Starry Nights Guesthouse

Starry Nights Guest House is situated in the lovely and artistic Karoo town of Nieu-Bethesda and is perfect for our guests to unwind and enjoy the iconic Compassberg mountain view and surrounds. The Guest House offers guests a choice of self-catering units with verandahs and braai areas opening onto the lovely garden. Cottages 1 and 2 can accommodate 4 people each. Cottage 1 is furnished with a queen-size and a single bed, with an extra bed available on request to accommodate the 4th person. Cottage 2 contains a queen-size bed and 2 single beds. Cottages 1 and 2 each have a kitchenette containing a microwave, a kettle, a toaster, a 2-plate stove with a mini oven, a bar fridge or a fridge-freezer combo, and cutlery and crockery. The cottages have shower-only bathrooms. Located adjacent to Cottage 1, Cottage 3 can be booked on its own or with Cottage 1 for a group or family. The cottage contains twin beds and an en-suite bathroom with a shower. Cottage 3 is equipped with a bar fridge and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Cottages 1 and 3 share a verandah. Starry Nights Guest House has a large garden with uninterrupted views of the Compassberg and the valley to the north of Nieu Bethesda. The garden is a birders’ paradise with a variety of Karoo species nesting in the trees and bushes. At night, guests can indulge in the starry skies above while enjoying a braai with friends and family. The lovely guest house is within walking distance of galleries, shops, restaurants, and The Owl House. It is the perfect base from which to explore the village. Your hosts will happily assist with planning and recommendations. Day trips to Graaff-Reinet and the Valley of Desolation or Cradock and the Mountain Zebra National Park are easy options and are located within driving distance.

Area Info

Some 60 km from Graaff-Reinet, the town of Nieu-Bethesda is in essence, completely isolated, with only two roads in and out of the village. Established in 1875 and named by the preacher Andrew Murray, Nieu-Bethesda was eclipsed by larger towns during the 1930s and ‘40s and became quite impoverished. It lies in a narrow valley, has no street lights and is only about one mile wide and two miles long - home to less than a thousand people.

Nieu-Bethesda, New Bethesda or ‘Betesda’ to the locals in the Eastern Cape, has been set very firmly on the map in recent years, largely due to the Owl House and Helen Martin’s very special and unique artwork. Her intriguing sculptures in concrete and glass, assisted by Koos Malgas who became her hands in later years, the mythical and fantastic figurines and use of bright paint and multi-coloured panes of glass, fascinate visitors from all over the world and have been responsible for converting the sleepy hollow of Nieu-Bethesda into a tourist attraction. It was only after her death that the full implication of what ‘Miss Helen’ had been doing in her childhood home during the 1940s was discovered. Largely a recluse, she was regarded as an eccentric by the village and the true value of her contribution was misunderstood.