Right on our doorstep. Yamu Botanicals and a fabulous new Barrydale experience

Posted on Tue August 19, 2025.

If you look out from the hotel front verandah or one of the upstairs room balconies, across and beyond the lavender field right across the street you'll see a broad field of green (mainly olive trees), that's the home of Yamu Botanicals and the Karooljie property which is currently under a rapid transformation into a world class herbal resource.

Yamu, under the leadership of owner and mentor Yvette Anderson uses the vast herb resource that Karooltjie has become to produce essential oils, incense, tinctures and loose herbs under their own brand.

Yvette Anderson and Thornton leading a group through the herb fields

Visit the Yamu website

Yamu herb field visits and 'tea parties' by appointment

But excitingly one of Yvettes team Thornton Reid-daly has started running conducted tours and tea and tincture tasting experiences in the Yamu herb fields. They're just a short walk up Van Riebeek and right just after the OK and there you'll find the entrance to Karooljie and an inspirational new world.

In Thorntons own words

Yamù Botanicals’ Medicinal Garden Walks offer a serene and enriching experience, inviting you to reconnect with nature and the healing energy of the elements—earth, fire, water, air, and ether. Explore the medicinal properties of plants through guided discovery, savor the soothing embrace of herbal teas and tinctures, and enjoy peaceful moments of mindfulness and reflection in a nurturing garden setting. Slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the natural world as a source of healing, wisdom, and balance.

Thornton and Yvette during a tincture tasting