“One of the top 10 best places to stay in South Africa” – Condé Nast House & Garden (October 2006)
Whaler’s Way is an exquisite Churchhaven beach house that is big on charm and small on environmental impact. The house is built on an entirely green footprint of reclaimed materials, solar panels, locally sourced finishes and rainwater harvesting. Ecological credentials lend authenticity to the understated rustic “French Settler” style that has been achieved with weathered beams, antique furnishings and fresh natural finishes.
Whaler’s Way is tucked into the unspoilt village of Churchhaven in the heart of the West Coast National Park, which is only an hour’s drive from Cape Town. It is a mere two-minute amble from this charming beach house to the pristine waters of the Langebaan Lagoon. Spend your days swimming, bicycling or snorkelling, or laze on the verandah soaking up the views that stretch over the lagoon and beyond. This truly is a magical, off-the-grid hideaway.
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/
