Pri Kafolu: A Beautiful Location in the Soca Valley Slovenia

Tourist farm Pri Kafolu is one of those family-run accommodation where you truly feel like you’re at home.

Add in a beautiful location with views to the Soca River valley and the surrounding mountains and it’s a wonderful choice for exploring the Soca Valley in Slovenia.

It might be one of the best places to stay in the Soca Valley.

Let’s start with some basic information.

 

Where is Pri Kafolu?

Pri Kafolu is located near the town of Tolmin — a town along the Soca River.

Tolmin is just southeast of Triglav National Park and northwest of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

This tourist farm, as it’s known in Slovenia, is specifically in the small settlement of Prapetno.

It’s not difficult to find as most navigation systems will get you there without sending you down some random road.

I used Google maps and found it easily.

Just know that it’s not in a town, but in what I call a settlement, in the countryside.

So you’ll be surrounded by fields, chickens, cows, a few houses with locals and lots of fresh air.

Yet, you are close enough to the town of Tolmin so you have access to restaurants, shops and grocery stores.

Note: It will be best to have a car to explore this area.

 

The house

The house sits up a bit on a hill so has some wonderful views.

It’s not a fancy or luxurious house, but more simple and basic yet quite lovely.

There’s a good sized yard with a wood burning fireplace and a kids’ playset off to one side if you’re traveling with younger children.

Tomaz, the owner, has a small bar downstairs where some of the locals drop by for a drink.

I think this makes Pri Kafolu more of a local hangout which is awesome as you get to mingle with the locals as well as other travelers.

You’ll find an outdoor patio at the back of the house with wooden tables where you can eat dinner on nice evenings, or simply sit and enjoy the views with your travel companion or some new friends.

And there’s ample parking to one side of the house which is a nice feature.

 

The rooms at Pri Kafolu

As I mentioned above, Pri Kafolu is not luxurious.

It’s simple and basic.

So the rooms are simple and basic, yet clean and very affordable.

There are 8 double rooms, 2 family rooms and 3 apartments of varying sizes, 2 of which can accommodate up to 5 people.

I had a small en suite double room with a balcony.

The bed is comfortable but I wasn’t sleeping with 4 huge fluffy pillows.

But I certainly had what I needed in a warm comforter, decent pillows and a firm mattress.

I had towels for the bathroom which has a hot shower with good pressure.

There’s soap and a hair dryer as well.

In the hallway, you’ll find a basket with extra toilet paper if you need it.

For me the best part was having the balcony with its small table and chairs.

It made a great place for me to sit and work on my laptop and to have a snack or a glass of wine and take in the views.

One downfall is that they don’t come in to clean your room each day.

I think this is simply the nature of some basic accommodation that aren’t really guesthouses, b&b’s or hotels.

For some folks, this might be fine while others might prefer someone to come in and tidy up each day.

However, I often find that all you have to do is ask, and they will come in to give you fresh towels, empty the trash and clean up a bit.

In hindsight, I should have asked.

 

Breakfast

I stayed for 4 nights at Pri Kafolu.

Unfortunately, Tomaz’s mom — who does a lot of the cooking — was on holiday.

So I didn’t get to taste her cooking.

However, Tomaz did a wonderful job!

Breakfast is abundant with plates of eggs, meats, cheeses, tomatoes; baskets of breads; bowls of fresh yogurt and cereal.

You’ll find a big bowl of fresh whole fruit if you want an apple, pear or banana.

There are juices and a self-service coffee machine where you can have a latte, americano or cappuccino.

One of my favorite things was the fresh butter which is the creamiest and tastiest butter I think I’ve ever had.

You certainly won’t go hungry!

 

Dinner

You can have dinner at Pri Kafolu as well.

I highly recommend eating an evening meal here at least once.

I actually ate here twice.

The first night I was the only person there.

But Tomaz put together a very tasty meal of some incredibly tender beef on a bed of arugula (rocket) and what looked like a pizza — called a frika.

Frika is made from potatoes and Tolmin cheese.

Potatoes and cheese are always a good thing in my book.

It was delicious if a bit too much for me.

The second dinner was probably one of the tastiest meals I had in this 9 week trip.

Seriously.

First let me say that I’m not a meat eater in the States.

I’m a vegetarian who eats dairy, eggs on occasion and fish every now and again (though not often and only when I feel I am getting fresh fish or seafood).

But this traditional dish, called podpeka, is made in a large skillet and is comprised of beef, chicken, potatoes and other vegetables.

It’s slow cooked in a wood fired chimney/fire pit/barbecue.

And it is so incredibly delicious!

I stuffed myself silly on the large plate of food I was given.

I didn’t care.

And we were served a luscious dessert of vanilla ice cream with a mixed berry sauce on top.

I was so full I thought I might burst.

But it was definitely one of the best meals I had in Slovenia and on the entire trip.

So…

Don’t miss having dinner at Pri Kafolu — at least once.

 

Tomaz

I really like Tomaz.

He and I had the opportunity to chat a few times during my stay.

I learned a bit more about Slovenia and the Slovenian people who are proud and a bit stubborn.

They aren’t particularly trusting of institutions like banks.

So expect to pay cash in a lot of places throughout Slovenia.

I found this interesting but really not surprising given their history.

In all honesty, I love the Slovenian people because they are so kind and so fiercely proud.

I also love their stunningly beautiful country!

Tomaz is a helpful host who gives you information you need for your time in the Soca Valley.

He has suggestions on trails, sites and towns to visit in the area.

And he will arrange any activity for you as well.

Many folks come here to fish as the Soca River is one of the best places in the world to fish.

So Tomaz will call one of the guides he works with so you can fish the Soca River with an excellent guide.

If you’re into fishing, then definitely make a trip to the Soca River and definitely stay at Pri Kafolu.

Tomaz will take good care of you!

 

A few last thoughts on Pri Kafolu

I loved my 4 day stay at Pri Kafolu.

Yes, it’s pretty basic when it comes to accommodation.

So it’s not for you if you are expecting a luxurious room.

But I had a cozy bed, a hot shower and a balcony with fabulous views and I had scrumptious, fresh food.

Breakfast is delicious and plentiful and dinners are well worth the €15.

Pri Kafolu is homey as it should be — that’s the idea of farm stays in this part of the world.

I think for me it really is the setting of this tourist farm.

The views are gorgeous.

 

You get to hear the chickens and roosters and cows.

It’s easy to get to the sites of the Soca Valley.

And the river is very close for those who come to fish.

I love that the locals drop by the bar.

Pri Kafolu really is a local place for the people of Prapetno.

This was a surprise and a welcome treat.

And you can’t beat the price.

This is one of the most affordable places to stay in the area.

So if you’re planning to travel to the Soca Valley in Slovenia — which is a destination I highly recommend — then consider a stay at Pri Kafolu.

 

This is part of a series I call Charming Places — a series in which I talk about the places I stay. From B&B’s, hotels and guesthouses to apartments and farm stays, I’ll give my honest thoughts on these spaces. I’ve found that the accommodation I choose to stay often directly affects how I feel about a particular destination. And how I connect with that location and its people. So I want to share these places with you by dishing out a bit of info and some of my opinions.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Tourist Farm Pri Kafolu so my stay was discounted. However all opinions are my own.