The Owl House Backpackers offers a clean, bright, welcoming home away from home in the heart of Nieu-Bethesda. It is on the main street, a five-minute walk from the Owl House, across the street from the Outsiders B&B.
The Owl House Backpackers has a cosmopolitan feel to it and is not to be missed. Sip sundowners in the garden and watch the sky fill with stars; curl up next to the wood-burner and enjoy the carefully selected backpackers’ wines; treat yourself to the homemade bread and cottage cheese, or braai (barbeque) some delicious Karoo lamb; pick fresh herbs from the permaculture garden; take a dip with the goldfish in the dam; hire bikes and explore the surrounds; book tours to Bushman Paintings, Fossil walks, The Mountain Zebra Park and The Valley of Desolation; and, if you decide to stay for a while, catch up with the outside world every now and then on the Internet.
If you don’t fancy cooking, Ian and Katrin, the well-traveled owners, can provide breakfast, a pack lunch and dinner of home-made food and home-grown veggies – or point you to the best eateries around town. They will pick you up or drop you off in Graaff-Reinet for R50, and you can buy your bus tickets from them.
If the backpackers is not private enough, a stay in the Water Tower, situated in the backpackers garden, would be ideal. This circular double-storey double room with kitchenette and own bathroom has an interesting past life. This quirky building was once a water tower and then a Buddhist meditation room. With its whitewashed walls and wooden floors, it is a calm, clean space from which to enjoy the famous Bethesda night skies. The Tower sleeps two and has its own fully equipped kitchenette and electricity.
