STIL, Montagu – The Sound of Slowing Down
This year, instead of defaulting to Europe or the well-worn Kruger, we chose to visit Addo and Pumba via Route 62 – threading through golden vineyards and mountain passes rather than flying straight in. Our first stop, two nights at STIL in Montagu, was exactly the beginning this trip needed.
Montagu has been quietly seducing travellers for well over a century, long before it became a Route 62 staple. Cradled in the lap of the Langeberg mountains, it’s built its reputation on natural hot springs, oak-lined streets and a slowness stitched to its very foundations.
Set on a generous stand with its very own herb garden, heated pool beside a gentle stream, and a mountain rising up behind it like a natural work of art, STIL itself is a beautifully designed – cosy – yet contemporary self-catering retreat – with a gallery-like feel.
Every line of the architecture was perfectly considered, with contemporary design crafted from natural materials, fireplaces in both the bedroom and living room, and interiors curated with genuine warmth.
STIL is Afrikaans for still – and after the year I'd had, I wasn't sure any property could actually deliver on a name that ambitious. And this one did. I felt myself exhale almost immediately, in a way that had nothing to do with willing myself to relax and everything to do with the space allowing it. Two nights, somehow, felt like two weeks.
It’s always the small touches that turn a stay into a memory. Fluffy robes in every size for winter mornings, lighter waffle-weave gowns for pool days, comfortable loungers and shaded umbrellas, built for hours spent doing very little. And, despite it being the middle of winter – a heated plunge pool that became, with no debate, our favourite spot at STIL.
Designed, first and foremost, as a romantic retreat for two, STIL had me too charmed not to bring the whole family – and the team accommodated our children with comfortable beds, so all four of us could share it. Self-catering is at the heart of the experience, but guests can pre-order beautifully prepared meals, ready-stocked braai packs or picnics and other locally inspired extras ahead of arrival, meaning you can have complete privacy and a little indulgence, entirely on your own terms.
Once you can muster the energy to get off your lounger, Montagu rewards anyone willing to step outside of the gate – running and cycling routes that wind through the valley, art galleries aplenty, and a general permission to wander without an agenda. One of the unquestionable highlights of our stay was dinner at 22 Church Street, an intimate, warmly lit spot that produced one of the best meals of the entire trip. It's the kind of restaurant that makes the drive worth it for dinner alone.
What STIL offers is so rare: the physical experience of just switching off. Not the aspiration of it, printed on a spa menu – the real thing. A romantic weekend, a restorative wellness break, or simply the first exhale of a longer journey north – STIL delivers all three without ever raising its voice.
PLAN YOUR VISIT:
Website: www.still.co.za
IG: @stilmontagu
FB: Stil Montagu
If you're staying at STIL, dinner at 22 Church Street is unmissable – book it in.
22 Church Street, Montagu
IG: @22church
