Off-grid self-catering, Western Cape
Your own wood‑fired hot tub. 25 km outside Swellendam.
Three hand-built, off-grid self-catering units: a family house, a log cabin for two, and a luxury caravan.
4.8219 reviews on LekkeSlaap
Meerkat's patio. Your tub, your view.
Built by hand
“We literally did the building work ourselves.”
It took us (my husband and I) little less than a year to build the first house. We bought the vacant land and built this place from scratch, on our own, just weekends.
Every little detail you find inside and outside these accommodation units are built by us: our hands, our sweat, a whole lot of endurance and hard work.
a big mountain of faith & a whole lot of miracles!
We used real stones and alien vegetation (black wattle, pine, blue gum) for all the items that are made.
We do not have any staff at all. We clean your house, we pack the bags of wood which are in your house on arrival. We are the people that are making all your food and drinks.
Almarie du Toit, owner
- 2017Vlakvark opened for guests on 1 February.
- 2018The log cabin, Meerkat, on 16 March.
- 2019BushCat on 15 February.
Three units
Pick your fire.
All our units have their own private wood-fired hot tub and braai facilities on the patio. Totally off the grid, with solar and gas.
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Designed for families with kids or dogs or just for those friends that need some quality time together around a fire.
- 2 bedrooms (3 beds), 1 to 5 guests
- Shower, toilet, baby bath and a low basin, ideal for children
- Open-plan lounge with a fireplace
- 4-burner gas stove (just the plates, no oven), fridge/freezer
- Pet-friendly by arrangement, and fenced off
- Ouma se Spens, a display case of products for sale
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With your own private wood-fired hot tub and braai facilities on your patio, as well as an inside fireplace, this is the perfect place for your mid-week holiday or just a weekend away.
- 1 bedroom with a double bed, sleeps 2
- A huge bath, shower, toilet and the Meerkat basin
- Inside fireplace
- 4-burner gas stove (just the plates, no oven), fridge/freezer
- Unfortunately not pet-friendly
- Meerkat se Gat, a display case of products for sale
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Designed for those couples where the one partner loves camping and the other partner is not so fond of the idea of camping.
- Sleeps 2 guests
- Caravan, patio, bathroom and wood-fired hot tub all under 1 roof
- A donkey-heated system for hot water: make a fire for hot water in the shower and taps (wood provided)
- 2-burner gas stove (just the plates, no oven), fridge/freezer
- Pet-friendly by arrangement, and fenced off
In every unit: bedding and linen, warm blankets for the winter, 1 towel per guest, an eco-friendly fan, a mosquito machine and tablets, 2 toilet rolls, dishwashing liquid, a tea towel and sponge, black bags, and a few sachets of coffee, sugar and rooibos tea.
Heat your own tub
18°
Rainwater, straight from the tank.No electricity required. Light the fire and watch the gauge.
A bag of black wattle in.The bags of wood are packed in your unit before you arrive.
Pour the wine.The steam is lifting off the water now.
Get in.1 to 3 hours. No electricity. Just a bag of wood.
No Eskom.
No noise.
Just this.
- Eco-friendly and totally off the grid, with solar and gas. We do not have any Eskom here.
- We only have rainwater here. It is clean rain water and safe to drink.
The lapa
Hakuna Matata.It means “no worries”.
The lapa is open for all our guests. Everything here is made from scratch: real homemade products and food without any MSG, colorants or flavorants. We only use Eureka Mills flour for our sourdough bread (blik broodjies) and pizza bases.
Remember to order your platter 1 day in advance!
Our favourite platter is named after the lapa: Hakuna Matata. It comes with cold meats, dry sausage, biltong, freshly baked bread, cheese, jams and jellies, and jalapeño chutney.
From the braai counter: boerewors, chicken kebabs, pork chops, pork rashers, biltong, droëwors, matured rump and T-bone, lamb chops, ribs and lots more.
Firewood: bags of black wattle braai wood, kindling and packets of Blitz.
Lapa prices are not listed online. WhatsApp us for prices.
What guests say
4.8/ 5
Almarie has hosted on LekkeSlaap for 9 years and usually responds within an hour.
Read all 219 on LekkeSlaapThe perfect tranquil getaway.
This was the perfect stay in the mountains: tranquility and peace, and of course a hot tub. I would recommend this for a quiet time away from the noisy city life; this is doing your peace justice.
Out of this world!
The most amazing and romantic getaway. Almarie is super hands-on and very attentive. We loved every second.
Great little cabin for a quiet and comfy stay.
The cabin was so lovely, so cosy and quiet. I loved all the extras, platters to order, and a stocked shop to buy from. I felt very taken care of!
Fantastic time. Will definitely be back again for another visit.
Always such a lovely time at Believers Destiny Getaway. Almarie is a fantastic host.
Escape from reality.
Our stay was wonderful and so blissful. We were able to switch off for a few days from the busy rush of every day and just enjoy nature. They really think of everything and everything you need is there.
Heaven on earth.
I really enjoyed my time in Meerkat, will definitely be back. Fully rested and the hospitality is of high quality. The cute things for sale are a plus.
Super Summer Special
Stay longer, pay less.
Valid from 22 October 2026 to 31 January 2027.
2 to 4 nights
Option 1: get 20% discount on all accommodation rates and get free goodies as well.
Option 2: get 30% discount on all accommodation rates and no free goodies.
5 nights or more
Option 1: get 30% discount on all accommodation rates and get free goodies as well.
Option 2: get 40% discount on all accommodation rates and no free goodies.
The free goodies
- 1 bag of braai wood
- 1 bag of kindling
- A voucher of R80 on any meat products, or 1 of Siska's art collectables
- 1 of Jireh Dairies handcrafted cheeses, or 1 packet of VARSgebak homemade cookies and a marshmallow fondant cookie
- 1 of Elana's jams, or 1 of our farm-fresh homemade organic bottled salads or chutneys
- 1 bottle of wine, jeripigo, non-alcoholic champagne or cordial, or 1 pot of Laharna olives
Rates 2026per night, in rand
| Unit | Sun to Thu | Fri & Sat | 9 Dec to 10 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlakvark, 1 to 2 people | R1 100 | R1 430 | R1 540 |
| Vlakvark, 3 people | R1 650 | R2 145 | R2 310 |
| Vlakvark, 4 people | R2 200 | R2 860 | R3 080 |
| Vlakvark, 5 people | R2 750 | R3 575 | R3 850 |
| Meerkat, 1 to 2 people | R1 100 | R1 430 | R1 540 |
| BushCat, 1 to 2 people | R745 | R1 050 | R1 150 |
Children in Vlakvark
| Age | Sun to Thu | Fri & Sat | 9 Dec to 10 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | Stay for free | ||
| 3 to 10 years | R256 | R286 | R300 |
| 11 to 15 years | R315 | R345 | R345 |
- Minimum 2 nights (weekdays and weekends). Minimum 3 on long weekends.
- Pets R100 per night (Vlakvark and BushCat, by arrangement).
- Regular rates apply from 1 April 2026 to 28 February 2027. Rates are subject to change without prior notice.
Know before you go.
- Solar power
- Please do not bring along anything that works with an element. We are on solar: no hairdryers, straighteners, heaters, electric blankets, coffee machines etc.
- No candles
- Please, no candles on the premises, as this can lead to huge runaway fires.
- 4,5 km of gravel
- You will need to travel on a gravel road (4,5 km) to get to us. Please enquire about the condition of the road before booking.
- Rainwater
- The water here is clean rain water and safe to drink.
- Check-in and out
- Check-in is any time from 14h00 to 19h00. Check-out is strictly at 10h00.
- Minimum stay
- A minimum of 2 nights stay, no 1 night bookings, and a minimum of 3 nights for long weekends. A deposit must be paid to confirm and secure your booking.
- Hot tub
- Wood-fired hot tubs can be preheated at an additional charge.
- Deposit
- A once-off, fully refundable breakage deposit of up to R2 000 on every confirmed booking. You are very welcome to pay a R500 cleaning fee on check out.
- Cancellation
- Cancelled less than 30 days before arrival: all monies paid are non-refundable. Cancelled more than 1 month before arrival: 50% of the amount paid is refunded.
- Keep it quiet
- Loud music, excessive drinking and destructive actions (including paintball guns and air rifles) are strictly prohibited.
- Bushveld neighbours
- You may have close encounters with natural fauna such as field mice, spiders, birds, snakes and other small animals and insects.
Find us
Plot 537, Rietkuil, Suurbraak.
25 km outside Swellendam, in the direction of Heidelberg (Western Cape), and 10 km from Suurbraak.
- Take the N2 east. Drive past Swellendam and past Buffeljagsrivier Garage.
- Just after the sign Heidelberg 30 km, over the hill, turn left at the green sign for Suurbraak onto a gravel road.
- After 600 m, take the gravel road to the right.
- Continue straight on this road for approximately 3.17 km and turn left.
- Continue on this gravel road, keeping right, for approximately 512 m. The lapa and reception will be on the right-hand side.
- Take the N2 to Mossel Bay. Drive past Albertinia, Riversdale and Heidelberg.
- From Heidelberg, after 28 km, you will get a huge green sign on your left-hand side: Niekerkshek Suurbraak. Turn right here onto a gravel road.
- Questions on the road? WhatsApp 064 177 3946.
Book your fire.
Bookings and availability by WhatsApp or email. Almarie usually responds within an hour.
WhatsApp 064 177 3946