De Swarte Mossel is located in a small, sleepy seaside village up the West Coast in Hondeklipbaai - about 6 hours drive from Cape Town. Ideal as a stopover if you’re planning a road trip up country or into Namibia - or on an extended flower season road trip up the West Coast.

The accommodation at De Swarte Mossel is down to earth & unpretentious. The house sleeps up to 6 people in 3 bedrooms with one shared bathroom. There is kitchen, stocked with the basics (crockery, cutlery, dishwashing liquid, tea, coffee) open plan to the dining room, indoor braai and living room which has a TV and basic DsTV channels. The kitchen has a separate scullery with oversized fridge and deep freeze - ideal for storing meats etc if you're planning on an extended trip into Namibia.

The dining area has an indoor braai (draws beautifully!) which also serves as fireplace for colder evenings. There is a lovely undercover deck overlooking the ocean in the distance where you can enjoy your cuppa in the morning, or a sundowner in the evening. The property is fully enclosed, with plenty of parking for multiple vehicles inclusive of campers.

Due to the remoteness, during peak season there is sometimes a shortage of water, so use water sparingly, and there may be an occasional electricity outage, but the house is well stocked with candles and lanterns. No drinking water at the property as all is from rain water tanks - so bring your own drinking water.

De Swarte Mossel is the ideal break for those that want to get away from it all for a little longer than a weekend and enjoy a slower pace of life. No internet, but we had sufficient cell reception for the basics like WhatsApp, Social media and email - anything heavier and you better have a good data plan!

This is ideal road-trip material, and located about 6 hours from Cape Town. If you’re planning a trip here, there are some great places to stop along the way to stretch the legs, and the end destination will be a reprieve. We also suggest to book at least a two to three night stay, as the initial drive there is so long, especially if you're driving up specially to stay here.

The last stretch is a long gravel road for about 90km from Garies, which from our experience can be hair-raising if you take the wrong turn-off. You don’t need a 4x4 to drive here, but we suggest at least an SUV, but if your suspension is in good shape, and you take the road we didn't take, you should be fine. The closest petrol station is in Koiingnaas which is 22km away, so make sure you fill up before leaving Garies too.