Nestled between the picturesque towns of McGregor and Greyton in the Riviersonderend Mountain Range, Stay Unique’s new Zola Cabin offers sophisticated seclusion with breathtaking views.
The vision of three close friends who share a passion for travel and exploration, the fast-growing Stay Unique brand has captured the imagination of visitors seeking an escape from the daily grind, as well as landowners willing to share their otherwise inaccessible views with trusted partners, while offering jobs and upliftment to respective nearby local communities.
This simple yet excellently executed vision has, to date, realised a total of five eco-cabins strategically positioned on respective private land, each accessible within a short drive from Cape Town. Included in the planning for each destination are uninterrupted views, appropriately luxurious amenities, and considered sophistication, all to have as little impact on the surrounding nature as possible. This extends to the eco-friendly soaps and shampoos used in the in- and outdoor showers and baths, as well as the cleaning products used in swimming pools and popular woodfire-heated hot tubs.
With the exact location of Stay Unique’s Zola Cabin strategically only shared with me via WhatsApp 24 hours before my scheduled departure, and with my smartphone mirrored to the large, portrait-oriented infotainment display in my Ford Ranger Tremor test unit, an obligatory stop at the Peregrine Farm Stall meant that my wife and I were suitably well stocked with coffee and snacks before heading inland on the R321 towards Villiersdorp, and then on towards Worcester on the R43. A right turn onto the R60 leads through the lovely Nuy Valley, before a stop in Robertson allowed us to stock up on supplies for our forthcoming self-catered stay.
With the navigation leading through McGregor and eventually onto gravel, I was grateful for the combination of the Ranger Tremor’s standard General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, its Bilstein-sourced dampers, and the brand’s impressively intuitive 4A automatic all-wheel drive system. In anticipation of both scheduled stops at busy shopping destinations and sections of gravel travel, I elected to transport our luggage in a lockable and optimally sealed Thule Force 3 roof box mounted on the roof of the double-cab.
Sent the combination of both the padlock on the gate leading to the cabin and the lockbox holding the keys to our accommodation, as someone who frequently stays at hotels and guesthouses, on this occasion, I appreciated not having to make small talk or being shown how the kettle works upon arrival. Instead, Stay Unique’s business model ensures each cabin is meticulously prepared by staff employed from nearby communities. This includes all bathroom and kitchen amenities, braai wood, reading material, cushioned recliners and even a Bluetooth speaker.
Running on bespoke solar systems, while I loved the fact that we were, by all accounts, off-the-grid, each cabin nevertheless offers impressively fast Wi-Fi, allowing for music and movie streaming and, of course, timely contact with our small children left behind with family on this occasion.
With low-slung clouds rolling over the distant mountain peaks and a subsequent drop in ambient temperature reminding me of Scotland’s Highlands, my wife and I cherished the opportunity to retire to bed with the small yet effective indoor fireplace crackling and, with all the blinds of our isolated cabin left open, a breathtaking view of the nighttime stars.
With sites in Ceres, McGregor, Robertson and Rawsonville, the appeal of Stay Unique’s offering is its combination of careful planning to ensure even the smallest detail is in place ahead of your arrival, its appreciated “hands-off” approach to guest relations, and the level of execution when it comes to everything from communication to access and amenities, and, significantly, that welcome feeling of genuinely being able to switch-off and from the outside world.
