ESCAPE TO A SUSTAINABLE GUEST HOUSE IN THE KLEIN KAROO
Cobus Van Wyk and Ruan Van De Venter have created a completely sustainable and off-the-grid haven at the foot of the Langeberg mountains.
Being mindful of every energy, water and food choice we make is getting more and more important. We took a trip to a self-sustainable hideaway in the Klein Karoo that relies on the sun for power and the soil for food. The cottages and the main house run off solar and are completely off-grid.
Hosts, Ruan and Cobus, welcome travelers to their 110-hectare off-the-grid farm between Barrydale and Montagu. Nestled amongst fynbos flora, their cottages provide uninterrupted views across the valleys, offering the perfect retreat for discerning travellers looking for refuge in nature.
After sixteen years of living in the cool weather of The British Isles, the simple, climate-altering genius of greenhouse technology is one which Cobus has learned to make the most of.
The stone wall functions as a natural energy reservoir or battery, retaining heat or cool for hours. The feel of the iron-clad barn-like structures evokes cottages in the rugged Scottish highlands, which the owners loved escaping to. So, the atmosphere inside had to be one of seclusion and self-reliance.
Specialist local architect, Etienne Britz, was the mind behind the modern yet natural structures.
Whether you’re running the five-kilometre trail starting at the pile of stones near the top of the main road that runs past the cottages to the main house, or just taking the sights in like framed paintings, the design has you feeling like you have it all to yourself.
Suidster is the perfect rental if you have that book to write or just need time out with your thoughts. Out there, the flatness stimulates the mind, and the mountains excite the emotions.
Life centres around food at Suidster and whether you’re cooking or eating, it always feels like you’re doing it in the great outdoors. Beyond growing what he eats, this is fine therapy for the man with the green fingers. Resisting the convenience of a visit to the supermarket, to fully sustain yourself out here you have to be mindful of the seasons and work with them.
What Cobus and Ruan are also inviting us to do is be mindful of how we can sustain ourselves, live off the grid, from the land, and recognize how better to tap into renewable living.
Book your stay at this gem of a getaway here.
