Pippins Country House

Pippins Country House is a guest house and backpackers situated in the heart of apple-growing country, Grabouw. Pippins provides an escape from the city lights, yet is only a 50-minute drive away from Cape Town. Grabouw is located in the Elgin Valley, which is a green paradise with enchanting stretches of forest, vineyards and orchards as far as the eye can see. Accommodation is offered in dorms, twin rooms, luxury double rooms and campsites. The rooms are en-suite, and there is also a full kitchen available for guests use with tea and coffee-making facilities as well as a licensed bar and a large braai area. Guests can fish and swim in nearby dams, or go horse-riding, mountain biking and hiking. Grabouw is not far from the coastal towns of Gordons Bay, Kleinmond and Hermanus, and Strand and Somerset West are only a short drive away.

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Reviews

"Scenic Grabouw farm country"

24 August 2017

"We set up camp after having lots of space open to choose from and the views were spectacular. We were met by Daan and his two dogs, and felt welcome straight away. One of the dogs, Gitte, chose to follow us and stayed with us for a couple of hours. The ablution rondawel was clean and basic, but all we needed. It ended up raining quite a bit during the night... so much so that we got stuck on our way out of the camping area. Daan quickly came to our rescue with his tractor and friendly conversations. After a last good warm shower, we went to the lovely Perigrine for breakfast just around the corner. All in all a good breakaway and will go again."
"Absent service and poor house keeping"

29 June 2017

"No one was available to receive us or around when we left. It's not really a campsite, just a big lawn with a small single toilet/ shower built on it. The kitchen in the main house was dirty and untidy. The area was noisy and not the peaceful break away we expected."
"Felt unsafe"

05 June 2017

"Firstly the place isn't even properly marked so not easy to find. The owner did not seem very welcoming. The kitchen that was supposed to be used by all guest was dirty with lots of flies. The camp ground seemed so unsafe as there was no proper security separating the camp from the neighbours, we felt so unsafe that we left. Luckily we could find other accommodation for the long weekend."
"Friendly and accomodating"

12 April 2017

"Had to arrive late from a wedding, got a bit lost in the dark, and John-John was still friendly and accomodating towards me. Only stayed the night, but would definitely go back to enjoy the scenic surroundings."
"Great View!"

10 April 2017

"A little dated but clean and comfortable."
"Relaxing and very at home"

03 April 2017

"Great people, great views, we will definitely come again!!"
"Home away from home"

28 March 2017

"Thanks to John-John for having us to stay at Pippins! We had a great stay and felt very welcome. Most mornings we were off early to go mountain biking and would come home to a perfectly clean room every evening. Your place was exactly what we hoped for."
"Unpleasant stay"

10 July 2016

"<div style="text-align: left;">My room had a serious problem with baby worms. I'm not that squeamish but when you pull the linen back and they are in your bed it's rather unpleasant. Luckily I had my sleeping bag with me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In my opinion the owner also came across very poorly on arrival. I was upgraded out of the dorm room but the reasons given were in my opinion distasteful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I would not recommend the lodge.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>"
"Brilliant"

27 June 2016

"Only one word to describe the view Stunning. Thank you to John-John and JR for making us feel at home. The room and bathroom may not have been the most posh but diffinitely the biggest and very neat and clean. It's like home away from home. Great value for money. Cliff & Angie"
"Lovely location"

01 March 2016

"Rooms are a bit dated but such a beautiful location and Friendly attentive owner. You can Camp too"
"Not your money's worth"

22 February 2016

"Sadly, I will not recommend nor return to Pippins."
"Mixed feelings"

04 May 2015

"<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Upon booking for Pippins Country House I was surprised to find the pricenot<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">as quoted on the site. It is R200 a dormitory room!<o:p></o:p>Thisexcludes: a working shower,enough plug-points for all in the dormitory, breakfast and tea/ sugar/quaffable coffee. Perhaps the prices tended into the region of extortion when the owners realised they are one of the few 'budget' accommodations in the region for the long weekend that can be easily located and booked. I was severely disappointed and mildly amused at Pippins. My initial surprise led to frustration upon realisation that R200 a night was not justified by the state of Pippins. There is a fine line between chic, shabby and having little-to-no-competition and therefore allowing what could be an absolutely stunning backpackers to become a old, smelly, found-wanting getaway.<o:p></o:p>The mattress I had has seen one too many extra-kilo attendees. There were two plug-points (no adapters) for a dorm of 8. Only the main-light worked,with the two bedside lights broken. One light was literally falling off the wall. The kitchen's fridge-spacewas"at apremium" and I was advised to try and leave as much as I could in my own cooler box (not very accommodating since I wasn't even offered some ice). The fridge has its own extractor fan, from the 1400's. Most of the knives are old and blunt, with plates and bowls a treasure hunt each time.<o:p></o:p> If you bring your own wine, it's R10 corkage. If you buy a beer, check the glass for sharp rims and cracks. It better be nice weather, or else finding somewhere to eat inside might become interesting. The shower was a hose coming out of the wall, with a curtain not reaching the tub, so the floor got wet every time. The hot water is quick and piping-hot.Each time I wiped my rear-end I was scared of perforating the 1/2 - ply paper provided. Tip: take plenty and layer it. It's a beautiful spot, with amazing potential. I just feel it's being left to the dogs (literally, close the dorm door or they are on your bed). Ashtrays are left to rot, the pool table you have to pay for too. There's very little gratis(except the Ricoffee, how generous). Perhaps this review might encourage some effort being put in to an absolutely stunning location and abode that seems to be living off former glory. Baboons know where there's easy pickings and the unclosed dustbins were ravaged one evening (perhaps even by the dogs).<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>"
"Coming home"

25 March 2015

"Our second time at Pippins and it was like coming home. Still the same quiet comfortable room and still the same wonderful welcoming people. We really enjoyed our stay and were sad to say goodbye. Would definitely recommend Pippins to everyone. Will definitely be back again. Thanks again John-John, Jan-Reinier, Mila and the two woofs."
"Very chilled"

22 December 2014

"If you are looking for a very chilled relaxing spot without all the fancy trimmings then this will be a good choice. A bed, bathroom and braai spot is basically all you get and need. The mattresses are comfortable and bedding clean. A fridge would be nice but if you are out and about the whole day, I guess one does not need one. Overall my group and I enjoyed the stay over."
"swak"

16 January 2014

"ongeorganiseerd soos nog nooit.wasgoed in die kombuis op GEHOOP.baie vuil.katte op eet tafel as jy gaan eet.hond ooral om jou en in kamer.onhiegieniese water lyk of agt mense al gebad het voor jou.was nog nooit so spyt oor n plek soos daai nie. weet nie hoe bly hy n gaste huis nie."
"Lovely, quiet setting"

13 January 2014

"The hosts are friendly and accommodating. The accommodation is basic and spacious with lovely views of the gardens & orchards. I would recommend this accommodation as a good base for visiting the Elgin Valley vineyards & orchards."
"Oh my gosh!"

11 November 2013

"Not so great."
"Camping at Pippin's"

26 February 2013

"We enjoyed our stay at Pippins Country House very much. We camped there, but had full use of the house's kitchen, braai patio and free wood supplied. John John and Jan made us feel right at home."
"Great view"

14 January 2013

"We camped for 2 nights. The view of the valley is amazing! There is no shade on the campsite and the toilet/shower room needs work. But the setting is great."
"Pleasantly surprised by Pippins"

07 January 2013

"We needed a guesthouse for a wedding we were attending at Rockhaven, we were late on the uptake and so missed the availability of the "popular" Elgin guesthouses sent through on a preferred accommodation list ... I'm so glad we did! The "backpackers" is off Valley Rd, about a 10minute drive from Rockhaven and set in the most gorgeous, natural, in parts, wildly overgrown, setting. Jaan, the owner greeted us on arrival along with his 2 friendly dogs, Platjies and Gieter. The place is organised chaos, the guest bar, lounge and study rooms are filled with memorabilia and dusty trinkets, some incredible stories behind most of them. Jaan's craftsmanship and handiwork can be seen in the stools, benches and renovations carried out on the original building. The suite we stayed in was clean, spacious and opened out onto a shared wooden balcony that overlooked vineyards, an old Oak tree, dams and orchards. The garden has a big grassy lawn that rolls down towards the dams and they're Lemon, Avo and Macadamia trees dotted about. It's easy to sit reading on the deck while time flies by. We headed out for an early morning run and were joined by the dogs, who ran beside us all the way from Pippins to Peregrine farmstall, where we decided to have a farmstall breakfast, naturally. Jaan, drove through to collect the dogs and stayed for a cuppa, reminding us of the easy and unexpected connections one can make when you're open to it! Pippins is not contemporary, stylish, cut and paste accommodation, but rather a refreshing take on what I believe guesthouses seem to be missing these days ie heart, the personality of the guesthouse owner is expressed in the walls filled with his and fellow travellers stories, the easy ambience and the Dutch "nothings a problem" service etc. Our stay was budget-friendly, easy, unexpected and magic! We'll definitely be back, and next time, go for a swim in the dam!"