The cottage is 2.5 to 3 hours from Cape Town situated on a 4500 hectare property.
Surrounded by magnificent mountains the farm property is dissected by the Olifants River Gorge, and is home to a number of rare endemic floral, avian and freshwater species.
There is no cellphone reception at the cottage. This is part of the beauty of the cottage. (You might get reception if you are with Vodacom.)
Farm Layout
NEVER WALK ALONE: there is no cell-phone reception and if you need help, you’ll need assistance.
BE CAREFUL AT ALL TIMES! Loose or slippery rocks (especially in the water!)
Pipe Track Walk: start at the pumphouse and follow the pipe (do not stand on it!)
Please stick to the roads marked in red so as to ensure the privacy of the residents on the farm.
More about the Farm and surroundings
The remote Witzenberg Valley in which the River Cottage is situated, is dissected by the Olifants River Gorge. The area is predominantly Table Mountain Sandstone, which weathers easily and consequently results in spectacular rock formations. A bio-diversity hotspot, the land is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and is home to a number of rare and endemic floral, avian and freshwater species.
The Olifants river system has the richest collection of endemic fish species in South Africa – 10 indigenous fish species, of which 8 are endemic. The upper reaches are the only mainstream areas remaining in the whole catchment area where natural reproduction takes place.