Aloe Cottage is self-catering holiday accommodation in Darling. Only a short drive from Cape Town, it's the perfect weekend escape for couples or families who want to get away with their pups.

Aloe Cottage might be showing it's years a little, but it still makes a really nice break from the City, and a comfortable stay.

Should you wish to break away during the week, Aloe Cottage also provides free Wifi - perfectly capable to maintain a remote working environment.

Inside, you'll find three en-suite bedrooms which sleep up to six people. Two of the bedrooms have queen-sized beds, and there is a smaller room downstairs with two twin beds. The main bedroom has a full bathroom inclusive of bath and shower, and a cute little terrace with french doors to enjoy the sunrise. It also has blackout curtains - just in case you don't wish to rise with the sun. The loft makes up the third bedroom and comprises of bed, en-suite and even a little pyjama lounge with TV and DVD player - a great area to put the kids if the adults want to enjoy some adult time downstairs. The Victorian bath is in the loft however - and the windows have the most epic views over the wheat fields and sunrise - so this might be a tough call.

If you do wish to sleep in the loft and are brining dogs, the stairs can be tricky as they are wide apart (height) and quite slippery. Our dogs found them really challenging and we had to help them up and down - so decided to sleep in the main bedroom downstairs instead.

The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you'll need to whip up a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It comes with wine glasses, coffee machine (bring own pods), coffee plunger (bring own grounds), kettle, oven, stove, microwave, full refrigerator/freezer, crockery and cutlery, dishwashing liquid and dishcloths. If you don't feel like doing dishes, there is even a dishwasher & washing machine for longer stays. Braai utensils are also supplied.

There's an indoor fireplace (ideal if you're planning a winter getaway to Darling) and a gorgeous Victorian bathtub that beckons a glass of wine and a good book in the loft upstairs. We actually made use of the indoor fireplace during our stay in late September as the evenings were quite cool. The fireplace really warmed up the lounge area very nicely.

We really enjoyed sitting on the verandah with the dogs and they had fun in the garden.

If you'd like to watch DSTV, there is a television both downstairs as well as in the loft upstairs. Both also have a DVD player with ample DVDs provided for large variety of tastes.

Two mountain bikes are available to use free of charge, and firewood is included in your rate.