There is just something charming about a cabin in the woods, or in this case, the Cederberg Mountains.
The feeling of isolation in the middle of mother nature.
Where you revel in the abundance of family and friends, bellyaching laughter, tired feet, warm butternut soup with homemade bread, hot steaming coffee each morning and rich, creamy hot chocolate by the fire each night. A sense of home can be felt as the light shines through the cold and misty evening air, glowing underneath winter-bare trees and mountain passes. A beacon of light leading you home.
Then oh so suddenly this rustic cabin transforms in the daylight to become a shelter from the heat. Your refuge between dips in the icy mountain water and sips of lemon ice tea. A place for sunshine picnics on the lush summer grass. A stronghold, protecting your belongings as you set off into nature to conquer the landscape.
From a simple cabin to a campsite under the trees, from a walk to the neighbouring waterfall to a pig that believes he is a horse, from roaming alpacas to an old family museum… This is the magic of Driehoek Guest Farm.
Driehoek Guest Farm is a private, family-run farm; hidden within the great Cederberg Wilderness Area. A family treasure that dates back to the early 1800s, six generations ago today.
In days gone by, Driehoek was merely a farm producing apples, peaches, pears and livestock, but today, has a promising vineyard on the rise. The young vineyard saw their first vines planted as recently as 2006, with their first bottle from the harvest being delivered in 2009. Since then, Driehoek wines have already been making a name for themselves and winning some major awards. Their 2014 Driehoek Shiraz even won gold at the Syrah du Monde competition in France, beating out 372 entries from 26 countries! You can read all about it on their site.
Driehoek Guest Farm is a fantastic family-friendly escape, ideal for some camping in the great outdoors and serves as the perfect base for some of the more well-known hiking trails and attractions. However, it’s still completely isolated, meaning you are alone with nature to be still in its tranquillity. There is also the option for a little more comfort with their cabins and chalets.
We arrived at the cabin in late August. Winter was still very much upon us and a cold front from the west seemed to be following us everywhere we went. Parking right outside our cabin, we hurried inside and slammed the door shut, immediately defaulting back to rubbing our hands together to foster some warmth. We had already arrived pretty late into the day, but we were itching to get out and explore the vast Cederberg Wilderness. After a quick snack and unpack, we zipped up our thickest jackets and fastened our shoelaces. Daylight was fading and would kiss us goodbye within the hour, but not before we made it to the waterfall at the top of the mountain range!
A sense of peace filled the air as we started walking. With each step, we took deep, refreshing breaths in and out. Gliding our hands along the fynbos as we went and desperately trying to track down the mysterious mountain leopard. Although we never came across one of these elusive creatures, we did find our way to the waterfall. The sound of the water crashing down the valley echoed through the mountains as the sun began to ease below the horizon. A quick meander about and a few playful jumps over the stream between the cascades satisfied our adventurous spirits before we continued back home to our little cabin in the mountains.
Nearing the home stretch, we caught a glimpse of some horses and a lonely pig wandering along the koppie – in no rush to be anywhere at any time. Chilly, happy and barely able to navigate with what was remaining of the daylight, we arrived to a warm and welcome surprise on our stoep. A lone bottle of that beautiful Driehoek wine bravely waiting to rescue us from the cold. All that was left to do was to cook some warm dinner, admire the magnificent stars as they danced across the Cederberg sky and then spend our evening in front of the fire with a glass of wine in hand.
A comfy night’s sleep separated us from a whole new day filled with exploration.
There are quite a few accommodation options on offer at Driehoek Guest Farm, suiting a variety of travellers’ needs. Are you more of a camper? Do you look for a few more creature comforts? Are you clutching the keys to your camper van? Great! You can book a fully-equipped chalet, a camping spot for your tent or for your camper if you’re looking for that van life. We, however, decided to stay in the larger cabin right next to the river, River Cottage.
The cabin itself is very basic, but definitely didn’t leave us wanting.
Wood Cabins: There are 5 cabins in total around the campsite. Only three of them have their own ablution facilities (shower & toilet).
Self-Catering Chalets: These offer you a little more comfort. They can also fit more people, e.g. Groothuis Chalet can sleep up to 12 people!
Camping Grounds: The campgrounds are nice and each camping zone has been sectioned off and you are provided with a little braai.
Rates do not include bedding. Bedding will be provided at an additional cost of R 110.00
There are so many adventures to be had at Driehoek Guest Farm, from completing short hikes on the property like the waterfall loop, to checking out the old stone leopard cage, the bird hut and even viewing bushman paintings. You could go fishing, wandering through the vineyards, get acquainted with the farm animals, take a peek inside the old family museum, or take on some of the more challenging and famous hiking trails like Wolfberg Arch.
On the farm, there is a pig named Wortels who believes he is a horse. He sleeps with them, eats with them and follows them around the whole day. They have fully accepted him to their herd and are now best friends. Make sure you look out for them, they are really cute!
Our cabin was packed full of useful kitchen appliances, cutlery and crockery to make our self-catering experience really pleasant.
Since you are alone in nature, embrace a slower life, try out a new recipe, eat according to the season, make food an experience driven by you.
Let’s get one thing clear, it seems to us that Cederberg’s weather is always extreme!
If you visit in the summer months, you can expect a scorching hot day, filled with sunblock, and hours of much-needed swimming! Temperatures can reach as high as 30-38°C, sometimes even climbing into the early 40s, but the evenings do cool down enough for you to enjoy a summer’s dinner under the night sky.
If you visit in the winter, however, you can expect relatively warm sunny days, but the mornings and evenings are a different story and can be quite bone-chilling.
That means that Spring and Autumn are your more favourable months.
In spite of this, we visited in winter and it meant that we had a totally unique experience. And yes, we loved it! Besides one other family, we had the whole place to ourselves.
Summers (November to Mid-March) are hot and dry.
Autumn (Mid-March to April) are warm in the daytime, while a little cooler in the evenings.
Winter (May to Mid-August) have comparably high daytime temperatures for winter. The evenings and mornings prove to be chilly. You could also be faced with one or two rainy days.
Spring (September to October) The winters have passed and the flower season is in full swing!
If you are looking for a “QQG” (quick and quiet getaway), your best option is to travel down from Cape Town as it is only a 3-hour drive. However, the Cederberg is such an attraction in itself, we highly recommend that you do your very best to get down there and check it out no matter where you’re coming from. It’s magical!
We’d recommend staying for at least 3 or 4 full days. There is just too much to see and do, plus you still need that relax and do nothing time.
HOWEVER, more importantly, we think you should travel the whole Cederberg Wilderness Area for at least a week! Hiking, driving or camping – you’ve got to experience the Cederberg!
You can call or email Lizette directly from their site or simply–
email: driehoekcederberg@gmail.com.
We visited Driehoek Guest Farm while on our 64-day road trip through South Africa.
Here are some other posts to guide you on your adventures:
Disclosure: We received a sponsored stay at Driehoek Guest Farm in exchange for this written article and inclusion in our video travel guide series. We always give our honest opinions and beliefs on products and services; our views, reviews and opinions are entirely our own. See our Disclaimer Policy for more info.
2 Comments
Very well written blog Tammy!
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So glad you like it!🧡