Newsletter - Fido itching for a weekend away?

Fido itching for a weekend away?

A Mrs Woodhouse writes: "Dearest Dr Budget, may I take my pooch on a Budget Getaway?" A very good question madam for which there is no quick and easy answer. Don't automatically assume you can take Fido along. In fact, at times it may be wise to assume the opposite. Most important, make sure your hound cuts the grade. Your weekend host may tolerate a stoepkakkertjie, such as a Maltese poodle, or a Sea Point handbag stuffer masquerading as a Parktown prawn. But if Fifi is a psychopathic serial sheep killer disguised as a cuddly furball, you may have a problem on your hands. This said, the world of Budget Getaways is world of laid-back wholesome country folk who love all things four-footed and hairy. One thing you can be sure of is that Fido's weekend at any of the following pet-friendly retreats will leave his little head crammed with happy canine memories for months to come. (Pssst.... Need more mutt-friendly options? Click on 'find a getaway' or 'advanced search' on our home page, then search by pet-friendly getaways. You'll find heaps and heaps.

Retreat Guesthouse Retreat is a pleasant change of gear off the well-trodden road to McGregor. A fifth-generation peach, apricot, grape and citrus farm that started out making sweepstokke – those long bamboo sticks used by our forefathers to notify th... Read more ...

Rockhaven Farm Like a number of surrounding getaways, Rockhaven has the unfair advantage of being nestled among the spectacular Groot Winterhoek mountains. In this case, two comfortable cottages with very reasonable price tags provide your weekend lodg... Read more ...

Shepherd's Cottage Shepherd’s is a Cape-style cottage that’s pristine inside and out. Surrounded by manicured lawns and lavender, Chinese poplar and ash trees, a gurgling stream, a farm dam, vineyards and wide mountain views, it’s a tranquil h... Read more ...

Waterfalls Waterfalls is a rambling thatched house, 10km downstream from Stanford and a similar distance upstream from Hermanus. It is also the stuff of happy holidays, past and present. Lying across the way from host Elspeth and Richard’s home and sur... Read more ...

Kleinbegin Farms Now here is a getaway with homebaked goodness. Kleinbegin Farms has been in the friendly Fish family for the past 20 years. Their passion for the area is blatantly evident, not to mention infectious - in fact, we found our few hours with hosts Hir... Read more ...

Klein Paradijs Q: What’s the quickest way of getting the Swiss flying squad to your house? A: Forget to take a library book back on time. Corny jokes aside, if the owners are Swiss you can bet the place is clean and run to cuckoo-clock perfection... Read more ...

River Magic Cottages The name isn’t an exaggeration – both the setting and the three cottages, Backtrack, Glory Be and Base Huis, are magical. Set 300m from the river, Backtrack is an architecturally-styled stone, thatch and... Read more ...

B's Cottage Set directly across the way from Stanford’s tiny stone church, in an English garden of lavender, daisies and roses, B’s Cottage has achieved minor gem status in her short existence. Only a few years old, she has the rustic character of... Read more ...

Fairfield Mountain Cottages Fairfield takes the form of three tastefully renovated cottages at the foot of a serrated wall of rock that's draped in a sheet of cascading water in winter. A relatively new getaway, Fairfield has now come into its own. The area around the cottag... Read more ...

Geelbos Cottage Geelbos Cottage is a secluded renovated labourer's cottage on a typical Overberg farm at the foot of the Kleinswartberg mountain. This white tin-roofed cottage lies about 1km from the main homestead and consists of two bedrooms... Read more ...

Goedereede Guest Farm Goedereede is a friendly family-oriented getaway with two 3-Star graded cottages (SA Tourism Grading Council) on a cute farm dam, two other options next to the main house, the general comings and goings of farm life, and access to t... Read more ...

Oppikoppie Self-catering Guesthouse Oppikoppie sounds like a built-to-order group getaway. Appointed on a hill, on a fruit and wine farm, it comprises an airy house with a catacomb of bedrooms that at a push can accommodate a large group of 15 laid... Read more ...

Peet se Plek As correctly predicted in earlier editions, many die-hard weekenders have cursed us for listing Peet se Plek – in fact, we are writing this review from a safehouse sponsored by the Scorpions. There is no denying Peet its gem status. There ar... Read more ...

Port Jackson Farm Port Jackson Farm spells good old-fashioned V-A-L-U-E. For a few rand, you will be handed the keys to a fully equipped rambling farmhouse in an appealing valley called Boesmansrivier, lined with orchards, vineyards, sheep and crumbly buildings. Th... Read more ...