Every now and then, you stumble upon a place so special, so deeply aligned with your own rhythm, that words start to fall short. That’s what Kruijd is. A retreat tucked into the Wellington valley, lovingly created by Hannes and Tina — two extraordinary souls who have built something rare: a space where beauty, stillness, and intention converge.

At Kruijd, the pace is slower by design. Their philosophy, “faster is not always better”, is not just a sentiment — it’s a way of life. From the moment we arrived, we felt it in our bones. The invitation to exhale, to disconnect from our screens, and to gently return to ourselves. No performance, no pressure. Just presence.

Every corner of Kruijd feels like it’s been dreamt into being. The rooms are unlike anywhere I’ve stayed — not simply decorated, but composed, like works of art. Each window is perfectly positioned to frame a different part of the landscape: trees swaying in the wind, a sliver of mountain, or the valley blushing in the morning light. There’s a quiet kind of magic in this intentional design, a soft reminder that nature doesn’t need to be curated — only noticed.

Our days unfolded with the kind of freedom we rarely allow ourselves. We read. We napped. We wandered. We sipped sundowners overlooking the dam as the sky melted into layers of pink and orange. We moved gently through a morning yoga session, the sounds of birds and rustling leaves our soundtrack. Above all, we truly gave ourselves permission to be bored — a luxury in today’s world.

One of the most unexpectedly joyful moments was entering the Mud Hut — a space to play, to get our hands dirty, to remember what it felt like to be kids again. At first, we looked for instructions (as adults do). But soon, we were immersed — mixing mud, building shapes with sticks, laughing without reason. It was wonderfully grounding, delightfully silly, and completely freeing.

And the food? I can’t not mention the food. Each meal was an explosion of colour, texture, and heartfelt flavour. Truly farm-to-table, but more than that — soul-to-table. You could taste that Tina and her team cook with so much care. We found ourselves saying “wow” after every bite, completely enamoured with the way each dish told a story of seasonality, nourishment, and creativity.

Only an hour outside of Cape Town, Kruijd feels like another world. A softer one. It’s the kind of place that stays with you — not just as a memory, but as a shift in perspective. A reminder that time is a gift, that simplicity can be profound, and that stillness is sometimes the most luxurious thing of all.

I’m already dreaming of my return.