Alto Bio Reserve, Misgunt Road, Tulbagh, South Africa

Spectacular, private mountain retreat with exquisite undisturbed fynbos and natural bucchu, providing a wonderful habitat for the wildlife.

The farm falls within the Greater Cape Floristic region, one of Earth's smaller but richest floral kingdoms. The majority of the vegetation species that occur are flowering plants. The house is sensitively designed by sustainability architects to embrace its amazing position high up in the mountains, with extensive use of large areas of double glazing, which allows for multi views of the valley and the mountainous environment.

One large section of glass wall opens physically by means of a counterweight system which is manually operated to open onto the patio and pool and incredible view up to the mountain amphitheatre. Similarly the air cooling system, beautifully crafted in wood, is incredibly efficient, simple and manually operated.

The rooms have very high volume ceilings and are wonderfully spacious with wooden flooring in the sleeping section and crafted stone in the entire living section. The whole building enjoys bespoke design and high end finishes. The farm enjoys good annual rainfall of +-660 mm and is the first to enjoy the clear unpolluted mountain water. Snow supplements the water supply several times a year.

Additional buildings on the farm are also exciting in their design and execution, the most innovative and unique one is an enormous organic shaped wood and metal structure which is a helicopter hanger accessed off a helipad. With room enough for a workshop and car garaging. Completing the buildings are two pods used for owner guests and sometimes Air BnB. Both are well positioned to have privacy and glorious views. They are exquisitely designed, providing for all weather aspects and needs of life.

Location

Tulbagh valley is an exquisite area some 130 kilometres from cape Town. The village core was developed in the late 1700's with Cape Dutch thatched buildings, all with long gardens stretching down to the river. There are 32 national monuments in Church Street alone, as well as houses on several original farms, Schalkenbosch being the most well known, along with Montpelier and Twee Jonge Gezellen.

There are some magnificent fruit and wine farms in the valley and hospitality is well provided for with many farms offering self catering cottages. There are numerous hiking and biking trails, with several overland races enjoying Tulbagh as part of their route.