Adene says Equleni is better than Paris

The Tuffet Studio is officially our favourite place on this earth. Better than Paris and on par with the Nature Valleys in Turkey. An excellent combination of luxury in the wild. Very private and beautifully decorated. The bird hide is a must and definitely have the hot tub pre-heated for your arrival. The farm is also super conveniently located near Sedgefield although the studio is very well equipped.

Diane is truly a superhost! Thank you so much for creating such a beautiful space that allows you to enjoy nature in the lap of luxury. Your care and attention to detail was perfect. We can’t wait for our next visit x

Theolan recommends the continental breakfast

A most brilliant stay at Equleni. From start to end, every moment was just awesome. Diane and the team are such wonderful people to have hosted us. The view from the property, especially when in the hot tub is beautiful and relaxing. Time seems to stand still as you unwind with another sundowner. The place has everything you need and even some thoughtful touches like the modern light switches with the usb ports, and more than one electric point on the outside. I definitely recommend the Continental breakfast, omg the croissants, muffins and cold meat are to die for. The muffins are kinda like high tea snacks, and biting into a blue berry marshmallow, way different from and tastier than most coffee shops. The croissants…i cant see a Frenchie complaining about this, hats off to the baker. The place is 15min to great pizza places, steak house and Cola Beach. All in all, its a place i rate high, i recommend and would love to return. Cheers to Equleni Guest Farm.

Gustav enjoyed a wonderful family get together in the Cabin

We booked The Cabin for a special get together of two families over a weekend and it was just the perfect choice. The location on Rondevlei, amid fynbos, birdsong and just a 5min drive from the Three Farmers Market in Sedgefield, offered us the best of all worlds. On the farm there are beautifully laid walking trails, giving easy access to the lake and bird hideout. The Cabin is spacious and our family of five could spread out and then gather in the central living area for the cooking and meals together and reading from the well appointed bookshelves or the board games available. Not to mention the luxury of the outside fire pit and just when you thought it couldn’t be any better, the hot tub is there to pamper even the most grumpy traveler! Diane makes sure nothing is amiss, from the ice cold welcome bubbly, to the flower bouquets, individual chocolates, and much more. The Cabin has everything you have at home, and more. We loved the market visit on Saturday. But otherwise just stayed out to enjoy the wonderful setting and each and every sunset and sunrise. We ordered Diane’s hot breakfast for our final morning, and again, we felt like royalty with both the presentation and delicacies included. Thank you Diane and family for a truly lovely experience and for all the little and not so little extras! We look forward to coming back for more.

Diane, thank you for making the experience so special. All the detail. Nothing was amiss. We had a wonderful family get together as a result!

Some of the Equleni Farm goings on this week

🥰 it’s all about abundance. A beautiful litter of 6 abandoned kittens and their Mom are welcomed to the farm. Primarily to help us keep mice at bay, but really just to give them a forever home 🥰 Lillies are introduced to the Elephant Pond, for their prettiness and also to give the fish some shade & protection from the birds 🥰 We are swimming in passionfruit 🥰 The beautiful fruit as well as baby passionfruit vines. Also, so many unusual plants popping up in our fynbos. We have so much to be grateful for even though the rest of the world seems to have gone quite mad.

It’s World Wildlife Day today!

Today is World Wildlife Day!
So we share this post in honor of the wild animals at Equleni Farm.
Each morning when we go for a walk on the farm we are in awe of the signs of life and beauty that surround us.

We are blessed to have Bushbuck, Bushpig, Honeybadger, Porcupine, Angular Tortoise, Caracal and Servil on the farm – to name but a few. We have yet to personally see or photograph all of them – But there is so much beauty in that too – Finding their trails, observing their movements. Much like the elusive Knysna Elephant these animals are wild and quite shy. Conservation at its finest. At night time the animals have the farm to themselves. One can only imagine what they get up to on a warm full moon night in the wetland. There are also fish Eagles and buzzards that nest and roam the heights of the tall trees in the area, and one can see them soaring overhead in the afternoon as they catch the warm updrafts that come along the valley.

Bordering on Sanparks and nestled between Rondevlei and Swartvlei lake – the animals here roam from Sanparks onto the farm to forage (the fences are such that they can pass through as they wish). Equleni was once a quarry and a dairy farm but long before that it was part of the great Knysna forest. Today it embodies a home, a guest house, a motorbike adventure centre and a site for regenerative land and living practices. As you drive in to the farm Antony has planted beautiful indigenous trees on either side of the road to attract local bird life that will one day soon shelter that section of the land as a forest again. Old mans beard moss lines the trees and bushes  along the trails (A sign of abundantly fresh air and a thriving ecosystem).

As amateur mycology hobbyists (aka Mushroom growers) we have been delighted by the different array of species of mushrooms that pop up all over the farm and the range of microbiomes that surround us here. A good mycelial network lays the foundation for good soil and abundant wildlife. While Equleni was once a quarry and still has an abundance of sand – the suurvygies, fynbos, Kanna and ferns cover the land protectively and are waiting patiently for us to plant more trees.

We are still learning all of the plants in the area but there is an endless amount of fynbos species including Ericas and Proteas. While going for walks on the farm you are most likely to spot bushbuck prints on route. Within the last week we have found bushbuck, badger and bushpig prints, a porcupine quill and a tortoise. Equleni is not just a safe haven for people to come to and rest or explore – It’s also a 21 hectare home to many beautiful creatures and we are honoured to be stewards of this land. We can’t wait to share more about them with you as well as posts about Organic@Equleni. Watch this space for lots of exciting growth in the coming months!

This weekend, take time to appreciate the Wildlife on your doorstep – and if there isn’t much around, do come and visit at Equleni Guest Farm! Get in sync with the slow life in Sedgefield.

We’d love to have you and share our piece of paradise with you.

-Lauren.

Regeneration

This is the place in the Garden Route to breathe easy, get creative and enjoy the smell of fynbos.

Our stay at Equleni Guest Farm was regenerating and just what we needed. To recharge, reconnect and spend some time in nature.

With Rondevlei lake and the Outeniqua Mountains as your backdrop and the farm as your playground it was wonderful to be able to wake up to such perfection in the morning, shower looking out at Rondevlei lake, explore the farm and enjoy the birdlife. While being able to pop out to our favorite farmers market 5 minutes away and to Gerickes Point for a swim only 8 minutes from the farm.

Guests receive free coffee, juices, rusks and homemade granola on arrival! A free coffee at Wild Oats Farmers Market from Kingston Cafe as well as breakfast vouchers to use at the market – compliments of Equleni (The market is every Saturday. Look out for Kingston Cafes yellow umbrella! Their coffee is absolutely divine!!).

We could not have asked for more warm or accommodating hosts (Thank you Anthony and Diane)!!! The luxurious yet comfortable feel of the cottage and extra attention to detail at every turn were so appreciated. It made it feel like your ultimate home away from home with a flare of luxury!

The perfect getaway into the bush where you can lounge out at the farm, go for long walks, read, binge watch netflix or go explore the local forests or beaches. At night light a bonfire and relax under the endless expanse of stars.

If you’re feeling really adventurous you can join Anthony (The owner of Equleni) on a motorbike tour (He runs Adventure Classics!). Ant and Diane’s love of where they live is evident at every turn and expressed throughout the farm.

Sedgefield has always felt like home. Equleni solidified that feeling.
To sum up our stay – Equleni means “Peace by the water”.
Which is exactly what you will get, and more!