When can I check-in and check-out?
You may arrive on the reserve any time from 10am on the day of your stay. However, the chalets will not be available until 3pm (although you are welcome to ask if they are ready earlier). If you are going to be later than 7pm, please get in touch with us to check arrangements. Check-out is by 10am on the morning you leave, but you can stay on the reserve until 5pm. As we do not take check-ins on Sundays, you are welcome to stay in your chalet until 3pm on that day. We believe this will enable you to make the most of your weekend with us. (Exceptions to late Sunday check-out may be made during school holidays and over long weekends. Please confirm with us on arrival.)
Will my car make it?
We have had a variety of cars come to the reserve without any problems. The access road is relatively steep but with its twin tracks of concrete grass blocks, it is perfectly possible for any car. We do not have control over the state of the municipal dirt road prior to our entrance, but it is only 3km and can be taken slowly if it has not been graded recently (maybe avoid using a low-slung sports car if you have a choice). Check out the photos of a Peugeot 107 accessing the reserve.
Are you Pet Friendly?
We love animals and enjoy pets. However, we also want to protect the local fauna. Buck, mongoose, hares and many birds are seen around the chalets and we want to encourage this. Consequently, we do not allow visitors to bring pets onto the reserve.
Do you provide bedding?
All bedding and towels are provided. The chalets are only serviced between stays. Should you be staying more than a week then a changeover of bedding and towels can be requested. The single beds in the twin rooms can be pushed together but we do not provide separate double-bedding.
Do you have electricity?
All the chalets have solar electricity with battery overnight. This gives 24 hours of electricity when not used excessively (Eskom, when not load-shedding, is used to top up should there not be enough sun). The hot water is solar-heated with gas boost, so there is always hot water. The stove is also gas, so it too can always be used.
Can I drink the water?
Our water is straight from the mountain stream, clean, unfiltered and delicious. It is what we drink day in day out. In winter, the plants along the river stain the clean water with tannins, much like tea, which cause the brown colouring you see but do not affect its taste. However, some people do prefer to bring their own bottled water.
Do you have TV/DSTV?
We do not provide a television of any sort. We want people to be able to enjoy getting away from it all, though you are welcome to bring your own portable means of TV. Please note however that our wifi bandwidth is not fast enough for streaming television – you will need to do that through your own cellphone data packages.
Can I get cellphone reception?
All the main cellphone providers give good reception in the chalets. Around the reserve, especially in the valleys, the signal is less assured.
Do you have Internet/Wifi?
There is free Wifi access in each chalet. The wifi connection is shared between chalets and may slow down when busy. If high speed is required at those times the cellphone reception is good for your own access and speeds up to 10mbps can then be obtained.
Do you provide wood?
Unfortunately, as we do not have our own source of braai-wood on the property, we have to buy it in. We try and keep stocks available for purchase from reception during office hours. There is a grill on the braai place. Please note that fynbos is very flammable – we request you not to light braais on hot windy days and to extinguish the braai immediately after use.
Do you provide food?
We have no food available on the reserve. The closest shops are in Stanford and meals can be booked at farms in the neighbourhood Blue Gum Country Estate, Manor House Restaurant, White Water Farm, and Zesty Lemon.
Can you provide a cot?
We have one travelcot available. There is no cost but it needs to be booked in advance. We also have a strap-on high chair available.
Can we play music?
Phillipskop is a place where people come to enjoy the peace and quiet. We want to maintain that for all our guests. We ask all guests to not play music outside the chalets and if playing music inside, to keep the doors closed and music low – it should not be audible to neighbouring chalets. If you want to have some sort of musical element to your stay and have booked out all chalets, then please talk to us. Because of our position on a hillside, noise carries very easily to our neighbours.
Can I fly a drone?
Drone flying is a restricted activity so that the peace and quiet of other guests is not affected. Permission to fly a drone a Phillipskop must be sought in advance and only given in very limited circumstances. Drone flying is never permitted around the chalets.
Where can I smoke?
We kindly request that no-one smokes in the chalets or around the reserve. We live in a very fire-prone vegetation and the risk of accidental fires from cigarettes is too great. For residents, we ask that you only smoke in the area immediately outside the chalet by the braai and discard all extinguished butts in the braai places.
Can we invite guests?
If you want guests to visit you while you are staying with us, then please check with us in advance as parking is limited at the chalets. They will need to pay the daily fee for entering the reserve. We ask all guests to have left the property by 9pm, so that they do not disturb guests in other chalets.
Can I cycle on the reserve?
There is plenty of good cycling in the local area. The dirt road past the reserve entrance goes all the way down to the R43, joining it just past Stanford Hills Wine Estate, meaning that you can safely cycle most of the way into Stanford. There is also a lovely dirt road that climbs past Stanford Valley onto the Elim road. This can be made into a good loop back past the Cheese Factory, with very little tar to negotiate.
On the reserve itself, you are welcome to cycle along the jeep track as far as the picnic tree. However, please be aware that this is only a relatively short track and we kindly ask that you do not cycle on the other trails within the reserve, as this will damage them.