Over the Christmas holidays my hubs 
Swellendam is the greenest, smallest town I have seen. It has this quaint old-timey feeling, mainly due to the stunning old buildings that are all over. Most of the older buildings have thatched roofs.
There's not much to do except EAT. There are something like 35 restaurants in the town, and it's only about four roads large! It's one of those places that you go to chill the fok out, unwind, read a book, take in some history, and get a massage.
One of my favourite attractions in Swellendam is the Rain Spa. Rain is an ethical, organic from the earth spa and beauty product store. I was already familiar with the brand as there is a branch here in Cape Town, but I was keen to visit their Swellendam store too.
I really wanted to fit in a massage or treatment, but our stay in Swellendam was short and there wasn't much time. The treatments all use from-the-earth products, and have names such as Metamorphis, Cocoon, and Elephant Walk. Focusing on African ingredients and experiences, it sounds a little pretentious but I was very keen to try it out.
We did have time to check out the retail store, and I was able to purchase a few of the luxurious soaps and bath salt concoctions. They have stunning massage bars, which are compact oils, which melt upon touching skin.
I really liked the experience of being in the store. The products smelt amazing, and there was an incredible bright light, with lots of green plants and creepers everywhere.
The soaps are all natural, and the shop assistant told me that each bar has about six people in the manufacturing process. I was also excited to hear that Rain has a training system for therapists, or trainee therapists, from disadvantaged areas. If a therapist trains through their program, they are also first to be considered for employment in the Rain spas. I really loved hearing that, as I am so passionate about giving back to communities.
When we got back to Cape Town, I was so excited to try out some of the products, but my massage bar (the item I was most looking forward to using) had melted on the journey home! I was SO sad! Lulz. Summer in Africa, hey.
Rain has branches all over South Africa, and there are even a few abroad, in Manhattan, California and Ireland. You can find out more about them here.
I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of my holiday, and that I was able to properly portray to you my experience, but if you felt that I did not (or even that I did) please let me know in your comments below. Feedback and criticism is important, as we cannot move forward without knowing if we have made mistakes, or have room for improvement.
