By Roxanne Reid
If you live in one of South Africa’s biggest cities, it’s a fair bet you have family or friends in another part of the country, so the chances of you road tripping through Bloemfontein in the Free State are quite high. On a recent trip back to Cape Town from a family wedding in KZN, we lucked out when we discovered De Stallen self-catering in Bloemfontein.
If you live in one of South Africa’s biggest cities, it’s a fair bet you have family or friends in another part of the country, so the chances of you road tripping through Bloemfontein in the Free State are quite high. On a recent trip back to Cape Town from a family wedding in KZN, we lucked out when we discovered De Stallen self-catering in Bloemfontein.
We found it on the internet; it was affordable and it was convenient so we booked. At just R510 for two of us in a self-catering room, we weren’t expecting much.
De Stallen is about 10km south of the Bloemfontein city centre. Although it’s conveniently close to the N1 and N8, we approached along the railway line through an area that looked industrial, all the while thinking what a scrappy spot we’d fallen into. But as soon as we saw the giant pots and the sign outside, we realised it was going to be very different from its surroundings. Lesson number one: don’t be put off by the approach!
De Stallen is about 10km south of the Bloemfontein city centre. Although it’s conveniently close to the N1 and N8, we approached along the railway line through an area that looked industrial, all the while thinking what a scrappy spot we’d fallen into. But as soon as we saw the giant pots and the sign outside, we realised it was going to be very different from its surroundings. Lesson number one: don’t be put off by the approach!
A friendly and chatty young woman booked us in and showed us to our room. It appeared to have been decorated by an interior designer and had everything we could have wanted: air conditioning to deal with the Free State heat (or electric blankets for the winter cold), selected DSTV channels, safe parking behind an electric gate, and a well-equipped kitchenette with the makings of coffee/tea as well as rusks for our breakfast.
My single criticism would be that there were so many knick-knacks and cushions everywhere that it was hard to find a place to put our suitcase without having to move some of them out the way.
My single criticism would be that there were so many knick-knacks and cushions everywhere that it was hard to find a place to put our suitcase without having to move some of them out the way.
After settling in we took a stroll around the garden, which was being readied for a wedding photo shoot. There was green grass, real flowers and pottery flowers, cocks, frogs and various other bits and bobs. We met the owner, Eunice Kruger, and discovered – no surprise – that she used to have a pottery studio.
In the evening, we sat at the table and chairs on our stoep to sip wine and watch the sun set. Our beautiful room was just what we needed for an overnight stay on a long road trip, but other options are a five-bed cottage and a two-bed, two-bathroom farmhouse for families who want to stay longer.
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