who have chosen to live in our town.

Mineral Spa Resort - Situated on the outskirts of the town, where the day visitor can relax in mineral water originating hundreds of feet below ground level, reaching the surface at a temperature of 43 Deg centigrade. Open from 8 in the morning until 11 at night.

Sporting interests - Visitors are able to take advantage of the facilities for Golf (9 hole, 18 holes in Worcester), Tennis, Squash, Fitness centre and Bowls. There are also Mountain Bike and 4x4 routes and for the enthusiast, Rock Climbing faces that are renowned in the Cape.

  Fact Sheet