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EL YOLO OnE Enjoy Life - You Only Live Once - On Earth
Type : Self-catering Farm Accommodation Grading : Tourism Grading Council of South Africa - Three stars. Location : Klaarstroom, Prince Albert District
Directly north of the Swartberg Pass lies the attractive rural town of Prince Albert, notable for its peaches, apricots and grapes. Founded in 1842, it was subsequently named in honour of Queen Victoria's husband, the Prince Consort.
Description: El Yolo One is a working Karoo guest farm situated at the foot of the Swartberg mountain range in the Great Karoo. Our guests are able to come into close contact with a variety of farm animals such as cattle, sheep, donkeys, turkeys, ducks, geese, peacocks and chickens.
We have tame and wild game such as Eland, Springbok, Kudu and Duiker. Our bird life is extensive. Many wild and endangered wild flowers and flora have been spotted. We offer night game drives and 4x4 routes for the experienced as well as the inexperienced.
Hiking trails have been created for the more adventurous hiker or those who wish to take a casual walk. Fascinating Bushman rock paintings can be found in three different caves on the farm. Fossil spotting and unpolluted mountain streams and waterfalls are some of the unusual features of the farm.
Accommodation:
Number of Rooms/Units: 11
Number of Guests: 30 Room/Unit Description:
1X SELF CATERING CHALET
Fully equipped self catering chalet which accommodates 4 persons, with own braai area. Shower and toilet facilities. Set apart from the rest of the accommodation it provides privacy for those who prefer it.
2X LUXURY SINGLE ROOMS
With en suite bathroom, bar fridge, shared patio.
3X LUXURY DOUBLE ROOMS
Each with a double bed, en suite bathroom, bar fridge and private patio.
4X LUXURY TWIN ROOMS
Each with 2 single beds, en suite bathroom, bar fridge and private patio.
1X FARM HOUSE
Sleeps 10 persons, 3 double beds and 4 single beds, 2 bathrooms and indoor braai area.
All accommodation facilities are provided with electric blankets, wall heaters, kettles, safety boxes etc. In addition all rooms have bathroom as well as swimming pool towels provided.
All rooms have spectacular views of surrounding Swartberg Mountain range.
Facilities: Dining
Guests have a choice of self catering or restaurant facilities. We mainly serve traditional Karoo farm meals. The restaurant is also available for self catering for larger groups. We provide our guests with free fireplace and braai wood during their stay with us.
Tariff:
Chalet ZAR655.00 per night for the unit - Sleeps four
Single rooms ZAR360.00 per person per night - Sleeps one
Double rooms ZAR715.00 per room per night - Sleeps two
Twin rooms ZAR665.00 per room per night - Sleeps two
Farm house ZAR1900.00 per house sleeps up to 10
Children under 12 Half price.
Check in: 14h00
Check out: 11h00
Pets allowed by special arrangement only
No smoking allowed in any building.
Payment Policy:
A 50% non-refundable deposit is payable on confirmation of the reservation and the balance is payable on arrival.
Phone Bookings : 028 425 3004 or 083 662 1560
Requests are confirmed with the accommodation establishment.
The reply (quote) is then forwarded to you with information on how to book the specific accommodation. Please allow up to twelve hours for a quote. When phoning please quote the NAME OF THE ESTABLISHMENT (in this case El Yolo one ); the number of guests in your party and the dates of the stay.
Attractions and Activities:
Swimming can be undertaken in either a swimming pool next to the restaurant or in the farm dam. The area a photographers dream and we have planetarium facilities to view spectacular Karoo night skies. In addition we allow bass fishing, target shooting, rock climbing and mountain biking, provided you bring your own equipment.
Our climate is moderate in summer due to our proximity to the Swartberg, 1000m above sea level. Rainfall is seldom experienced and some snowfalls can be expected in winter.
Nearby Attractions and Places:
Meiringspoort - 30 km
Cango Caves - 100km
Oudtshoorn - 100km
Prince Albert - 60km
Baviaans nature reserve and the Hell
Gamkaskloof
Klaarstroom
Willowmore
De Rust
Meiringspoort
Services Offered:
Spacious parking, laundry at extra cost to visitors, pool table, communal DSTV and fireplaces in farm house as well as restaurant. Pets permitted by arrangement. We speak English and Afrikaans, and a little Dutch and Belgian.
Directions on How to Get There
FROM CAPE TOWN
Drive on N1 through Laingsburg to Prince Albert road 330 km, turn to Prince Albert and drive to Klaarstroom. At Klaarstroom, take the Willowmore road and follow the El Yolo sign boards. Total distance 450 km.
ALTERNATIVE FROM CAPE TOWN
Take N1 to Worcester and then the R62 to Oudtshoorn. On to De Rust and through Meiringspoort to Klaarstroom. Follow the El Yolo sign boards on the Willowmore road. 490 km
FROM GEORGE
Drive to Oudtshoorn and then on to Klaarstroom. At Klaarstroom, follow the El Yolo sign boards on the Willowmore road. 160km
FROM JOHANNESBURG
Take N1 south to Beaufort West. Take Klaarstroom / Oudtshoorn road. At Klaarstroom follow the El Yolo sign boards on the Willowmore road. 1200 km
Our Visitors Remarks :
Towards the end of 2009 we booked in to a log cabin on the farm - a quaint self-catering cottage. It is a place where you settle in immediately. Our car stayed parked for the duration of our stay. There was no need to rattle our headlights off to get to extreme spots to investigate Bushmen caves or pristine waterfalls. With apples and water in our rucksacks we started a 4km hike early in the morning and with only the sounds of the veld and our footsteps as we walked, clambered and climbed to reach a Bushmen cave with rock paintings.
Having studied rock paintings in books before, I thought I was quite clued up but I realised my knowledge was very limited when seeing originals for the first time. First of all the paintings are much smaller than I had anticipated and without digital enhancements appeared much fainter due to weathering. However, I was thrilled to see a familiar theme which I had depicted previously when illustrating a Bushmen fable.
When I looked at the paintings I immediately thought of the disappointed reaction of many people who look through a telescope for the first time having seen numerous colourful Hubble Photos . " Is that all?" I guarded my thoughts and knew I was witnessing much more than was apparent at first sight.
The key to appreciation of what the Karoo has to offer is a bit of background knowledge and lots of imagination. You will soon be hooked and better prepared for every subsequent visit.
At El Yolo I felt the Sun on my back and heard sounds of the veld ringing in my ears. I was mesmerized by rock formations and fossils millions of years old and my heart skipped a beat at the sudden onset of extremely loud and rolling thunder.
I was battered by fierce wind when trying to find a suitable spot to set up my telescope but when the clouds dispersed as suddenly as they had appeared I saw the awesome Andromeda Galaxy (neighbour to our own Milky Way) to the north just above a hilltop.
You only live once. Be sure there are millions of special moments included in the deal.
