Nature’s Way Getaway

Alichia Dicker
Mar 17, 2021
4 min read

It’s no secret that the Garden Route is one of my favourite playgrounds. Simply put, it just has it all, from ocean views to forest walks to awesome markets and secret little hideaways that charm you to the point of never wanting to leave.

Often, I wish that I could simply pick up my home and place it somewhere in the magical indigenous forest of the Garden Route, but since that is not possible, finding a place that can feel like home for the weekend will have to do!

Enter Nature’s Way Farm Stay Accommodation and Farm Stall.

Nestled in the Crags, about 9km from Nature’s Valley, rests this beautiful family-run dairy farm, offering not only a variety of comfortable and stunning accommodation options but also a charming farm stall staffed with wholesome, amazing people and filled with mouth-watering food, treats and farm-fresh milk products and eggs!

I had visited Nature’s Way before, but this time the whole Nomad Collective team joined me for a weekend stay in the Bushbuck Cottage & let me tell you, from start to finish, this trip was extraordinary.

Travelling from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), we decided to take our chances and give the “closed” Bloukrans Pass a go (the road is often closed due to rockfalls, but locals clear and open the road). Along this route, we made a short stop to walk the Rugbos Forest Trail (1.4km yellow coded), which was a great little appetizer of the vegetation to come. Pro tip: find a stick before you enter the trail so that you can safely manoeuvre any spider webs out of your way, as there are LOTS and the sticks on the trail are quite moist and unreliable!

After the quick walk, we finally entered the overgrown pass and right off the bat ran into a couple of bushbuck who quickly scampered into the treacherous and rocky vegetation, disappearing into the underbrush as we continued down the road, completely awestruck by the beauty of nature reclaiming what was once theirs!

A few stops and photo opportunities later, we were finally in the Western Cape and headed towards our destination, all along blasting our favourite road trip tunes (to the detriment of our vocal cords!).

Driving up to the Nature’s Way Farm Stall is like passing a barrier into another world. As we got out of our vehicle we were immediately engulfed by the familiar scent of cow manure, mixed with the fresh scents of the surrounding fields and forest.

Here we met Anne, who runs the accommodation side of the family-run business, and wow, if you have met her before, you know that she makes you feel right at home with her warm, welcoming, kind nature and demeanour – we immediately felt like we’d known her forever and as if we were simply visiting a friend! This made sense as the homely feel that Nature’s Way gives off is wholly due to the rich heritage that lives there. Anne’s dad started the dairy farm all the way back in 1982, which then developed into a farm stall and bakery in 2001, with the recent addition of the nursery.

Anne proceeded to show us around the Farm Stall and then took us down the short dirt road to our cottage for the weekend.

The Bushbuck cottage flaunts an awesome deck that looks out and over the indigenous forest strip that borders their property. Here we spent most of our afternoons and evenings braaiing, chatting the night away, and in the morning enjoying coffee made with the creamy Nature’s Way milk, as we watched Touracos and Speckled Mousebirds play to-and-fro in the crisp open sky.

From the cottage, it is also easy to meander down a short walking trail that gives you the opportunity to breathe in the freshness of the forest.

Another awesome feature of the accommodation here is the gas stoves and geysers (hello load shedding!), which meant that even when the power was off, we were able to make breakfast & hot drinks & not have to fight about who used up all the hot water in the shower!

One of the stand-out features of this farm is the harmony of the agri-tourism that it boasts. We were told to expect some “working-farm” noises, but honestly, we were too busy enjoying the gorgeous mountain views, taking in the sweetness of the new-born calves playing around in the camps and musing at the well-oiled milking routine that the cows were so at ease with!

It’s often difficult to find accommodation that offers it all, but Nature’s Way is so well-equipped that we found ourselves not needing to actually leave the property to have a good time. With the Farm Stall and Nursery right on your doorstep, we were able to walk there and have a delicious milkshake, followed by slow sauntering through the variety of plants they have for sale! And if you’re looking for gifts or special items to take back home – right behind the stall you’ll find an antique shop and to the right of the stall a curio shop that sells local hand-made goods! Should you feel like exploring, the surrounding area is no stranger to adventure, as Birds of Eden, Monkeyland and Hog Hollow Horse Trails are all a short drive away.