An ethereal place cloistered among the sandstone near Elands Bay is a sanctuary suspended between otherworldly austerity and the pulsing vibrancy of Ibiza. Welcome to Planet Xancara.
Eight years ago, Joachim Pollet transformed this stretch of wilderness into a space where the elemental meets the exquisite. Nine luxurious glamping Bedouin tents (with toilets and outdoor showers) are perched like mirages on the rocky terrain, offering vistas so expansive they dissolve the line between earth and sky. There’s also additional space in six two-person dome tents with communal bathrooms.
At the heart of the experience is the grand main tent. This is an opulent sun lounge entwined with rock pools, a bar that never closes and a dance floor where the rhythms of House music ebb and flow with the passage of the day: mellow when the sun’s up and pumping techno ushering in the fiery sunsets.
The buffet cuisine is sensory heaven. Splendid salads, fresh stone-oven bread, gleaming fillets of meat and lobster verging on the mythical beckon. Indulge as you wish at this world apart.
Here, overlooking the Diepkloof Shelter where the first glimmers of human creativity were etched into stone 160 000 years ago, you can simply surrender to the magic by chilling and chilling some more. Or get busy-busy on organised hikes, swimming and climbing rocks. But save some spark to dance with the stars at night.
This is the very definition of a place you never knew you needed.
Witklip Farm: 072 2926264; Rates, depending on season: R1 850-R2 750pppn (incl accommodation, meals & select drinks with meals).
