Old Olive Cabin

A Forest Hideaway

Our cute Olive Cabin and its private hot tub are tucked away in the forest nearby an ancient Wild Olive tree that we estimate to be at least 800 years of age. It is in honour of this tree after which this cabin is named. Like all our accommodation, this cabin is eco-friendly, and “off-grid” but it has solar power for lights and a small bar fridge. The cabin sleeps two to three guests.

The wood-fired HOT TUB – set beneath a beautiful white stinkwood tree – uses untreated river water and takes ‘forest bathing’ to the next level!

Old Olive Cabin ~ What to Expect

The cabin, suited for either a couple or two friends sharing, has a bedroom with a double bed, and a sleeper couch in the sitting room-cum-kitchenette. All linen and towels are provided. An indoor fireplace and wood-fired hot tub make the Olive Cabin a cozy option for winter stays. The kitchenette is fully equipped and has gas for cooking and a minibar fridge with a small freezer compartment. The ablutions – basin and shower – are semi-enclosed: designed to make your stay at Platbos a true forest experience. The composting toilet and the ablutions are free-standing and are located a short distance from the cabin. Hot water is supplied via the old fashioned ‘donkey boiler system’. The cabin is accessed via a forest pathway that is roughly 100 metres in length. A wheelbarrow is provided to ferry your luggage from the parking to the cabin. All the facilities are for the exclusive use of our Olive Cabin guests. Please see Old Olive Facilities below for further information.

This cabin is situated away from our other accommodation units – roughly a ten-minute walk – and while it is screened and secluded from the Reforestation Tree Nursery, the water pump that irrigates our reforestation tree seedlings in the summer months is audible from the cabin – it runs daily for roughly one hour in the afternoons.

Old Olive Cabin Facilities:

Bedroom with double bed. All linen, towels and bedding provided.
Open plan kitchen/sitting room with a ¾ sleeper couch.
Fully equipped kitchen with minibar fridge, pots, pans, cutlery and crockery.
Double gas plate for cooking (no oven or microwave – the forest is “off-grid”).
Indoor fire and outdoor braai pit, braai grid provided.
The hot tub – set beneath a beautiful white stinkwood tree – uses untreated river water and takes ‘forest bathing’ to the next level! Guests need to operate the wood-fired tub themselves but full instructions are supplied. The Hot Tub has a cover but it is not fenced. Two bags of wood are provided for your stay. Additional wood can be purchased from the store of wood at the cabin itself / from the Freezer Hut on the firebreak (consult booking notes).

Open Air Shower:

Looking out onto a stately white stinkwood tree, this hot water shower is a magical experience all its own!
Hot water fuelled by the old-fashioned Donkey Boiler. Wood is supplied for this; however, guests are responsible for making their own fires.
Washstand

Composting, Waterless Toilet:

This is a modified ‘solar dome’ system and incorporates saw dust as the “flush”. It is free-standing and situated a short walk from the cabin.

For guests booking during weekdays, please be aware that Platbos is a nature reserve that requires active management and protection. During certain months of the year the Platbos Conservation Trust needs to carry out routine fire-break maintenance as well as alien clearing on our neighbour’s property. As far as possible, we try to minimize the noise disturbances for our guests but sadly, the reality is that without this ongoing, costly care, the forest would no longer be here to be enjoyed.

Prospective guests also need to please be aware that occasionally, atmospheric and particular wind conditions combine to amplify noise levels coming from the valley below where there is a wedding venue. Fortunately, these are infrequent disturbances, but guests are hereby alerted to this possibility ahead of time.

We do not have a reception office – we have structured things so that guests can go straight to their respective units. In order to facilitate this and ensure that you have a truly magical, hassle-free stay in the forest, we send important information, a map and directions which need to be read and/or printed out ahead of your stay.

Please explore our website to learn more about some of the forest’s fauna and flora as well as our conservation work at the Reserve.

Also to Note:

A mountain river is our source of water. As this water has not been tested or treated, please bring along your own drinking water.
The Cabin has solar powered lights. We provide candles for the outdoor shower and a lantern, but you may like to pack an extra head torch.
Wood is provided for the ‘donkey boiler’ (one bag for each night of your stay). Rooikrans Braai wood, a by-product from our alien clearing, is available at R50.00 per bag and we provide a stock of this outside the cabin for your convenience. Please put payment for this in the honesty box in the Info Hut. No outside wood is allowed to be brought onto the Reserve as this may introduce the dreaded “Shot Hole Borer Beetle” which will have dire consequences for the forest trees.
Please bring along your own fire-lighters for your camp fire and hot tub. We do however supply fire-lighters for your Donkey Fire.
The greatest threat to Platbos Forest is fire: our donkey systems are contained and safe to use. However never leave a campfire/ indoor fire burning unattended, and please do not make overly large fires.
Please do not use “Doom-type” pesticide sprays, etc, but DO bring along insect repellent during the summer months for mosquitoes.
Please respect the tranquillity of the forest and keep noise levels down. Loud and excited voices carry far into the forest and disturb the peace for other guests as well as for the forest’s wildlife. Strictly no music is allowed.
Cell phone receptivity varies in the forest and Vodacom receives better reception. The tin roof of the cabin reduces receptivity – best to make your calls outside the cabin. There is a plug for charging cell phones but no other electrical appliances (hair dryer, electric shaver etc) may be plugged in at the cabin.
Platbos is a wilderness area and a legally protected habitat: no collection, removal or relocation of any plant, animal or fallen wood is allowed.
BABOONS: Platbos is occasionally visited by a troop of baboons when the trees are bearing seed. We are fortunate in that they are still wild and unaccustomed to human food. They are non-aggressive and will run away if they see you. To ensure that the baboons remain this way, there are signs up at the accommodation to remind you to please always pack food away after meals. Please close all windows and doors when vacating the unit. We also have baboon monitors who occasionally set off “thunder flashes” to chase the baboons away from human habitation.
Platbos is also home to wild bees that make their nests in the old tree trunks. There are signs up to alert you of a ‘bee tree’ if it is anywhere nearby the forest trail. Simply walk quickly past the sign.
Platbos – being a wildlife sanctuary – is unfortunately not pet-friendly and therefore NO dogs or pets are allowed.

Rates & Conditions:

Rate per night: See our Online Booking Calendar.

Please note: A 50% deposit is required to reserve your booking.

Single night stays: By arrangement only; an additional R600.00 surcharge is applicable. Not optional over weekends / Public Holidays

In Season (16 Dec – 5 Jan): Minimum of a 3-night stay is required.

Arrival Time: Any time after 2pm | Departure Time: 10am (unless otherwise arranged).

* Please note that we do not have a “Reception / Check In Office”. Due to travel time, most of our guests arrive after dark. Please print your directions as well as all pertinent information that you will receive once you have finalized your booking: you will require this to find your way to your accommodation. In addition, it contains the necessary codes for the combination locks on our gate and for the Freezer Hut. If you arrive after dark, please come prepared with a torch / headlamp so that you can orientate yourself around the camp.

Guests staying at the Old Olive Cabin may walk our Forest Trail free of charge (normal fee: R50.00 per person). Please collect a FOREST TRAIL MAP from the “Info Hut” in order to navigate the paths without getting lost. Please note that the TRAIL is ONLY OPEN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8AM AND 5PM DAILY.