Forest View Yurt

Southern Yurts provides guests with an unforgettable glamping retreat on Porcupine Hills Guest Farm.

Set in a beautiful location with expansive views of the conservancy, Forest View Yurt offers guests private self-catering facilities, a wood-fired hot tub, and a unique accommodation getaway experience. Enjoy a local wine from our Sundowner basket while watching the sunset, experience a hike or walk on one of the many trails, or simply relax into nature with a candle-lit hot tub under the stars.

Please visit www.southernyurts.co.za to book online, or contact Kate at info@southernyurts.co.za or 0760607424 (Whatsapp only) with any queries.

Location
Southern Yurts is situated within the Diepklowe Private Nature Reserve of Porcupine Hills Guest Farm, approximately 1,5 hours from Cape Town. This stunning location forms the perfect setting to experience a getaway in a Yurt.

Forest View Yurt is nestled on a sloping hill that overlooks the Secret Forest and riverine area. This north-facing yurt is positioned for the perfect sunrise and sunset, complete with a private wood-fired hot tub. The yurt is accompanied by a private and distinctive self-catering kitchen cabin with an indoor fireplace, daybed and small deck. Next to the kitchen cabin is a unique bathroom with a shower. Nothing about this accommodation is ordinary - if you're looking for an original and comfortable stay in breathtaking nature, the Forest View Yurt will provide it all.

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Yurt Facilities
The yurt (bedroom) is equipped with all bedding and towels, spare blankets, a fan (summer) and heater (winter), a hot water bottle for cooler evenings, a chest of drawers, binoculars and wildlife/tree books, other reading material and a drawer with games. Charging points are located next to the bed.

The kitchen is fully equipped with all the essentials: tea, filter coffee, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper. As a self-catering kitchen, you can expect a kettle, toaster, small fridge, mini-oven and electric cooking plate, fireplace, crockery, pots, utensils and cutlery. We supply three crates of firewood, matches and firelighters (more wood can be bought at R50 per crate if needed).

The bathroom has a gas-geyser hot-water shower, with toilet and basin. Shampoo, soaps, and toilet paper is provided, as well as your towels and hand towels.

Dogs
As animal lovers, we are pet-friendly (this must be pre-arranged/stated upon booking), but we do charge an additional cleaning fee of R100 per pet per night (capped at R200), payable before arrival. This covers the unavoidable extra cleaning that our dear furry friends bring to the site.

Pets are accepted on the condition that you bring their own beds, and that if pets are used to sleeping on the bed/daybed, that you bring a throw to cover the furniture/beds.

Guest access

Porcupine Hills Guest Farm is home to a small olive growing operation and a nature conservancy, and guests staying at Southern Yurts are situated in the conservancy with full access to the farm during their stay.

With the Secret Forest just a few meters away, guests staying at Forest View Yurt can enjoy the indigenous riverine area that is also scattered with ancient fruit trees from past farming history. Feel free to have a swing under the ancient Oak, or a stroll through our own budding fruit orchard adjacent to the river. Pick a fruit from the historic fig tree over 5 m tall, or a pomegranate for your morning fruit salad (season dependent!).

When you want to be near the water, enjoy a light 5 minute walk to our dam - swim it's length, or enjoy a sundowner under the cool shade of the weeping willow. Guests also have access to the kayak and canoe provided, and can fish (catch and release). Fishing gear can be rented by prior arrangement.

For guests that would like to explore more of the reserve, there are a number of marked and mapped hikes around the farm that give you expansive views and expose a lovely array of flora unique to the region. Mountain bikers can cycle on nearby farms, with the most notable trails being on Paul Cluver or Oak Valley (30 mins drive).

For bird lovers, this land is a small oasis. Whether it's a rare spotting of our resident Coots on the dam, or a Verreaux Eagle soaring over the rocky cliffs, there will be plenty of feathered reasons to bring your binoculars.

If you're staying a bit longer and would like to discover the area a little more, there are a number of activities for all ages. The nearby highly acclaimed Cape Canopy Tours offers an exhilarating soar by zip line over the Overberg mountains.

For wine tours, we usually recommend Beaumont Wine Estate - they have a deli and restaurant, and do wine tastings at their stunning farm located just 16km from Southern Yurts/Porcupine Hills Guest Farm. If you'd like to go further afield, Oak Valley has a wonderful tasting room and restaurant (The Melting Pot) which serves tasty lunches and dinners (30 - 40 mins from the farm). There are numerous other tasting rooms and wine farms between Botrivier and Hermanus - we often recommend that guests who feel like exploring the greater Overberg region, drive through Botrivier and towards Hermanus for the day.

Once in Hermanus you can visit the Hermanus Country Market (Saturday mornings until 1pm) for some delicious freshly grown produce, homemade products and gourmet brunch/lunch. If you'd prefer to be next to the sea, Bientang's Cave offers a spectacular view! Tables are situated right on the rocks looking over the sea, and you can enjoy a local craft beer or glass of wine perfectly paired with a seafood platter. If you're lucky, you may even see whales (in season).

For more exciting activities in the area, from horse riding to whale watching, please refer to our info-brochure in our accommodation or contact us for more information.

Important to note

WIFI:

We have good, unlimited wifi at Forest View Yurt - the password is 'Porcupine'.

ROADS:

Please note that the farm can only be accessed by a gravel road. This road is drivable by any car type but we recommend a high clearance vehicle if possible. If you are driving in a small car, it's best to take the drive slowly, so maybe add a few extra minutes to your ETA.

Rates

STANDARD RATES 07 Mar 2022 - 31 Aug 2022
R1650.00 Per Unit Per Night

*For bookings after 1st September, please inquire regarding the annual rate increase for 1st September 2022 - 31st August 2023
*One night stays incur a 15% surcharge on all bookings, regardless of booking platform (our rates are adjusted to accommodate 2 night stays or more)

HIGH SEASON RATES 01 Dec 2022 - 15 Jan 2023
R1900.00 Per Unit Per Night

*One night stays incur a 15% surcharge on all bookings, regardless of booking platform (our rates are adjusted to accommodate 2 night stays or more)