Lowveld Farmhouse in Magical Forest Garden

Farm stay in White River, South Africa

  1. 6 guests
  2. 3 bedrooms
  3. 4 beds
  4. 3 baths
Rated 4.83 out of 5 stars.30 reviews
Hosted by Tamar
  1. Superhost
  2. 2 years hosting

Listing highlights

Dive right in

This is one of the few places in the area with a pool.

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the lockbox.

Comfy bed for better sleep

The room-darkening shades and extra bedding are loved by guests.
Some info has been automatically translated.
Kick back and relax in this calm, stylish space. Built in the late 1950's the renovated Lowveld farmhouse is the place to take it easy. The wide stoep looks into a lush, mostly indigenous subtropical garden. The nearby irrigation canal provides a peaceful backdrop of sound as the water gurgles past.

Everything on the property, from the food we grow to how we live, work and generate electricity is based on being environmentally sustainable. We are completely off-grid, no power or water cuts!

The space
The lounge/kitchen and bedrooms all have double-door entrances that open onto the long shared stoep. All the rooms have artwork in them by the artists that we collaborate with at The Artists' Press.

Two bedrooms have a double bed and the other bedroom has two single beds. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and a dedicated work table and chair. The bedding is pure cotton linen, a feather duvet in winter and a light cotton quilt for summer.

The generous windows and stoeps are ideal for birdwatching. Relax and watch kingfishers, paradise flycatchers and purple crested turacos in the branches. As the sun sets, you may be lucky to spot our resident bushbabies. At nighttime, the silence is occasionally broken by the calls of nightjars, wood owls and white-faced owls.

The lounge has a six-seater table, two comfy art deco chairs, a wood-burning fireplace (free firewood provided), good books to read and puzzles to while away the time with.

The well-equipped kitchen has a gas stove and oven, induction cooker plate, microwave oven, fridge/freezer, toaster and kettle. A wide variety of quality cooking pots, utensils and crockery are available. We take food prep seriously! Behind the farmhouse is a great outdoor braai area.

The front stoep has a six-seater table and chairs on it, in addition to a coffee table and lounging chairs for lazing away the day with a book or binoculars to watch birds with. The back stoep has comfy lounging chairs.


- Fast, stable wifi
- dedicated worktable with a good chair
- stable electricity 24/7

Guest access
Guests can explore the four-hectare mostly indigenous sub-tropical food forest garden and have shared access to the secluded eco swimming pool (being eco there are tadpoles in the pool, depending on the season).

We established The Artists' Press in Johannesburg in 1991 and moved to the Lowveld in 2002. Mark Attwood is a master printer and has been printing since 1982. We print limited edition hand-printed prints (mostly lithographs) and collaborate with some of southern Africa's leading artists. Guests are welcome to pop into the studio to see what we do. If an artist is in residence you will get to meet them too.

In addition to the Farmhouse House and studio, there is our house, the Artists' House, the Stone Cottage and our daughter's apartment on the property. Please be respectful of each of the residential buildings' privacy and need for quiet.

Other things to note
Our entire property is off-grid. Our electricity is provided by solar and our micro-hydro system. We have ample electricity, including enough to charge our fully electric vehicle. This means that we never have load-shedding. Our water is provided by our borehole, it is treated with UV and is perfectly safe to drink. The trees in the garden provide us with loads of firewood for fireplaces and braai areas. We have four bee hives, so we are off-grid for honey too! All food waste is fed to our hens in their chicken tractor.

Rock Art Tour
Our son, Simon Attwood is an expert on rock art in the region and has assisted in recording rock art and furthering research in the area. He conducts tours of local rock art sites. Please contact us in advance to check availability and rates. Guests are to provide their own transport.

Local Indigenous Plant Tour
We are situated in a hot spot for plant endemism. Simon is a member of the local Plant Specialist Group and has found four new species of undescribed plants. He provides plant tours to view these local treasures. Please contact us in advance to check availability and rates. Guests are to provide their own transport.

We receive no municipal services; our trash is taken to a registered dump site by a private company. We ask you to help us by separating the recyclables from your trash. We have 24-hour security provided by a company that patrols the valley.

No wheelchair access.
No pets (including dogs).
No children under the age of 10 years old.
May not be suitable for infirm elderly people or partially sighted people, due to steps.

Where you’ll sleep

1 of 2 pages

What this place offers

Waterfront
Kitchen
Wifi
Dedicated workspace
Free parking on premises
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm
Unavailable: Smoke alarm

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

4.83 out of 5 stars from 30 reviews

0 of 0 items showing

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 87% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 10% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 3% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

Where you’ll be

White River, Mpumalanga, South Africa

We are in a farming area between Nelspruit and White River. Our valley is home to avocado, macadamia nut, kiwi and citrus orchards.

Meet your host

Superhost
141 reviews
4.95 out of 5 average rating
2 years of hosting
My work: Self Employed and Loving It!
Speaks Afrikaans and English
Artist. Environmental activist. Human. Citizen.

Tamar is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Co-hosts

  • Maru
  • Simon

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Checkout before 11:00 AM
6 guests maximum
Safety & property
No carbon monoxide alarm
No smoke alarm
Exterior security cameras on property

Explore other options in and around White River