At Teniqua Treetops we have a minimum 4 night stay over peak season. Simply because of our commitment to the environment.

When a guest comes to stay with us we wash all the linen after 3 or 4 days depending on the length of there stay. This is also a requirement of a 3 star grading. We try in all our endeavors to limit the impact on the environment and advertise our resort as eco-friendly. Over peak season we are completely full anyway and the loading on the environment is the most severe. One of the clearest impacts is the quantity of water required for washing. This is both a usage and subsequent grey water processing issue. So for us the 7 day minimum (which is what other establishments do) is silly as it does not link to any environmental issue. But we require the 3 or 4 day stay and preferably a 4 day stay.

At other times of year we do not have this requirement as the loading on the environment over an extended period if time is not so severe. We are a green organization and are serious about it. Its not a marketing strategy but a sincere commitment. No green-washing here.

We moved from the city to this fantasy forest, wonderful green trees, beautiful butterflies and stunning birds. We thought maybe we would build some tree houses but we weren’t really sure. Neither of us had ever built anything before and what does a tree house look like anyway ? Then Hammid arrived from the forest and said “I believe you want to build tree houses, I am your builder”. He is a great carpenter, a lover of wood, a sincere follower of Osho and an ex-movie set designer. And so it began…

Hubby, Viv, ensured it was safe, Hammid carved the wood and I started business.

Each tree house has evolved over time, built high in the treetops we find a gap in the forest and using canvas a wood create a tree house which incorporates the forest without doing any damage to the environment. We would rather cut a hole in the deck than cut a branch from a tree.

We are currently on our third iteration, improving changing and adding to each one.

For the last 3 weeks we have had Working For Water clearing aliens on the farm. Amazing project. I hardly saw them. They came and removed, cut ot ring-barked all the trees that don’t belong here. We have pines that have jumped from the nearby plantation onto our farm that they ring-barked. Its wonderful to know we are alien free. The team was prdeominantly women. I have noticed that when the plantation clears the fire breaks its also usually a female team.

We have been here 7 years, experienced 3 floods and now the worst drought they have had in the last 38 years. I don’t care about the debates as to whether it is the impact of humans or not (I believe it is) what I do know is if we don’t change our behaviour it will only get worse.

We need rain desperately, the trees look so sad when they are dry. This is the first year I have seen the Forest Elders and the FIg trees drop their leaves. I am sure they will recover. I would hate to be a farmer, it must be very stressful.

We have added a new deck mmmm must include a picture here mmmm, made it warmer, this should become my favourite treehouse again. It has a stunning side room. Thanks to the Fleur (Forest Elder) for hiding Colin’s house. We have used stinkwood rails, (undulating branches really), Eskom cut to prevent the tree touching its electrical cable.

We have been pressure cleaning the tent, and found what we suspect to be bat poo between the outer and inner roof. The forest is alive and the creatures are reclaiming the treehouses as their space too.