Old Joe's Kaia is a unique and small, family owned and managed plant-based haven situated in the magnificent malaria-free Schoemanskloof Valley, halfway between Machadodorp and Mbombela (Nelspruit) on the N4 toll road. It is the ideal stopover en route to The Kruger National Park, Mozambique or Swaziland, and the ideal destination for reviving your soul and experiencing harmony and tranquility.
Accommodation options include rondavels and ‘kaias’, each decorated according to a different theme. Some units have self-catering facilities, while others are available on a bed and breakfast basis.
The main building houses The Seedling Vegan Kitchen, a dining area and a bar. Vegan meals are served in the dining room or on the large wooden deck at tree-top level. The Seedling Vegan Kitchen also offers various types of vegan cooking workshops for those wanting to learn more about preparing delicious vegan meals the alternative way.
Facilities and activities on the property include a beautiful swimming pool, exhilarating walks to observe the prolific bird life as well as 65 marked trees in the garden. A beautiful 7-circuit classical living labyrinth is situated in the bottom of the property for those who seek peace and private time. There is also a small library with a wide variety of books in the main building where you can enjoy a sundowner on the balcony at treetop level.
The Schoemanskloof Valley provides fantastic scenery. Bring along your off-road cycles to explore, using the farm roads along the Crocodile River. Old Joe's Kaia is also centrally situated for day outings to several beautiful attractions such as the Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Sudwala Caves and the Panorama route, including God's Window, The Blyderiver Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and numerous beautiful waterfalls.
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Old Joe's Kaia
Old Joe's Kaia
Old Joe's Kaia
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Accommodation options include rondavels and ‘kaias’, each decorated according to a different theme. Some units have self-catering facilities, while others are available on a bed and breakfast basis.
The main building houses The Seedling Vegan Kitchen, a dining area and a bar. Vegan meals are served in the dining room or on the large wooden deck at tree-top level. The Seedling Vegan Kitchen also offers various types of vegan cooking workshops for those wanting to learn more about preparing delicious vegan meals the alternative way.
Facilities and activities on the property include a beautiful swimming pool, exhilarating walks to observe the prolific bird life as well as 65 marked trees in the garden. A beautiful 7-circuit classical living labyrinth is situated in the bottom of the property for those who seek peace and private time. There is also a small library with a wide variety of books in the main building where you can enjoy a sundowner on the balcony at treetop level.
The Schoemanskloof Valley provides fantastic scenery. Bring along your off-road cycles to explore, using the farm roads along the Crocodile River. Old Joe's Kaia is also centrally situated for day outings to several beautiful attractions such as the Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Sudwala Caves and the Panorama route, including God's Window, The Blyderiver Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and numerous beautiful waterfalls.
Accommodation options include rondavels and ‘kaias’, each decorated according to a different theme. Some units have self-catering facilities, while others are available on a bed and breakfast basis.
The main building houses The Seedling Vegan Kitchen, a dining area and a bar. Vegan meals are served in the dining room or on the large wooden deck at tree-top level. The Seedling Vegan Kitchen also offers various types of vegan cooking workshops for those wanting to learn more about preparing delicious vegan meals the alternative way.
Facilities and activities on the property include a beautiful swimming pool, exhilarating walks to observe the prolific bird life as well as 65 marked trees in the garden. A beautiful 7-circuit classical living labyrinth is situated in the bottom of the property for those who seek peace and private time. There is also a small library with a wide variety of books in the main building where you can enjoy a sundowner on the balcony at treetop level.
The Schoemanskloof Valley provides fantastic scenery. Bring along your off-road cycles to explore, using the farm roads along the Crocodile River. Old Joe's Kaia is also centrally situated for day outings to several beautiful attractions such as the Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Sudwala Caves and the Panorama route, including God's Window, The Blyderiver Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and numerous beautiful waterfalls.
Features
Reviews (34)
34 guests' feedbackGreat, relaxing stopover to get ready for the holiday ahead.
Fantastic hospitality, comfy room, amazing, delicious meals, beautiful location, amazing ambience.
We once again had a very nice stay at Old Joe's. The owners are very hospitable and went out of their way to make it comfortable and pleasant for us. The food is particularly delicious and Marian really put a lot of effort into preparing and serving it. Will definitely visit Old Joe's again.
The house was very comfortable and well equipped. There was enough hot water and it was neat and clean. The staff was very friendly.
Nice place to stay and the best dinner "by a long mile"!
What a wonderful experience! We were warmly received. The sitting and dining room was lit with candles. Pots full of natural foliage lovingly arranged greeted us. The dinner and breakfast are top notch! Neatly and tasty prepared. Please try it. Even if a vegetarian diet is not what you follow. You will be so surprised!
Very cosy and clean chalet with friendly hosts. Would stay there again.
Beautiful surroundings met with the most delicious dinner. Friendly service. Great peaceful stopover.
Perfect overnight stop on the way to Lowveld. Friendly and genuine service.
Time was just too short as we only slept over. Would love to explore the place further. The dinner was set very romantically. The place would be better described with one word, funky!
Good place to stop on the way to the Kruger. Nice birdlife on the property. The rooms and property needs an uplift but good stay.
We were very well received. Everything was ready and tidy and well equipped. Maybe they could just look more into handicap accessibility. Furthermore, we had a great time! I will definitely go there again. Thank you very much!
We had a great time at Old Joe's Kaia. We ordered dinner as well as breakfast that night and will return especially just for that, amazingly delicious!. It's wonderfully peaceful with a wonderful comfortable atmosphere and wonderful views. Would highly recommend a walk through the labyrinth.
Absolutely loved everything about our stay over, from the most amazing welcome, to the rooms, to the beautiful gardens and to the most amazing foods. Such an awesome taste, prepared with so much pride and most definitely the most exciting, tasty vegan foods we had. Well done to the hosts, you are such beautiful people. Thank you.
We had a nice stay, the host and wife are very nice and we (who are not vegan at all) enjoyed the vegan dinner and breakfast. We appreciated the attention to detail with the meals.
The owners are interesting people. However, not your everyday cup of tea. If you eat there, it will cost you R250 per person, and you won't get meat. But the whole experience was nice. Slept well and bathed well.
Joe's Kaia offers dinner and breakfast if you are interested. The surprise was that it is "vegan". So no meat. For a meat eater I was quite skeptical at first, but what a pleasant surprise. Both the dinner (4 course) and the breakfast were top notch and were completely adequate. The food was delicious and filling and not bloated. Mariaan and Paul are very good hosts and Mariaan knows what she is doing in the kitchen. There was a nice log fire in the common area against the cold evening air and we and the other couple, who were also guests there, had a cozy time as if we had known each other for years. They came for the food. The sleeping place is eccentric but neat. If one inquires about the history of the place, then you leave informed. Although Joe's was close to the main road it didn't bother me at all. It was dead quiet all night and we slept great. We did not feel unsafe at all. If you fancy a bit of adventure and food outside the box, then this is the place to be. I'm not off meat, but I was impressed with what you can do with just vegetables and she makes her own "tofu". It was delicious.
Neat, interesting place, garden is beautiful. Room was neat.
Here you can relax with a glass of wine, and just sit and look at nature.
Friendly welcome. Very peaceful and will definitely spend the night there again.
We hope to be there again soon.
Cozy, good food, beautiful destination.
Would have liked to use the garden and walking area, but the rainy weather made it difficult.
Would recommend for travelers to the Kruger National Park to stay overnight. This is what we did. The journey the next day is so much shorter. Beautiful scenery and very friendly welcome. The room met our requirements. It should definitely be mentioned that only vegans and vegetarians are catered for.
Great service from the owners. A home from home place, but better! Great food prepared with such love and care. A real effort made by the owners to satisfy there guests. Will definitely stop over again. It is perfect. But more than that it is an experience to delight.
Old Joe's Kaya is a little gem on the way to the Lowveld. It is conveniently located just off the N4 in a beautiful indigenous garden with birds aplenty. It will keep those interested in gardening and trees busy for a long time. The hosts are extremely friendly and accommodating. The vegan meals (we had the breakfast) are a must for all those who have not tried it. This is a splendid weekend break, and you can through in a vegan cooking lesson to boot.
Never thought food without meat was so good.
Great time together host and hostess.
Were very friendly and pleasant people. Accommodation very clean.
Lots of potential which is not the case at the moment.
Friendly service and very comfy and spacious accommodaiton with bird song waking you up in the morning.
The people and the meals they offer were wonderful, but the rest is old and not very attractive. The droughts probably also have a lot to do with the environment.
The perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Marian and her team were EXCELLENT! Since we got there I can't say anything negative. The log cabin was very neat with everything we needed and dinner was fantastic! Definitely worth the extra money! Breakfast was just as delicious! Please don't expect a modern shiny place when you visit Old Joe's... it's a rustic, natural, warm place with typical South African hospitality. Marian's artistic hand is very evident everywhere! And please don't pay attention to the people who complain about noise... they're just nonsense. It's not that bad at all! Many thanks to all the staff but also especially We appreciate the friendly nature and help with our bags! We will definitely visit again if we can!
Map
Rooms
Rondavel (Double)
Kaia (Triple)
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House rules
Children aged between 0 and 11 pay 60% of the sharing rate.Children aged between 12 and 18 pay 100% of the sharing rate.
Guests in the self-catering units need to provide their own braai wood or charcoal.
Rondavel (Double)
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Description
This Rondavel has a thatched roof and contains an extra-length queen-size bed. The rondavel has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower, and is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities. There is a private outside seating area.
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About This Room
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Bathroom
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Price Includes
Rates displayed are on a room only basis.
House Rules
Children aged between 0 and 11 pay 60% of the sharing rate.
Children aged between 12 and 18 pay 100% of the sharing rate.
Guests in the self-catering units need to provide their own braai wood or charcoal.
Cancellation policy
before check-in
before check-in
Description
This Rondavel has a thatched roof and contains an extra-length queen-size bed. The rondavel has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower, and is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities. There is a private outside seating area.
Kaia (Triple)
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Description
This is a semi-detached private unit under big trees, with a private balcony overlooking the garden towards the swimming pool. The room contains a queen-size bed and a single bed and has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and shower. The room is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities.
Room Arrangements
Rates
About This Room
Services
Bathroom
Room Facilities
Appliances
Extras
Entertainment
Price Includes
Rates displayed are on a room only basis.
House Rules
Children aged between 0 and 11 pay 60% of the sharing rate.
Children aged between 12 and 18 pay 100% of the sharing rate.
Guests in the self-catering units need to provide their own braai wood or charcoal.
Cancellation policy
before check-in
before check-in
Description
This is a semi-detached private unit under big trees, with a private balcony overlooking the garden towards the swimming pool. The room contains a queen-size bed and a single bed and has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and shower. The room is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities.
Rondavel (Triple)
More room/unit pictures
Description
This rondavel has a thatched roof and contains 3 single beds. The rondavel has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower, and is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities. There is a balcony overlooking the main reception area.
Room Arrangements
Rates
About This Room
Services
Bathroom
Room Facilities
Appliances
Extras
Entertainment
Price Includes
Rates displayed are on a room only basis.
House Rules
Children aged between 0 and 11 pay 60% of the sharing rate.
Children aged between 12 and 18 pay 100% of the sharing rate.
Guests in the self-catering units need to provide their own braai wood or charcoal.
Cancellation policy
before check-in
before check-in
Description
This rondavel has a thatched roof and contains 3 single beds. The rondavel has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower, and is equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities. There is a balcony overlooking the main reception area.
Family Unit
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Description
This unit comprises 2 bedrooms, 1 with a queen-size bed and the other with 2 single beds. The 2 bedrooms have interleading doors. There are 2 en-suite bathrooms with a bath and a shower in each. The unit also comprises a compact kitchenette on the private balcony overlooking the garden towards the swimming pool. It is equipped with a fridge, a 2-plate gas stove, a microwave and tea- and coffee-making facilities and a mobile braai grid. Guests need to provide their own wood.
Room Arrangements
Rates
About This Room
Services
Bathroom
Room Facilities
Appliances
Extras
Entertainment
Price Includes
Rates displayed are on a self-catering basis.
House Rules
Children aged between 0 and 11 pay 60% of the sharing rate.
Children aged between 12 and 18 pay 100% of the sharing rate.
Guests in the self-catering units need to provide their own braai wood or charcoal.
Cancellation policy
before check-in
before check-in
Description
This unit comprises 2 bedrooms, 1 with a queen-size bed and the other with 2 single beds. The 2 bedrooms have interleading doors. There are 2 en-suite bathrooms with a bath and a shower in each. The unit also comprises a compact kitchenette on the private balcony overlooking the garden towards the swimming pool. It is equipped with a fridge, a 2-plate gas stove, a microwave and tea- and coffee-making facilities and a mobile braai grid. Guests need to provide their own wood.
Accommodation options include rondavels and ‘kaias’, each decorated according to a different theme. Some units have self-catering facilities, while others are available on a bed and breakfast basis.
The main building houses The Seedling Vegan Kitchen, a dining area and a bar. Vegan meals are served in the dining room or on the large wooden deck at tree-top level. The Seedling Vegan Kitchen also offers various types of vegan cooking workshops for those wanting to learn more about preparing delicious vegan meals the alternative way.
Facilities and activities on the property include a beautiful swimming pool, exhilarating walks to observe the prolific bird life as well as 65 marked trees in the garden. A beautiful 7-circuit classical living labyrinth is situated in the bottom of the property for those who seek peace and private time. There is also a small library with a wide variety of books in the main building where you can enjoy a sundowner on the balcony at treetop level.
The Schoemanskloof Valley provides fantastic scenery. Bring along your off-road cycles to explore, using the farm roads along the Crocodile River. Old Joe's Kaia is also centrally situated for day outings to several beautiful attractions such as the Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Sudwala Caves and the Panorama route, including God's Window, The Blyderiver Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and numerous beautiful waterfalls.