A Shotleft to Rosendal, Free State
About a few weeks ago, we had the privilege of exploring Rosendal in the Free State . . . driving the Isuzu D – Max X – Rider Double Cab.
We had an extremely tough weekend prior to the trip and as we were approaching the end of the weekend… knowing we were going to explore the Eastern Free State for 3 days was such motivation. Fastforward, we were done working for the weekend and it was one more sleep until we hit the road to Rosendal. It was truly exciting, my partner and I both had never been there, but we knew it was going to be amazing.
The drive down was a tad long, 4 hours from Johannesburg…..but the comfortable drive on the Isuzu D-Max Double Cab X – Rider was awesome especially having to drive on that horrible road full of potholes 🙁 We had a blast and did not feel the long distance at all.
Once we saw that “Welcome to Rosendal” sign we were a tad worried as there was no sign of life as we know it. We swear the angels sang once we arrived at the Rosendal Country Retreat, It was so beautiful…more than what we actually expected.
We were welcomed by Bonnie, the Manager, she was truly prompt, knowledgeable and attentive to all our needs. We were even more blown away once we checked into our room. I was totally obsessed with the outdoor hot tub, the fireplace and the large welcoming bed.
Bonnie had a whole set up outside where she had wine, towels and the hot tub ready and waiting for us. What an experience, we loved how the entire time we were on the tub there was no human in sight….just surrounded by beautiful mountains and the stars above us. We could not resist just taking time to be silent and just simply take in the amazing experience. The evening ended with us having more wine inside the stunning apartment enjoying the fireplace.
The next morning we had a lovely breakfast at the Oppie Dam restaurant….also stunning views and amazing service. We then proceeded to spend some time at the cultural village. The highlight of the day was the sunset experience right on the peak of the mountains…whilst sipping on some bubbles. What a view, indeed.
The next morning was precious as we had an amazing breakfast at the Benjamins and got to meet and chat to the owner Frik De Jagger who is an amazing gentleman with incredible stories to share as you eat.
We closed off our vacation on a high note….Horseback riding was spectacular. We rode our gorgeous horses through this absolutely breathtaking private reserve….It was perfect.
We spent our last evening on that hot tub, just wishing we had one more night there…..just because it was just so beautiful and peaceful. We simply can’t wait to ‘make our way back to Rosendal. Definitely one of our highlights in 2021.
