!Khwa ttu unveils subtly luxe new lodgings

On a Friday night, the R27 out of Cape Town is one hell of a thing. Two lanes of blacktop filled with harried city-folk all hurrying to get away and slow down. Viewed from on high, the cars and boats and bikes form a daisy chain of headlights, as locals hurl themselves headlong north of out of town, dreaming of weekend bolt-holes beyond the endless traffic.

And yet I was looking down on this lemming-like holiday dash with a glass of wine in hand, the fire already lit, and the satisfaction of knowing that my commute to !Khwa ttu had taken little more than 30 minutes from front door to hilltop eyrie.

Chances are you’ve driven right past !Khwa ttu before. Heading north to see the west, I’ve done the same. That was until I learnt that this remarkable San Heritage Centre recently unveiled a clutch of gorgeous new luxury hideaways.

But let’s start at the beginning.

!Khwa ttu dates back to the late-1990s, when the project was born to create a hospitality training and upliftment opportunity for indigenous San people, while also sharing the story of the San with a wider audience. In 1999 investment from a Swiss anthropologist allowed for the purchase of the 850ha property, and !Khwa ttu took flight.

And now a burst of post-Covid energy — coupled with a heightened focus on local sourcing and experience, driven by founder Michael Daiber — has transformed !Khwa ttu into a truly multidimensional tourism destination centred on the millennia of San heritage in southern Africa.

At the heart of that are the three museums and exhibition spaces, open to day visitors and overnight guests alike. They are beautiful spaces — accessible and emotive. The first gallery, a bright and airy space of wooden floors in natural light, uses origin stories and art to celebrate the San as Africa’s First People. A few steps further take you to a colonial-era farm building, where Encounters recounts the conflicts of colonisation and the genocide against the nomadic San, while The Way of the San delves into belief, tradition and cultural memory. Nature drives in the reserve, stocked with plains game and home to abundant birdlife, add another dimension to a visit.

Though !Khwa ttu has long drawn day-visitors eager to learn more, the overnight offering has leant more to laid-back than world class. That’s all changed with the 2024 opening of the Hilltop Huisies and Fynbos Cabins, which bring a contemporary touch to overnighting on the reserve.

Set a short walk from the Heritage Centre, the Hilltop Huisies are a delight, with private balconies offering endless west coast and sunset views.

Decorated in a bright Scandi-chic style — with colourful flourishes of San artwork on the walls — there’s an abundance of blonde wood, natural light (thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass walls) and modern touches. The addition of sheltered rear courtyards — this is the windy west coast after all — is a clever move, allowing you to light the braai fire in peace while enjoying the views out front.

While I loved the hilltop locale, where we sat and watched jackal buzzards gliding past at eye level, on the coastal plains just across the R27 !Khwa ttu has also unveiled six Fynbos Cabins to offer an upscale glamping alternative. Here, the sound of footfalls on wooden boardwalks and the whisper of eucalyptus are the soundtrack to lazy days amid the fynbos. With stone walls to keep out the wind, and private wood-fired hot tubs to set you steaming, they are the perfect winter bolt-hole.

Hungry? The new energy at !Khwa ttu has also informed a new approach to the menu at the restaurant, set alongside the Heritage Centre.

San tradition is subtly woven into a contemporary menu of small plates. Wild botanicals are foraged for garden salads, pelargonium makes the most delicious cordial, and the kitchen is passionate about hyperlocal produce: cheese and dried fish from Velddrif; organic vegetables from Goedverwacht; and free-range meats from a family butchery in Darling. That same care and attention goes into the dinner baskets, which can be pre-ordered and delivered to your Hilltop Huisie or Fynbos Cabin.

There are five menus on offer, all starting with house-baked ciabatta and farm butter, before a feast of local flavours. Lasagne of slow-braised beef shin for wintry nights, traditional sorghum salad with pickled cucumber, dried apricots, and pickled red onion for a braai, or a casserole of local heerboon, rich with oyster mushrooms and braised potatoes, for vegetarians.

It’s a complete package, both on the table and as a weekend getaway. Whether you’re after subtly luxurious accommodation, inspiring cuisine or galleries and displays that will stretch your understanding of African history, you’ll find it at !Khwa ttu. And with its convenient locale just outside Cape Town, it has fast become one of my favourite spots for a short break in the Cape.