Deep in the West Coast National Park, in what is one of our favourite corners of the world, is Milkwood Cottage. If you have never visited the West Coast of the Cape before, you are in for a delightful surprise: the colours, the beauty of the reserve, the fynbos wild flowers in spring, the quietness and azure Langebaan lagoon, all just an hour’s drive from Cape Town.

Spend your days keeping out of the midday sun, gazing at that blue, blue lagoon or kitesurfing, sailing, paddling or taking long walks in the reserve, making sandcastles and exploreing the reserve by bicycle.

With its laid-back ambience, being off the grid is just such a treat: cook on the gas stove or BBQ, light all the candles in the evenings and settle in for sociable gatherings under the canopy of stars in the night sky.

What we love!

• The wonderfully warm lagoon waters with the softest white-sand beaches and very safe swimming for the kids
• The utterly unspoilt, pristine surroundings deep in a National Parks Board Nature Reserve
• The back-to-basics lifestyle in a charming hamlet on the water’s edge
• The incredible range of things to do and see, from the spring flowers in Postberg Flower Reserve, idyllic beach picnics at nearby Kraalbaai (close to the famous Preekstoel rock formation) and kitesurfing at Shark Bay just outside Langebaan (an excellent place for beginners and to hone your skills)

What you need to know…

• Only one hour’s drive from Cape Town
• This is blissful off-the-grid living, so there is no WiFi, limited cellphone accessibility and solar power rules supreme. Most houses rely on rainwater catchment or borehole water driven by solar pumps, and gas hobs and gas ovens are used for cooking. In winter, fireplaces and ever-faithful wood-burning stoves keep things cosy
• We are unable to offer a cleaning service at Churchhaven.  The ONLY cleaning service available at any of our Churchhaven properties is a mid-week linen change if you are staying for 6 nights or longer.  Due to being off-grid Churchhaven houses do not have dishwashers.  If this is a problem for you please consider our other West Coast options.
• Please take note of the following gate times for entering and leaving the West Coast National Park: 1 April to 31 August 07:00 to 17:30; 1 September to 31 March 07:00 to 18:30. No entrance into the park is possible after the gates close in the evenings
• There is a per person, per day entrance fee due to enter the park.  Please check the SANPARKS website for latest fee tariffs – https://www.sanparks.org/parks/west_coast/tourism/tariffs.phpIt may be worth investing in a Wild Card – https://www.sanparks.org/wild_new/