Tailor-made safaris and travel to Southern Africa
OULAP KAROO COUNTRY HOUSE
|
Tailor-made safaris and travel to Southern Africa |
OULAP KAROO COUNTRY HOUSE |
| Oulap is a private country home located in the majestic Swartberg Mountains. By day, enjoy never ending vistas across the ancient and pristine Karoo landscape; at night, the ceiling of stars stretches away forever.  At Oulap, the owners, Jans and Almeri Rautenbach, host guests personally. Each evening, Almeri (a member of the Association of South African Chefs) cooks a hearty delicious dinner which will be served in an extraordinary dining room, replete with antique stained glass windows and a glorious hand-crafted yellow wood table with monogrammed 'riempies' chairs. Appropriate wines from Jans' extensive cellar, will accompany the repast.  Jans is a film producer, a master story teller, and a life member of the South African Association of Arts with an intimate experience of the ever changing Southern Africa scene, its people and its dreams. During, and long after, Almeri's hearty farmhouse dinner, guests question and discuss and listen and laugh and become spellbound by the magic of the Little Karoo and its legends, stories, and adventures.  Over the years, the Rautenbachs have amassed a notable South African art and antiques collection and will only be too pleased to share with you the inevitably interesting stories behind each piece, many of which have been commissioned personally. There are only five bedrooms at Oulap, each very comfortable, with its own distinctive character. Outdoors, take advantage of a pool with a magnificent view and a terrace where breakfast and luncheon are often served. Enjoy a hike in the forests around this wonderful mountain roost or simply relax in the garden with a book selected from the Rautenbach's extensive library.  The Little Karoo is a wonderfully remote and unspoilt wilderness area. Hundreds of plant species flower in spring and summer. Black eagles drift overhead in the afternoon thermals. Giant mountain tortoises graze among the rocks, and the plaintive calls of baboons echo from the mountain slopes. With Oulap as base, guests can explore the three most magnificent mountain passes in South Africa. These passes link the Little Karoo to the Garden Route and to the Karoo, and traverse the Outeniqua and Swartberg mountains. The area also offers wonderful hiking and cycling trails, as well as easy access to the Cango Caves and ostrich farms of Oudsthoorn. Oulap is recognised as one of the best country houses in South Africa, both by local and international tourism authorities; Le Petite Futé, the authoritive French Guide, rates Oulap the highest in their edition Afrique le Sud. It offers superb accommodation and unmatched hospitality to those who wish to discover the heart of a country and its people, and to those who wish to stop for a moment and rejuvenate the body, mind and soul. To find out more about Oulap Karoo Country House, or to make a reservation, call toll-free in the USA at 1-888-227-8311 or email us. |
