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Babylonstoren is celebrating a remarkable honour this month, having been named Best Hotel in Eastern & Southern Africa in the Condé Nast Traveller UK Readers’ Choice Awards 2025. The accolade recognises the farm hotel’s dedication to authentic hospitality and its philosophy of “doing the basics beautifully.”

Visitors to the historic Cape Winelands estate can expect an abundance of experiences this November – from the opening of The Byzantium, an enchanting new bee exhibition, to the joys of slow shopping in the Scented Room and Farm Shop. A highlight for garden lovers, Babylonstoren also joins Garden Town Stellenbosch with a series of special talks and tours exploring bees, rock gardens and cycads.

The estate’s award-winning wines and olive oils continue to shine, with its Nebukadnesar 2023 earning double gold at the Veritas Awards and its extra virgin olive oils taking multiple international honours, including Best Blend of Show at the Olio Nuovo Days in Paris.

As summer approaches, the gardens burst with berries, stone fruit and heirloom tomatoes, while Soetmelksvlei, Babylonstoren’s charming 1896 outpost invites guests to linger over harvest table breakfasts and sundowners by the dam. Wellness seekers can join morning yoga sessions in the White Studio, followed by a wholesome breakfast at the Greenhouse Restaurant.

Creative souls can immerse themselves in a host of hands-on workshops, from beekeeping and birding to blacksmithing, heritage baking and leathercraft.

The season culminates with the Summer Harvest Table on 6 December, an intimate evening celebrating the farm’s summer abundance, hosted at a secret location on the farm.

With its harmonious blend of nature, craftsmanship and hospitality, Babylonstoren continues to enchant guests and set the benchmark for rural luxury in Africa.