Top Farmhouses to Book During Your Stay in South Africa

Renting a farmhouse doesn’t mean being stuck out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. In the heart of the Breede River Valley, this cluster of properties is on a working fruit, wine and honey farm, surrounded by mountains. You can help harvest the fruit, make jam or wine, or try beekeeping, hiking, swimming or mountain biking while staying in houses that sleep between two and nine people.

Families will love staying on this farm between the Cogmanskloof gorge and the Keisie River. Children are encouraged to roam around and make themselves at home, enjoying the large playground, shallow dam and trampoline, or helping feed the animals. The farm also has five dogs always ready to play, family-friendly hiking trails, an outdoor swimming pool and a guesthouse with five guest rooms or a self-contained cottage with three bedrooms and a private patio.

There’s the perfect accommodation for everyone at Oakhurst Farm Cottages – whether you’re a couple hoping for some R&R or a family with up-at-dawn children. The property comprises farm cottages, an old schoolhouse and even tents with private decks by the water. Everyone will enjoy the well-marked forest hiking trails, horse riding and heavenly farm shop stocked with home-made produce, barbecue baskets and picnic hampers.

Foodies will appreciate these lovingly restored stone cottages in Nieuwoudtville, where life revolves around the thriving farm kitchen. Breakfast is included for non-self-catering guests, but anyone can order home-cooked meals so that they don’t have to lift a finger on holiday. It’s also possible to pick up picnic baskets from chef Alrie or just stop by any time to sample that day’s sweet treats. Work up an appetite first by exploring the mountain bike trails, hiking to the nearby waterfall or swimming in the natural rock pool.

To really get away from it all, this secluded corbelled house sits on a dirt road with no electricity, mobile phone reception or wifi. However, it has endless star-spangled skies above. This domed stone property is a unique structure thought to only exist in South Africa; it’s a national monument that will be all yours for a stay like no other, with space for six guests over three bedrooms.

If you yearn for peace and quiet but don’t want to go too far off the beaten track, this 150ha (371 acres) organic timber farm in the Drakensberg mountain range is the ideal compromise. Comprising bungalows, studio rooms and mountain-facing cottages with two or three bedrooms, the farm has a licensed bar, a restaurant, a tea garden and a library, along with a children’s playroom, football nets and table tennis.

The Tenahead Lodge and Spa, the highest mountain lodge in South Africa, is 2,500m (8,202ft) above sea level along the border of Lesotho near Rhodes. It’s built from layered stone from the local area and is utterly unspoilt, with seven ensuite bedrooms inside and a restaurant warmed by an open fire. For those looking to relax, there’s also an on-site spa offering massages, facials and manicures.

City slickers can sample a taste of rural life at this four-star guesthouse, set within immaculate gardens with an outdoor pool, and it’s only a half-hour from the Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport. There are also two major golf courses and two shopping centres minutes away, and several restaurants are within walking distance. The guesthouse has a bar and provides a complimentary full breakfast, free parking and an airport shuttle.

Get as close as you dare to the Big Five by staying at this peaceful farm in the eastern Lowveld, near the sprawling game reserves of the Mpumalanga-Limpopo border region. You can choose between self-catering or B&B while staying at the farmhouse or in individual chalets and spend days boating on the Blyde River, birdwatching or fishing. Also, spy lions at the famous Kruger National Park, just 40km (25mi) away.

Find somewhere to stay whatever your budget at this coastal farm on the Garden Route. Well-priced options at this Christian property include guesthouse B&B rooms, which can sleep between two and six people, three self-catering cottages and a caravan park overlooking the Outeniqua Mountains. There’s also a fireside lounge, a small chapel, a restaurant, a swimming pool, horse riding, croquet and tennis, while beautiful Victoria Bay is a short drive away for an ocean swim.