Terms of stay
Who you are booking with
You are booking directly with River Oak Cottage (Nicola Blewett), whom you can reach at deanjorgensen111@gmail.com. Secret Map runs this website and the booking system for us but is not a party to your booking.
Prices and payment
Prices are in South African rand, for the whole unit a night, and include VAT where we are registered for it. The total you see before you pay is the total you pay: there are no booking fees.
A deposit of 30% of the total confirms your booking. The balance is due 14 days before you arrive, and we email you a link to pay it.
Changes and cancellation
You may cancel your booking (Consumer Protection Act, section 17). Our cancellation policy says what is refunded; it is shown before you pay, is fixed in your confirmation, and never changes for a booking already made. If we cancel, you get back everything you paid.
If you cannot come because the person the booking was for has died or is in hospital, we keep no cancellation charge: tell us and we refund everything you paid.
Because your stay is for set dates, the seven-day cooling-off period for online purchases does not apply (Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, section 42(2)).
Your stay
Please keep to the house rules, the number of guests you booked for and the check-in and check-out times. We may end a stay that seriously breaks them.
Tell us of any damage. We may keep part of a security deposit for damage beyond normal wear, and will explain why.
Our local tips and the trip planner are suggestions. Plans are drafted with the help of AI and may contain mistakes: check opening times, roads, tides and weather before you go.
Your record and complaints
Your confirmation email and your stay page keep the full record of your booking, with any tax invoice to download.
If something is wrong, tell us first. If we cannot put it right, you may write to Secret Map at info@secretmap.co.za, or contact the National Consumer Commission (thencc.org.za).
Our details
River Oak Cottage is a trading name of Nicola Blewett.
Legal status: Sole proprietor.
Address: Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690.
Email: deanjorgensen111@gmail.com.
This page is in plain language. If anything here is unclear, please ask us before you book.