Our eco cabins are nestled barely an hour away from Cape Town, enticing visitors with a host of fantastic benefits. At our eco cabins, we blend rustic and luxury, allowing those tired of the busy city life to enjoy the quiet surroundings of the Western Cape mountains in plush comfort. Spending time here, taking in the wonders of the natural world and the richness of nearby culture, can help you achieve a total reset.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most notable benefits of a visit to our eco cabins, including stress relief, improving your health, supporting sustainable tourism, learning more about the natural world, experiencing cultural enrichment and supporting local industries.
The Benefits of Staying At Our Eco Cabins
A mountain getaway comes with many benefits, and staying in our eco cabins is no different. From comforting relaxation to the rich cultural experience, there are many advantages to be gained from spending some time at our countryside getaway. Here are a few of the main benefits that you can enjoy.
Relaxing And Resetting
The City of Cape Town has much to offer its residents and visitors alike, including museums, art galleries, restaurants of a thousand varieties and seemingly endless social opportunities. Yet, there’s no denying that the busy city life can be overwhelming at times, especially when compounded by stresses surrounding our work or personal lives.
During these moments, can you imagine anything more enjoyable than to leave the traffic, crowds and resulting noise behind? Our mountain getaway offers an escape from all that and more.
Tucked between the rolling valleys of the Rooiberg, near Worcester, sit a collection of secluded mountain cabins, furnished with all the amenities and luxuries that a wearied visitor needs to forget about their worries, sitting back in the city.
Here, the hours need only be spent relaxing and taking in the fresh mountain air, going on gentle meanders through the bush and enjoying the beautiful scenery that surrounds the eco cabins. To enhance this experience, each of the cottages is built with ample distance from the others, giving you total privacy and a sense of seclusion.
In such a serene setting, a single weekend’s stay is all it takes to work down stress levels and restore peace. Our cabins are only 73 minutes from Cape Town, meaning that the trip there and back is relatively smooth for anyone in and around the city. A weekend trip away in the mountains is one of the most relaxing things that you can do, so why not do it?
Improving Your Physical And Mental Health
There are many ways in which a getaway, particularly one in a beautiful natural setting, can improve your health and well-being. Studies show that time spent in nature can help to release endorphins and reduce stress, not only bettering your psychological wellbeing but also bolstering your immune system and metabolism.
The fresh and flowing air of the mountains is pure and free of pollutants. You also have easy access to low-stress and engaging forms of exercise such as hiking, swimming and walking, great for both your physical and mental health.
The cabins are located on a lush stretch of mountain reserve veined by many hiking trails suitable for all fitness levels. Here, you can build up your muscular strength, cardio, mobility and coordination far from the crowded and dim atmosphere of a commercial gym. Enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of nature instead. You can enjoy physical exercise such as trail running, mountain biking and swimming, as all are within easy access of our eco cabins.
Supporting Sustainable Tourism
While it’s a wonderful thing to be able to visit and stay in beautiful and natural environments, you should always be aware of the kinds of tourism you support with your patronage. Some forms of nature tourism are only concerned with a quick buck made in the short term, sometimes practising shortcuts and using unsustainable practices to run their businesses. Tourism like the above is bad for both the natural world and future visitors who want to enjoy the beauty of nature without human despoilment.
With all of this in mind, we aim to run our eco cabins accommodation in a manner that is in line with sustainable tourism. We always look to minimise the impact on the environment and give back when we can. The farm upon which our eco cabins are built has seen zero agricultural development in decades, allowing the indigenous fynbos vegetation and all of its accompanying wildlife to return in force, largely erasing any signs of prior land development. We aim to keep it this way, to protect not only the local biodiversity but also the enjoyment of our guests who come here specifically to enjoy our spectacular, natural surroundings.
We ask you to join us in embracing eco-friendly habits such as avoiding littering, picking vegetation or disturbing wildlife. The old saying goes: “Take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.” Our entire operation is built on sustainable practices and eco-friendly living.
We also advise guests to remain aware of fire risks, especially in the dry summer months. Have no open flames in any area besides the designated fire pits, keep gas bottles far away from heat sources or fires, and never leave a fire unattended. By supporting sustainable tourism, you’re doing your part to keep the planet protected.
Learn More About The Nature Around You
To be so surrounded by nature is an excellent opportunity to learn more about it. Discover the fascinating world of the geography, vegetation and animal life in the area. The mountains upon which the cabins are built are situated firmly within the fynbos biome, a totally unique ecosystem with none other quite like it in the world. It is typified by the ample presence of fynbos, a family of hardy and varied shrubs.
While perhaps dull from a distance, close examination of fynbos will yield incredible colours, shapes and all sorts of different kinds of flowers. The fynbos biome is, in fact, the world’s most diverse floral kingdom. The scent also stands out, with almost every single fynbos species producing its own rich, spicy and earthy aroma, much prized for perfumes and soaps.
This floral kingdom also plays home to several different animals, with insects being the most plentiful. Colourful beetles, butterflies, mantises, singing cicadas and a variety of unique African bees all sustain this ecosystem by pollinating its plants, managing its waste and feeding its other inhabitants.
Some of those other inhabitants include vertebrates such as lizards, angulate tortoises, klipspringers (a spry kind of antelope), porcupines and caracal. These mountains are even known for the occasional spotting of the elusive Cape leopard, drawing great excitement from locals.
The bird life of the fynbos is one of the most celebrated aspects of this biome, attracting passionate birders from around the globe with the promise of spotting glittering sunbirds, long-beaked sugarbirds, proud eagles and silent owls. All of these examples of magnificent wildlife and more await your discovery, whether it be on a hike or simply a lucky spot from the comfort of your cabin’s porch.
Experience Cultural Enrichment
Nature offers a rich bounty indeed, but that is not to discredit the enjoyment that can be derived from manmade creations, too. The area that surrounds these farms is known for its rich culture and history, which is largely centred around the viticulture and agricultural districts.
Winemaking has been a staple in the area since the sixteenth century, clearly visible in the plentiful vineyards that stretch over the flat plains and gentle valleys of a largely mountainous region. These vineyards produce a variety of grapes that produce a variety of different wines, many of which are internationally recognised for their outstanding quality.
The vineyards and their attached wine estates make for a fine afternoon trip, giving you the chance to enjoy wine tasting, admire historical Cape Dutch architecture or enjoy a meal at an in-house restaurant. This Breedekloof region is also interspersed with a number of small towns, of which many have gained a reputation as an ‘artists retreat.’
These towns are the perfect place to enjoy a hearty meal at a restaurant, browse a gallery, check out artisanal wares or visit a small museum.
This region has a celebrated diversity, with its Afrikaans and Xhosa demographics possessing a rich and blended history of indigenous, Dutch and Malaysian routes, all of which are tangible in the language spoken, architecture, cuisine and culture.
Supporting Local Businesses
While some South Africans prefer to head abroad when taking a vacation, they often don’t realise how much they’re missing out on right at home. There are plenty of amazing places to visit right on our doorstep.
While visitors to the Western Cape enjoy the local scenery, culture, accommodation, dining and craftsmanship, the inverse is equally true. Rural industries, from tourism and hospitality to agricultural and industrial, all benefit from the presence of tourism. This is especially true in areas where other alternative sources of income are limited. A visit to a local wine farm, gallery or restaurant from a passionate visitor can make a big difference towards supporting livelihoods. What’s more, there’s a distinct advantage that local visitors have over international tourists.
A foreigner may enjoy the fruits of their spending in the moment, but is unlikely to return, at least not soon. A local, on the other hand, will be directly supporting a holiday location virtually on their doorstep, allowing them to return frequently and enjoy the fruits of their investment. More than simply comprising one of the regional businesses, Eco Cabins seeks to empower and promote fellow local industries in our region.
Eco Cabins Getaway: Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a host of clear benefits to spending some time away at our mountain cabins. They are the perfect secluded and serene spots to retreat from the stresses of the city, relaxing and unwinding in the tranquil atmosphere of nature. Time spent amidst nature like this releases plenty of endorphins, elevating your mood and giving you the reset that you need.
The positive effects of fresh air, the many opportunities for fun and engaging forms of exercise such as hiking, mountain biking and swimming all add to the experience. Supporting our cabins is a great way to support sustainable tourism practices as well as local businesses, preserving the integrity of the wilderness for future generations to enjoy. There’s plenty to learn about and see for yourself; from a rich floral kingdom to a biodiverse collection of insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and famed birds.
For a relaxing and rejuvenating experience like no other, heading to our mountain cabins is a smart move. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie looking for outdoor adventure or you just need to get away from the city, our cabins are perfect. To learn more, reach out today!