Untether on Olive View: Six Designer Eco-Pods Near Wellington

Just an hour from Cape Town, in the picturesque foothills of the Hawequas Mountains outside Wellington, Olive View Farm provides a beguiling escape into nature. With just six luxury eco-pods spaced far apart, it’s the ideal spot to leave the busy world behind.

The mountains are part of the Limietberg Nature Reserve, a wilderness playground of hiking trails, rivers and waterfalls, which also includes the stunning Bainskloof. You have two wine regions on your doorstep – Wellington and, over the mountains, the hidden-gem Breedekloof Valley. However, you might want to simply stay put and enjoy Olive View.

The Untether experience is for “the writers, the lovers, the thinkers and the explorers”. The evocatively named solar-powered pods – Hemingway, Columbus, Romeo, Earhart, Galileo and Shackleton– are modern, light-filled and dressed in natural tones that echo the scenery outside (decor is courtesy of Imagenious). Gaze over the olive orchard, breathe in the fragrant fynbos, listen to the birdsong, watch the morning mists swirl and simply daydream… If you book Hemingway, you’ll have the added bliss of your own private wood-fired sauna.

Follow the dirt and brick road to your remote hideaway, and be welcomed with a generous  stock of coffee, olive oil and other kitchen basics. ‘Slackpacker’ meal kits of locally sourced ingredients (with recipes) are available, so you can just relax and enjoy. Cookware is Le Creuset, ceramics are handmade for untether, and all the gear you need for picnics is supplied too. There’s optional complimentary housekeeping – and even the wifi is on request.

The lodgings

• ensuite bedroom with king-sized bed
• bathroom with shower, plus outdoor shower
• open-plan living room with fireplace
• writing desk with international adaptors/plugs
• fully equipped kitchen with gas stove, fridge and freezer
• deck with dining table, braai and pizza oven
• wood-fired hot tub
• wood-fired sauna (only at Hemingway Pod)
• extra-length cargo-net hammock (only in Columbus Pod)
• picnic basket and blanket, flask and Fieldbar cooler box
• field guide book and board games
• air-conditioning
• complimentary firewood

Things to do

• nature walks and hiking (including 4km marked trail on site)
• mountain-biking
• picnicking
• communal heated swimming pool
• explore Limietberg Nature Reserve
• Bainskloof river pools and waterfalls
• wine farms nearby
• restaurants and cafes in Wellington (12 minutes)
• skydiving nearby

Good to know Guests get a complimentary wine-tasting at a local wine estate. Pods can be booked together for a group escape.
Child friendly? No
Pet friendly? No
Wifi? Yes
Sleeps 2 per unit
Cost From R2 940 per night (minimum two-night stay)
Where to find it Olyvenbosch Road, Wellington
CHECK AVAILABILITY + BOOK DIRECT

Discover all of the Cape’s hidden gems – subscribe to our weekly newsletter.