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Sun Mountain Cottages

Accommodation on a Mountain of Fynbos

Our customers frequently ask us about accommodation on or near our farm so that they can see proteas in the wild. Many birders looking for "lifers" such as Protea Canary, Sugarbird, Cape Siskin and other birds endemic to the Cape Floristic Region are also interested.

A rustic 4-sleeper cottage nestled on top of a mountain of fynbos

We advise anybody looking for mountain accommodation to consider our neighbours, Sun Mountain.

Sun Mountain Contact Details

HostsGeonasha Suvramani and Colette Haynie
Telephone+27 (0)22 952 1870
Cellphone+27 (0)76 468 5711

What you can expect

A retreat to the country should take in the local culture as well as the wildlife, plants and mountains. With Geonasha Suvramani and Colette Haynie you are in safe hands - they know no different than extreme hospitality. As has been our experience with all our neighbours, there is no such thing as "popping in for a quick cup of tea" - the visit is so interesting and chatty that you find yourself staying for lunch, then supper! Once you have stayed at Sun Mountain once, you will come back every year - just to visit your new friends.

4-Sleeper Cottages

Nestled at the top of the mountain are 4 thatched, double-volume rustic cottages, with a loft, a fireplace big enough to camp in (or at least have a braai in when it is raining), and a kitchen and bathroom. Rates are R95 pp per night, with older children at half-price and toddlers free.

Inside the cottage the stairs to the loft, the kitchen on left, bathroom centre and bedroom on the right Inside the cottage the lounge and fireplace make an ideal winter weekend getaway spot.

Above Left: the stairs going up to the loft, with the kitchen on the left (enjoy a view of the mountain while washing dishes). The lounge and fireplace are behind me.

Above Right: the lounge and fireplace.

Above the bathroom and main bedroom is the loft - enjoyed by young and old alike Step out of the cottage into this view and braai yourself a lovely steak

Above Left: the loft, popular with young and old alike. Certainly, on cold winter weekends, with the fire roaring in the lounge below, this is the hottest room in the cottage!

Above Right: step out of the cottage and into this view and braai yourself a lovely steak and boerewors in one of the most beautiful settings you can imagine. This is but a small portion of the 3000 hectares of fynbos that makes up Sun Mountain.

6-Sleeper Cottages

There are two slightly more modern cottages that sleep 6, with main-en-suite, TV and modern kitchen - for those who aren't looking for the novelty of a "sit-in" fireplace.

One of the other two cottages that sleep six and have a more modern layout The kitchen has a hatch through to the lounge area. A jetmaster fireplace keeps the lounge cosy.

Above Left: one of two six-bed cottages available on the mountain. The fittings and layout of these is more modern, but the nightly rate stays the same at R95 pp.

Above Right: The kitchen has a hatch through to the lounge. The lounge is kept cosy with a Jetmaster fireplace.

The view from the kitchen is breathtaking The lounge with jetmaster fireplace and television set is comfortable and social.

Above Left: the view from the kitchen is breathtaking. The kitchen is well situated to serve either the outside braai area or the lounge, and the fridge will keep those beers cold.

Above Right: the lounge is comfortable and cosy - ideal for rainy winter weekends or just relaxing after a hike, mountain bike ride or swim on Sun Mountain.

The main bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with shower. The main bedroom.

Above Left: the main bedroom has an en-suite bathroom shower. The other two bedrooms use the separate main bathroom.

Above Right: the main bedroom.

The Cave

The entrace to 'The Cave' on Sun Mountain Farm

On your way to the Sun Mountain cottages, you will pass a turn-off to "The Cave". This was probably the venue of shamanic trance parties in the days of the bushman, and occasionally the tradition is maintained by youngsters looking for a spot with "energy".

Camping in the cave for large parties is an economical R65 per head, and the venue is ideal for 21st birthday celebrations and similar parties. As you can see from the pictures, this cave has all the "mod cons" that any bushman would want: large communal fireplace, hot and cold water, toilets, showers and even a kitchen sink! The large picture-window looks out over Elands Bay and the West Coast -ideal for sundowners.

The kitchen doesn't have a view: it IS the view. The lounge and dining-room area has a large fireplace and braai area.

Above Left: the kitchen lacks nothing other than built-in cupboards.

Above Right: the lounge and dining-room area is ideal for "fireside chats", campfire singalongs with a guitar, wild parties or quiet contemplation.

The bathroom has toilet, shower and washbasin The view into the cave from the front shows a fridge.

Above Left: the bathroom is surprisingly well-appointed, with a hot shower, toilet and wash-handbasin.

Above Right: the view into the cave from the front shows the fridge on the right, and a screen near the back of the cave that gives privacy to a sleeping area. The kitchen sink is to the right of this view, and the ablution facilities are to the right of the kitchen.

Activities

On 3000 hectares of rock and fynbos there is a lot to do:

Our land has a wide variety of Mountain Fynbos. There are many raptors, including Black Eagles. Klipspringer live here, as well as duiker, vaal rhebok, dassies, porcupine and baboons. There are unspoiled Bushman paintings nearby and for most of the year mountain streams and pools. There are hiking trails and walks, caves, rock pools and dams.

There are several pairs of Black Eagles nesting in the area and there are many other species of raptor and other birds including the rare Cape Eagle Owl. On a warm summer evening one can hear these owls and also the Freckled Nightjars calling in the hills. Over 85 different bird species have been spooted on the mountain.

Small mountain wildlife, such as Klipspringer, Duiker, Vaal Rhebok, Dassie, Lynx, Aardwolf and Baboon is indigenous to this area. On Sun Mountain we also have non-endemic larger species such as the zebra, Blesbok and Fallow deer (and our cows, pigs and horses).

Birds spotted on the Mountain


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