Getaway Overview

Wadrift Nature Reserve

Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape

535km from Cape Town

Small farm on the banks of the Bitou River with eight self-catering units, and a pub - near Wittedrift village outside Plettenberg Bay

9 Reviews - Read them Best rating of 5 based on 9 reviews.

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The setting
Garden with pool
Pool and braai area
The cottages in the gardens
Ensuite room and kitchenette
Gazebo and garden area
Cottage bedroom
Cottage kitchen
Ensuite room 2

Quick Facts

Where

near Wittedrift village outside Plettenberg Bay

GPS

S 33°59'55''
E 23°20'29''

Sleeps

2-, 3- and 4-sleeper units (accommodating 24 total)

Equipped

Yes

Linen

Yes

Towels

Yes

Fireplace

Braai

Yes

Meals

Yes

Pet-Friendly

Activities

birdwatching, canoeing, fishing, game viewing, golf, hiking, kite-surfing, mountain biking, museums & galleries, stargazing, swimming, walking, wedding venue, whale watching, windsurfing

Budget Getaways Review

Wadrift’s marketing slogan more or less sums it up: “Do your own thing. In your own time.” A guestbook glowing with ecstatic comments adds further cherries to the topping: “The best kept secret in Plett.”- a Joburg visitor; "Ten minutes outside of Plettenberg Bay and you feel as if you're right in the middle of the bush.” That from a guest from bonny Scotland.

Nestled in the picturesque Bitou River Valley outside Wittedrift village (about 15 minutes from Plett) this long-time family farm spreads itself along the banks of the river and makes a tranquil base from which to explore the area.

The old-world charm and loyalty to the past, combined with clean simple décor make for a refreshing change from Plett's opulence.

On the accommodation front, there's a range of eight units, from semi-detached cottages to ensuite rooms and family cottages, all flowing onto sprawling gardens and kitted out with TV (bring own decoder and card for DSTV) and even under-floor heating for winter.

Let's kick off with the one-bedroom cottages, Seringa and Salie. These semi-detached units each have an open-plan living area and kitchen, the double bedrooms are spacious with space for a camp cot if junior's coming along. There's a bathroom with shower and an extra sleeper couch in the living room.

Num-num, Rooibos and Willow are ensuite rooms best suited to couples, with Queen beds and bathrooms with showers. Small kitchenettes allow for limited self-catering - what better excuse to explore Plett's restaurants, including the lovely Emily Moon just up the road.

Almost smothered by a century-old fig tree areTamboti and Karee, while Baobab sits nearby beneath banana trees. These three cottages are best suited to families, all with two rooms (one double and a twin) and a central bathroom with shower. The living rooms are open-plan to fully equipped kitchens.

Chilling out at Wadrift won't pose too much of a challenge, with a swimming pool, a cozy pub next to a roaring fire, a braai area and pool, and even a large screen TV if you simply can’t miss the cricket. The banks of the Bitou will have birders salivating, with over 140 species already sighted on the reserve, while Plett and its pleasures are just up the N2.

Wadrift strikes a balance of being far enough from the madding crowds, yet close enough to the beaches and many other attractions. The combination of accommodation that sleeps 24 total and an onsite pub also make it a good option for a group getaway or family bash.

All in all, we would say Wadrift has the makings of a Plett holiday like it used to be back in the good ol’ days.

Guest Reviews

"We stayed here in January and although the accommodation was satisfactory, I would be hesitant to recommend this place to anyone else, unless they wanted a night stopover en-route to somewhere else. The name is misleading, it is not a nature a reserve, just a property with the owners house and some cottages in their garden. The communal pool and braai area is actually part of the owners house and guests can use it. However when we stayed their the owners family was using the pool and braai area most of the time so it wasn't really available for guests. And not only that, one night the owners and family partied until the early hours of the morning and none of the guests got any sleep. The owners are scruffy and the wife is not friendly, the first thing she asked me when we checked in was 'when are you going to pay your balance'. The only time they came to talk to us during our stay was to ask for payment. Most places accept payment on check out and this place does not have card facilities so they don't make it easy for one to pay on the spot."

(visited January 2014)

Getaway Reply

"Thank you for your review. We appreciate all honest reviews as they afford us the opportunity to improve our product and presentation and help us provide guests with all they need to have a comfortable and enjoyable holiday. However, I must admit I am taken aback by this particular review, as it is in stark contrast to every other review and personal feedback we receive from our guests. I would like to respond to the points raised by Ms Krook as follows: Nature Reserve: Wadrift has been a declared and government gazetted Nature Reserve since 1986. We are not a �game reserve� and at no point do we market ourselves as such. We have two excellent game reserves within 8km of our establishment which we recommend to guests who express a desire to visit such an attraction. Our history and the history of our family property is detailed in a brochure provided in each cottage so that guests can familiarise themselves with our Reserve and our philosophy and past. The Reserve is over 140 hectares in size and can hardly be described as �just a property with an owner�s house�. Property, House and gardens: I am hesitant to say, but if 1 hectare of formal gardens with cottages surrounded by trees, old orchard and large lawn space - all surrounding a communal pool and braai area is perceived as �part of the owner�s house�, I am a bit dumbfounded. Accessibility of the pool area: On arrival guests are informed about and shown the location of the communal areas and are encouraged to utilise them and not feel intimidated by other guests or ourselves being present. �Communal� means for the use of everyone in the resort. At no time are guests made to feel unwelcome and for the time that Ms Krook was here the only family members using the pool were two children, aged 7 and 3, with 2 adults in supervision. All night Party: The only night that we, the owners, socialised at the communal braai area was the Saturday night of Ms Krook�s stay. We joined some guests for a braai and everything was completed and we were home by 11pm the latest. The only disturbance I can possibly ascribe this comment to was the party noise we all heard one night from the village 2 km away. Yes, it was disturbingly loud, but unfortunately we have no control whatsoever over people not on our property and we can only apologise for the inconvenience and disruption. We are scruffy: We are not a �professional name brand� establishment; we are a relaxed family run business. We are more concerned with ambiance than appearances. We are very laid back, very informal and actively encourage our guests to kick back, relax, mingle freely and make themselves at home in our space. We do not wear uniforms or stand on formality and so we may appear to be �scruffy� to those who have higher expectations. We do not intend to offend guests with this approach and I apologise for my husband wandering around in sarong or jeans and bare-chested, but at 60 years young he is not perturbed with appearances in the heat of summer. Requests for Payment: When we provide every potential guest with a quote for a holiday, we clearly state in that quote that the balance must be paid on arrival. Also our booking form, which we send to our guests on acceptance of the quote, also states clearly (in bold uppercase) that the outstanding balance is to be paid in cash on arrival or by bank transfer/EFT minimum 1 week before arrival. Both communications also clearly state that we do not have credit card facilities and do not accept cheques. Copies of these correspondences with Ms Krook are available on request. All guests are invited to settle into their accommodation prior to coming to reception to sort out any outstanding balances. After 2 days my husband reminded Ms Krook that the outstanding balance had not been paid. He later again requested a proof of payment as Ms Krook had chosen to pay the balance by EFT and not in cash, thus the deposit did not reflect in our bank account immediately. And herein lies the rub: We think that the payment issue is the thing that has upset Ms Krook and resulted in this unfair and misleading review. We are more than happy to accommodate guests� requests and comments but at no time did Ms Krook come to us in person with any of these issues so that we could rectify them at the time if possible. Thank you for affording me the opportunity to respond to this review. Kind regards Rene Johnson Wadrift Nature Reserve"

(Rene Johnson)

"This was really a home away from home, Rene and Steve made sure we had everything we needed. The estate is in a perfect location, a bit away from all the madness but close enough to the best beaches. Our toddler loved the pool, the animals at the farm and the fruits on the trees. Perfect summer getaway for a family."

(visited December 2013)

"Central to many activities."

(visited December 2013)

"Lovely family-friendly place."

(visited December 2013)

"A lovely stay, we will be back. Far from the maddening crowds! (but not too far, being only 10 minutes out of town). Loved the pool and braai area and friendly atmosphere. We made lasting friendships with some of our fellow holiday-makers."

(visited December 2013)

"It's a home away from home as they were very hospitable with excellent service. We plan to go back again in December 2012."

(visited December 2012)

"The best kept secret of Plett. You will see me again."

(visited July 2012)

"I really enjoyed staying there.The couple who own the place namely Steve and Rene were very easy to be with and cheerful. The food is clean and well prepared. They checked with us every day before preparing breakfast. Lastly I would go back there anytime and I will defenately recommend the place to my friends."

(visited July 2012)

"Wadrift is the best kept secret in Plett! Rene and Steve are awesome hosts and I had such a great time that I landed up extending my three week stay to five weeks and returned again in Feb 2011 for another short stay. I felt like I was totally at home, the setting is absolutely superb... tranquillity and peace in the most beautiful indigenous garden setting. I definitely would have no reservations whatsoever in recommending this outstanding holiday destination."

(visited December 2010)

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Getaway Map

Wadrift Nature Reserve, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape

GPS: S -33.9986 E 23.3415

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Rate Guide

From R1400 to R7500, depending on unit, guests and time of year

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