10 unique stays and quirky accommodation in Southern Africa

​By Roxanne Reid
There are thousands of wonderful places to stay in Southern Africa, but many are variations on the same theme - hotel, safari lodge, etc. But sometimes they offer something different and intriguing, whether it’s a boat, a train, notable architecture or historic value. Here, in random order, are 10 unique stays and quirky accommodation in Southern Africa I’ve enjoyed over the years. 

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1. Stuurmansfontein corbelled house, Northern Cape, South Africa

Perhaps one of the most unique stays of all is a corbelled house in the northwest Karoo. This architectural style made sense back in the 1800s in a place where trees for posts and beams weren’t easily available but stones for building were thick on the ground. Stuurmansfontein near Carnarvon in the Karoo has been converted into a charming self-catering guesthouse where you can enjoy the simple life. There’s an equipped kitchen, living room, dining area, bedroom with brass bed and separate ablutions with hot-water bath. Gas for cooking and candles for lighting (no electricity).

Hot tip: Watch the sun set and the stars come out to play before you turn in by candlelight for the night.

Read more about Stuurmansfontein

2. Platbos Honey Bee Suite, Western Cape, South Africa

Another on my list of unusual places to stay is Honey Bee Suite, which you'll find in a patch of indigenous forest at Platbos near Gansbaai, a two- to three-hour drive east of Cape Town. The bedroom on a wooden deck has canvas front and side walls that can be rolled up for a closer-to-nature feeling. A mosquito net over the bed keeps insects away as you sleep. A separate kitchen area has a two-plate gas stove, sink, table and chairs. It’s equipped with pots, crockery and cutlery, and there’s a braai fireplace nearby. It’s all off-grid, but there’s a wood-fired hot-tub and shower, and paraffin lamps. An eco-loo is set a little apart from the main area.

Hot tip: Stoke the donkey boiler and enjoy an open-air shower before it gets too dark to enjoy your surroundings.

Read more about Honey Bee Camp

3. Makkedat cave, Eastern Cape, South Africa 

Another favourite is the Makkedaat caves in the Baviaanskloof - perfect if you’ve ever wanted to experience a quirky home built into a cave. There are seven caves, from two-sleeper honeymoon caves to a much larger one that sleeps ten. Although they’re rustic and your bathroom may be open to nature, there are also mod-cons like armchairs, duvets, gas hotplates and hot showers. Here, where time seems to stand still, these cave dwellings definitely make it onto any list of special places to stay​. 

Hot tip: The two-sleeper Dassiebak cave has a little deck that gives lovely mountain views at sunset, while the ten-sleeper Alwynbak cave is open for stargazing.

Read more about Makkedaat

4. The Old Jail, Eastern Cape, South Africa

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend a night in jail, sleep at The Old Jail in Willowmore in the Karoo. Now restored as a guesthouse, the building was the town jail in the late 19th and early 20th century. There are three suites, each with its own private courtyard. Enjoy the antiques and old-style furnishings but get a shiver down your spine when you see the steps down into the dungeon. B&B only, but you can eat dinner in town.

Hot tip: There’s self-catering accommodation in the old stables for more budget-conscious families.

Read more about The Old Jail

5. Speekhout treehouse, Eastern Cape, South Africa

You'll find the lovely Speekhout treehouse in the Baviaanskloof, which is part of UNESCO's Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site. The treehouse seems to have grown organically, following the natural line of the branches. Windows are all odd shapes and sizes. There are six beds and a nice touch is the stargazing blind above the double bed in the upstairs bedroom. Electricity powers the lights, bar fridge and a microwave in the small open-plan kitchen, while the water heater and two-plate cooker run off gas. A big old fireplace in the main area is perfect for cold winters. There’s an open-air shower and loo, and a swimming pool a short walk away.

Hot tip: The place has a ‘magic forest’ feel to it, but it’s not a place for those who freak out about sharing space with other tiny creatures.

Read more about Speekhout treehouse

6. Spend a night on a train

A few years back we were lucky enough to sleep on the Rovos Rail train as it rollicked along the rails between Durban and Pretoria. The cabins were all wood panelling, voluptuous carpeting and down duvets. But it was the observation car and dining cars that we enjoyed the most – each filled with the elegance of crisp linen, silverware, crystal and monogrammed china. The food was fabulous too, as were the excursions off the train. Rovos operates between Durban and Pretoria, Cape Town and Pretoria, and even Pretoria and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Hot tip: If the hefty cost of the Rovos luxury experience is beyond your means, you can still get lulled to sleep on a train with the much more affordable Shosholoza Meyl.

Read about a fellow blogger's Rovos trip from Pretoria to Cape Town

7. Ngepi Camp, Zambezi, Namibia

One of my all-time favourite campsites is along the Kavango riverside at Ngepi Camp, near Divundu in Namibia’s Zambezi region. Wake to the sound of hippos, elephants and fish eagles, the sight of sunlight filtering through the trees. Enjoy a shower in one of the eccentric ablutions and read the signs dotted about the property, showing off the owners’ quirky sense of humour. Go swimming in a floating cage pool to keep safe from crocodiles, have a drink at the bush bar or visit Popa Falls and the Mahango section of the Bwabwata National Park just a few kilometres away.

Hot tip: Try to visit as many of the ablutions as you can; each is unique and they’re a lot of fun.

Read more about Ngepi Camp

8. Starbed at Little Kulala, Sossusvlei, Namibia

One of the most special places I’ve ever been lucky enough to experience is Wilderness Safaris Little Kulala Camp at Sossusvlei, Namibia. Surrounded by red Namib sand and dead camel thorn trees, the camp is an oasis of luxury and wraparound views. Our unit had a private plunge pool and a luxurious interior, but by far the most exciting place was the ‘skybed’ on the flat rooftop. This was the best place to appreciate the countless stars at night or drink in the soft colours of the desert dawn. From the camp you can also go climbing one of Sossusvlei’s iconic dunes or for a hot-air balloon ride over the desert.

Hot tip: To experience the night sky near Sossusvlei on a tight budget, try the Gondwana Collection’s Namib Desert Campsite.

Read more about Little Kulala Camp

9. Houseboat on the Chobe River, Botswana

What a joy to cruise up and down the Chobe River on Pangolin Photo Safaris’ houseboat, the Pangolin Voyager. Elephants, hippos and birds sweep by as wildlife enthusiasts sit on the upper deck with their binos, and keen photographers click away madly. There are five double cabins on the bottom level, each with a queen-sized bed, built-in cupboard, fan and dinky bathroom with hot-water shower. The living/dining area is upstairs on the middle deck, with a sundeck on the third level. Don’t miss the food or the sunsets and moonrises.

Hot tip: If you’re a keen photographer, grab the chance to go out with a guide in the houseboat’s custom-built photo-boat with swivel seats and adjustable camera mounts.

Read more about the Pangolin Voyager houseboat

10. Sleep out on the Makgadikgadi pans, Botswana

Spend a night sleeping out under the stars on one of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi salt pans in the dry season, an experience that starts with a quad-bike ride from Planet Baobab Camp. You’ll be surrounded by a featureless landscape of salt-encrusted earth. Move away from your companions to enjoy the sunset in solitude and silence. Once it’s dark you can marvel at the whole of the southern hemisphere’s stars filling the sky from north to south and east to west, not a tree or hill to obscure an inch of it. It’s a romantic and exciting place to spend the night, and you’ll wake as the dawn light creeps into the sky. Rudimentary hand washing and bush toilet only.

Hot tip: Book the following night in one of Planet Baobab’s charmingly decorated traditional huts or in the super campsite so you don’t have to rush after your magical night on the pan.

Read more about Planet Baobab

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