Welcome to Fancourt, South Africa’s award-winning golf resort! Located in the heart of the breathtaking Garden Route, just 7km away from George Airport (GRJ), Fancourt spans across 613 hectares of picturesque countryside at the foot of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains. Prepare for an unforgettable experience as we offer unrivaled luxury and hospitality at its best. Our resort boasts two five-star hotels, the Fancourt Hotel, and The Manor House Boutique Hotel, making it perfectly suited for both local and international guests.
It is 6:07 a.m. on a Friday morning. A sudden loud thump jolts me out of my sleep. I look around to see that neither my husband nor daughter have been catapulted from their beds and realize it’s probably a stray golf ball that hit the roof or an Egyptian goose that lost its way.
We had left home the day before and instead of driving for five hours, departed with Airlink from Cape Town to George. A mere 50 minutes later after a snack and drink on board the plane, we arrive at George Airport.
Brian from Fancourt is waiting at the airport to transfer us to our destination and along the way, the beautiful bougainvilleas that adorn the surrounding fencing give us a taste of what to expect; perfectly manicured lawns and flower beds.
We are met at reception by Michelle van der Westhuizen, who proceeds with our check-in and once that is done, Brian drives us in a golf cart to our 1-bedroom Suite, Room 528. It is one of the upstairs dwellings and the view over the golf course is magnificent.
Our Suite is large, with a separate lounge area where our daughter will be sleeping in her own bed. She loves the Fancourt Kidz embroidery on her duvet cover and wishes she could already go to sleep. Our room is decorated in stylish shades of grey with contrasting purple furnishings and the en-suite bathroom is a haven of tranquility with tiled floors, underfloor heating, and even a bidet.
We are having dinner at La Cantina and the menu is comprehensive. My husband and I both opted for the Calamari Fritti as a starter, served with an aioli sauce. Our daughter ordered the Margherita Pizza with extra salami while my husband and I decided on the Filleto Di Manzo for the main course, mine with fries and his with mash. We conclude our delicious meal with some homemade vanilla Ice Cream.
After over-indulging, we don’t feel like walking back to our room; instead request a porter to collect us and drive us to our room in a golf cart. Our beds have been turned down and after a cleansing shower with the Fancourt products, it is time for sleep.
Our daughter had already compiled an itinerary over dinner as to which activities we will be embarking on and since it’s all about families at Fancourt, we fall in with her plans. After breakfast, we start with cycling, followed by tennis, then swimming, and lastly, time spent in the Teen lounge playing air hockey, table tennis, table soccer, and snooker. In the late afternoon, we explore the glorious golf courses via golf cart and the scenery is breathtaking. A family of geese with twelve goslings waddles out of the dam to take a closer look at us.
The lively atmosphere is contagious at La Cantina and we savor on some excellent food again; my husband orders the Minestrone Soup while my daughter and I share a portion of Calamari Fritti. For the Main Course, she once again orders Pizza, this time the Kiddies size, I have the Costata di Manzo while my husband has the Pesce San Martino.
After a good night’s sleep, we head for breakfast at La Cantina where we eat to our heart’s content before checking out at 11 am. Brian drives us to George Airport where we wait for our flight at the exclusive use Fancourt airport lounge, which overlooks the runway.
At 14:10, I saw the Embraer 135 land on the runway. Not long after, we are requested to board the flight, and at 14:35, all passengers are seated and the Captain is ready to take off. Doors closed, and we departed earlier than scheduled on our Airlink flight back to Cape Town. A smooth flight and a drink and snack later, we start our descent and land 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Just another way Airlink makes flying a breeze.
***Thank you to Tarryn Talbot from Lesley Simpson Communications for arranging our stay. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Airlink – How to Get There
Airlink – is a privately owned airline business. The Regional Feeder Airline offers a wide network of regional and domestic flights within southern Africa and operates as a franchisee to SAA
Route Specific Information: Direct scheduled flights between Cape Town and Durban to George.
Connectivity: Through our alliance with SAA travelers can connect conveniently with SAA, their Partner airlines, and other carriers throughout Southern Africa and the world.
Frequent Flyer Program: Airlink is a member of the South African Airways (SAA) Loyalty program Voyager.
Flight Bookings: online, booking agent, or SAA Central Reservations +27 11 978 1111.
