Development 101: What do you when you have a stunning piece of land set in the Cape Floral Kingdom, with springs 
and waterfalls, remnants of ancient forests, 700+ plant species and thousands of little critters? You don't plonk a chain hotel and casino there, that's for sure. You keep things exactly as they are and turn it into a sustainable guest farm.And that's what the clever folk on Farm 215 did. They built eco-friendly, modern Fynbos Suites with huge windows to allow nature in, and there's no-one around should you want to let nature out, too. You don't have to brave it without mod cons either: there's a pool deck, kingsize bed with super linen, gowns, toiletries made from fynbos and underfloor heating. Solar panels supply electricity, and every last thing is recycled or bio-degradable.
A close hike away is the farm homestead with a dining room and bar, where the chef whips up all things fresh and organic, grown on the premise or brought in by the fishermen from the nearby village.
Such luxury comes at a price, but I guess someone needs to pay for the farm's considerable conservation efforts. So you're effectively saving the environment, one weekend break at a time.
Farm 215, 4-star country lodge, Baardskeerdersbos (20km from Gansbaai).
028 388 09 20, 082 097 1655, book@farm215.co.za.
R940 per person sharing (R1 300 single) per night.
