Temenos Retreat

​The butter-coloured restaurant is a rustic but stately structure, housed in the property's original homestead. Dinner is usually served here, beneath chandeliers and a reed ceiling; when the weather is good, breakfast and lunch are served outdoors on the patio or terrace. Various sanctuaries dot the garden, including the chapel and workshop venue, and a circular space created for meditating. Wander along the garden's winding paths, listening out for birdsong and stopping in shady arbours. Or browse the garden library.

Fourteen charming Cape Dutch-style cottages dot the property. Most sleep two, although single rates are available. Four library suites near the garden library have private patios; four thatched cottages overlook the duck pond; the secluded Beni Abbes hermitage cottage (named for a small monastery in the heart of the Sahara Desert) is serene, and two cosy spiral cottages lie near the garden well. The separate house has two bright bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a living room/dining area, and garden views.

Temenos, in typical retreat style, is designed for contemplation and restoration, so the pace of life is slow. Rest, wander through the garden, settle in a green arbour with a good book, or watch the birds. Join a yoga, tai chi or qi gong session, have a relaxing body treatment, or take an early-morning hike to Bushmans Kloof waterfall. Enjoy sumptuous homemade dishes at the restaurant, or in McGregor itself, which offers fine eateries, artisan gift shops and antique stores.