Blood Orange Day
Babylonstoren’s beloved blood oranges are in–picked, sorted and left to deepen to that rich red glow. Juiced, sliced or steeped in something special, they’re full of winter’s goodness. They’re celebrating a standout harvest, starting 21 July and culminating on Blood Orange Day on Sunday, 3 August. There’ll be heaps of fresh fruit to snack on, plus tasting stations with gelato, bakes, oils, candles and more – all infused with this bold, beautiful citrus. Sweet, tangy and good for you too. Come share the love.
Click HERE for more details.
Seasonal slow food
Babel’s pantry is bursting with garden preserves. Innovation Chef Ailene Vermeulen has been fermenting and bottling flavour bombs – think blood orange vinegar, fermented mushroom sauce for a hit of umami, and fig molasses from February’s harvest for basting lamb and pork. Executive Chef Schalk Vlok is also celebrating blood oranges across August’s menu in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Click HERE to book a table.
Beats and eats
Swing into the first Saturday of each month with Babylonstoren’s Beats and Eats silent disco in the House of Shadows – surrounded by blooming clivias, followed by breakfast at the Greenhouse. All welcome, booking essential.
Click HERE for more details.
Stretch and breathe
Need a reset? Pop in on any weekday throughout the month of August for Stretch and Indulge – or go all in with Stretch, Indulge and Spa. Move and breathe in the White Studio with Babylonstoren’s resident yogi, then enjoy a nourishing breakfast at the Greenhouse. Add a full-day Hot Spa experience if you fancy a soak. Only six spots a day. Bookings are essential.
Click HERE to book.
Garden go-to spaces
Through August, both the Puff Adder Walkway and Greenhouse exhibitions continue. In the Puff Adder, the rock exhibition illustrates how life can hide in plain sight, and just beyond, you’ll find an ancient rock gong near the Welwitschia Garden – ready for you to tap out a rhythm on its iron-rich rocks. In the Greenhouse, pineapples are strutting their stuff – and no, they don’t grow on trees. Come see for yourself.
Hospitality with heart
We’re thrilled that Babylonstoren Farm Hotel has been recognised by travellers worldwide. Ranked No. 3 Favourite Resort in Africa in the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards – and the only South African resort in the category – we also took home South Africa’s Leading Country House Hotel at the 2025 World Travel Awards. This August, stay four nights and only pay for three, or book two nights and enjoy a complimentary 30-minute spa treatment.
Click HERE to book a stay.
Sunny sister estates
Our sister estates in the Northern Hemisphere are in the golden stretch of summer. At The Newt in Somerset, gardens and orchards are bursting with life. Step back through time and empires at the immaculately recreated Roman Villa.
In Cornwall, The Story of Emily honours Emily Hobhouse with a powerful, multi- sensory museum experience in the War Rooms. The on-site restaurant serves (possibly) the best South African heritage food you’ll find abroad.
Over in the Netherlands, Over-Amstel Boerderij offers a taste of Polder life just outside Amsterdam. Book a farm-fresh breakfast or lunch or learn to make Dutch cheese from scratch.
In Tuscany, Vignamaggio invites you to slow down and savour. Visit La Fattoria for wine, food and a walk to the Roman Garden – a secret haven of fountains, herbs and beauty.
Workshops in August
Babylonstoren
- 5 August – The fascinating world of rocks, stone tools and rock gongs
- 6 August – Sharpen your fruit tree pruning skills
- 13 August – Prune and weave with vines in the garden
- 19 August – Inside Scoop: the secrets to buffalo mozzarella and gelato
- 20 August – Harvest and distil Chamomile
26 August – Craft your own homemade soaps
- 27 August – Discover and grow cycads
- 28 August – Forage for indigenous veld foods
Soetmelksvlei
- 1 August – Magic with milk: make your own butter, soft cheese and yoghurt
- 7 August – Traditional needlework: the basics of colourful quilting
- 8 August – Nuts for pecans: bake a pecan pie and carrot cake
- 14 August – Master Meat: make boerewors and droëwors
- 15 August – Cape Cookery: traditional melktert, melkkos and koeksisters
- 22 August – Bake with citrus and spice
- 29 August – Master Meat: debone a chicken and make stock