Reviews of Galenia Estate

"We loved our two-night stay here and had to tear ourselves away.

The rooms have spacious verandas with wonderful views. Our shower cubicle had a large window opening onto a shrubbery, so it felt a bit like an outdoor shower.

Charles and Christma looked after us very well and the food was fabulous at every meal.
It was very hot during our stay, so we took the shortest of the several routes suggested for our morning walk.

We enjoyed the pool area, which is very nicely designed and positioned." See all these reviews: 11n in Zimbabwe; 8n in South Africa; 3n in Botswana

"Galenia is located about 3kms outside Montagu so a car is essential.

We were only there for an overnight stop but the room, the views, the restaurant and the staff were all fantastic, and reasonably good value even for a Yorkshireman despite not being cheap.

We took advantage of the marked walks and the swimming pool area on our afternoon onsite." See all these reviews: 9n in South Africa

"Galenia is very nicely appointed and comfortable. The pool and pool area were a great place to relax (although the jacuzzi wasn't working while we were there).

The walking trails were enjoyable (once we had worked out they needed to be followed in a clockwise direction - otherwise picking up the trail markers is very difficult), not particularly taxing and with some lovely views. We did not use the mountain bikes however.

The evening meals at Galenia were all very good but at 5 courses you needed to be hungry to do them justice!

We found Galenia a good location from which to visit other parts of the Western Cape including Hermanus and the vineyards near Paarl and Franschhoek." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 6n in South Africa

"Lovely place, great views, great food and very helpful capable staff." See all these reviews: 8n in South Africa

"Coming to this accommodation so late in their season has its advantages as there was only one other couple staying. We were able to enjoy all the comfort and environment of a very beautiful estate. The morning walking tour was a pleasure and very interesting. They have a couple of tame donkeys on the estate plus a resident flock of ostriches. The estate suffered a major fire in February 2018 which destroyed much of the vegetation and some of the buildings. However, these have been rebuilt to a very high standard.
We enjoyed having a wood fire in our room in the evening and gazing up at the incredible African night sky.
The accommodation is very comfortable and is highly recommended. Our overnight stay was ample for us, but if you really need to relax, an extra day should be planned. The breakfast here is superb, and not your usual fry up!" See all these reviews: 5n in South Africa

"A lovely property up away from the road, tucked under the mountains.

Beautiful view over the valley and to Montagu. Excellent restaurant for both breakfast and dinner.

A pity the bad weather prevented walks around the estate." See all these reviews: 11n in South Africa

"We visited Galenia in April 2017 based on location and a hope that the standards the Baileys set in Tanzania would be maintained here. They were and we absolutely loved it.

We re-booked for this year and heard, to our horror, it had been very badly damaged in a bush fire in February 2018. It is testament to this family run operation that their undertaking to rebuild during the closed season was achieved. We stayed in one of the new rooms, rebuilt in exactly 3 months, and unless you knew you would never have guessed it had risen from the ashes. The operation remains top class but we were a little optimistic to expect the birds would have returned after so much of the surrounding fynbos and woodland had been burned to the ground.

Nonetheless, we again loved our stay and even managed a swim. Apart from the charm and friendly efficiency of the staff the gold star was the cooking. By far the best of any of our stops, the daily changing menu was full of innovation and most excellent cooking. Bearing in mind the opposition includes Bushman's Kloof and The Cape Grace this is an outstanding place to stay, relax in great comfort and eat wonderfully well.

Should we return to Cape Town, Galenia will be a must. It is just too good to miss." See all these reviews: 12n in South Africa

"Wonderful location, with great views and activities.

Fantastic dining in their restaurant and also in room.

The dams were empty because of the drought so no birds to be seen from the hide, but plenty when walking on the trails.

We will return when the dams are full again!" See all these reviews: 8n in South Africa; 4n in Zimbabwe

"We didn't quite know what to expect but we wanted somewhere quiet to chill out before our holiday started in earnest. As it turned out we were absolutely delighted with the whole experience.

We had a very warm and comprehensive welcome from the manager, which is always a good start. Our accommodation was very comfortable and well equipped - to be picky the bathroom needed a bit of an update but it was OK. The outdoor shower was lovely.

The staff were excellent. We particularly liked the Estate Manager, Cade(?), who was exceptionally friendly and helpful. He was passionate about the estate and especially his olive grove and was happy to take time out to show us his olive press. He and others also hosted an early morning guided walk when they could demonstrate their exceptional knowledge of the local ecosystem.

The free talk and sampling of olive oil was a real eye opener for us. Olive oil can now almost be bracketed with wine and tea for the real connoisseurs!

Perhaps the high point was the evening meal - delicious home cooked food, well prepared and presented and reasonably priced. The view from the dining room was fantastic." See all these reviews: 18n in Namibia; 5n in South Africa

"Galenia is new and not yet on the Expert Africa list - it should be. We heard about it when searching for an alternative southern Africa holiday to replace our usual Botswana trips. We needed comfort, non malaria and somewhere to relax, watch birds and do what retired people do on holiday.

Run by the family that runs Beho Beho and The Oyster Bay Hotel in Tanzania, we expected similar standards and got them. Wonderfully comfortable cottages, a huge estate to wander in at will and sunbirds feeding on the honeysuckle outside our room was just what we wanted. Run by an extremely charming and professional staff, Galenia ticked all our boxes.

Although they only offered cold cuts and cheese for lunch it was all we needed and this winter they intend to extend the kitchen to be able to cater for those wanting a more extensive lunch menu. Set in a spectacular mountainous valley Galenia is a gem well worth investigating for either short or longer stays. We stayed 5 nights and plan to return as soon as we can." See all these reviews: 11n in South Africa