Hospitality Description: If we are home and have availability in our cottages, we would love to hosts visitors. There’s a guest room in the main house that is always available to a single person, or a couple, but the cottages can accommodate many people.
We prefer short-term visits for hospitality and can give great advice and travel tips!
Statistics
Listed October 2022
Views 5634
General Overview
We have a thatched cottage available on our property. It has a big veranda overlooking the Cullinan Dam, open-plan kitchen and dining area, 2 bedrooms and a single bed on the upstairs loft landing. There’s a baby bed in the top story bedroom. We have a wonderful entertainment area outside, around the pool.
There’s are 3 separate cottages available for smaller groups: 1 can sleep 2 adults and a child and another sleeps 4. We make the guest cottages available for PLU exchanges if they are not booked out on commercial sites.
We have 3 wonderfully friendly German Shepherds and 3 cats. The cats keep to the main house, but the dogs love our visitors. We don’t allow them into the guest cottages though. GUESTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CARE FOR THE ANIMALS.
We are off the grid and have solar power, gas for heating and cooking, and a back-up generator for when the electricity is out.
We have a very big garden and grow our own vegetables.
The property is fully serviced. A cleaner comes in every 3 days.
The Space
There’s a large veranda
The entertainment area has a pool, koi pond, thatched kitchenette/bar and two thatched seating areas.
There are also 2 further entertainment areas suitable for grilling.
There are cleaners on site daily and cottages are cleaned every 3 days for guests.
The separate cottage mostly used by PLU guests, has a double bedroom with bathroom and open-plan kitchen downstairs. Upstairs on the loft landing is a single bed and then a separate double bedroom with bathroom.
Guest Access
The spaces for guests are all on ground floor, and cottage one has 2 floors with stairs.
One of the additional cottage is fully accessible with a double shower and mobility features. It is wheelchair accessible.
Notes
We have very friendly dogs, 3 Black German Shepherds, 2 Burmese cats that keep to themselves and a Ginger cat who thinks he’s a dog.
Features
Fridge
WiFi
Bed sheets
Oven
Towels
Washer
TV
Heating
Hair dryer
Microwave
Iron
Dishwasher
Smoke alarms
Workspace
Clothes dryer
Coffee machine
High Speed Internet
Garden / yard
Bathtub
Air conditioning
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
BBQ
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
Balcony
Fireplace
Toys
Covered porch / verandah
Bikes
Pool
Gym
Wheelchair accessible
Home cinema
Hot tub
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Standup paddleboard
Camping gear
Kayak
Sauna
Tennis court
Meat-free kitchen
Kosher home
Piano
Travel Styles
Weekend
Adventure
Family
Foodie
Relaxing
Village
Culture
Hiking
Accessibility
Easy entrance
Wide hallways
Accessible bedroom
Accessible parking space
House Rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
Cullinan is a small, picturesque town, known for the world famous Diamond mine.
There are restaurants, art galleries and gift shops (many of which only open on weekends though).
In our area you’ll find beautiful hiking trails, zip lining, riding and a nice Spa.
Getting to my home
Cullinan is east of Pretoria and part of the Tshwane Municipality. Travel on the N4 East and take the Kempton Park, Rayton, Cullinan off-ramp, left onto the R515. We are directly on the R515, 17 km from the off-ramp.
Google Maps: Viva Connect, Cullinan.
There are Viva Signboards and’s one that says “Sunset Cottage”. You’ll enter at the first, black gate.
Nearest airport
OR Tambo International Airport
Getting Around
We are minutes from shops and there is a “Culli-Uber” - Tuktuk.
It is strongly advised to rent a vehicle/travel by car.
Map of Approximate Location
People Like Us Local Guide
Help and advise, particularly with travel to our National Parks.
Meleney and Leon’s place in Cullinan was such a warm and memorable stop on our South Africa trip. They were exceptionally hospitable—baking us fresh bread, offering thoughtful help, and making us feel genuinely cared for—but what made the stay especially valuable was Meleney’s generous local guidance. Our messages are long and detailed — well her responses to me and my million questions, at least. Her tips helped us navigate South Africa with confidence and shaped an itinerary that made the most of our limited time.
We stayed for two nights after renting a car near Kruger (we did a wilderness trek there). It is a long drive, so be prepared for fog and road construction, but make time for Milly’s restaurant en route: we had what may have been the best trout of our lives there.
The Cullinan property itself is beautiful and peaceful. We did not get nearly enough time to explore it because of rain and a packed schedule, but it was an excellent base for our plans — about an hour from most places in Johannesburg, max 90 minutes. We had a car rental. We happened to arrive during a real cold snap, and Meleney and Leon arranged a heater for us—one more example of how attentively they looked after their guests.
From there, we managed two full days in Johannesburg, including the Apartheid Museum and a wonderful birthday dinner for our daughter in Rosebank.
The next morning, we explored Cullinan itself with a fascinating diamond tour. If you are there on a weekend, spend time on the Oak Ave. strip—it has a genuinely funky, artsy energy and a great local vibe. We then continued on to a studio visit in Joburg with a friend of my husband’s, delicious samosas and chai at the Oriental Plaza, and a final Tuk Tuk tour of Soweto.
This is an ideal stay for travelers who want the independence and comfort of an Airbnb or boutique hotel, while also having kind, knowledgeable hosts nearby when they need help. Meleney and Leon go well beyond simply sharing their villas—they help you feel more connected to the place you are visiting.
Thank you guys for an unforgettable time. Cullinan was a first for us. You treated us like royalty. We felt overwhelmed by your generosity and kindness. You guys have such big hearts.
We did not expect the beauty we walked into. Our cottage was very large with the most beautiful thatched roof. Looking out our window onto the patio and into the garden early morning was such a treat.
You've dreamed big dreams in building this estate and are continuing to add to it all the time. WOW! Respect! And thank you for opening it up to our PLU community. If anyone needs a reset, a retreat, a break from the world that spins ever faster, then this is the place to go.
Thanks for taking time out your busy schedules to show us Cullinan's hidden gems (pun intended 😄) and the lovely chats.
Cullinan is the only place where blue diamonds are mined. Rare and expensive. The town is artsy and takes you back in time. The pace is slow. You have space to breathe deeply.
Subset cottages are tranquil and simply wonderful. Two days felt like a week's retreat.
Love what you're building. Love what you're doing. Thanks for making us feel like family. We hope to do this again.
I can highly reccommend a stay at Leon & Meleney's. If you're heading towards Kruger National Park, stay over a few nights on the way.
Dearest Chris and Michele
WOW thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are humbled and so happy that you enjoyed your stay.
Please do come again! We would love to host you for a longer visit.
🌷🌷🌷
Our South African Christmas with Meleney and Leon and their warm family (including Doggies)was fantastic. We were treated like part of the clan. The bungalow was spacious and beautifully decorated.
We shared meals and song.
The Cullenan mines tour was a very informative day as well.
When Jon needed to go to the hospital in the middle of the night Meleney drove us in the dark without a negative word.
The compound and the school that they organize are inspiring!
Thank you guys so much for the kind and fun stay.
We will remember you for a long time 🙏🩷
We loved staying in Meleney and Leon‘s beautiful cottage. The thatched roof keeps it cool in summer and warm in winter and It is very well equipped with everything we might need. We especially appreciated the extra touches like beautiful, fresh roses in a vase, and items for breakfast including lovely fresh eggs and bacon, and even home made bread.
We loved every aspect of our stay at Leon and Meleney's!
The cottage was just perfect for us (we were 6), the swimming pool area is very beautiful and peaceful, and we also spent time in their common living room where you feel welcome at any time.
But most of all, Leon and Meleney were just amazing hosts, with extraordinary desire for sharing and generosity!
As they were staying in the main house during our stay, we were lucky enough to spend time with them, share meals with their family and even visit the schools they founded, truly one of the highlights of our trip. Leon had so many stories to tell as they have had such an incredible and fulfilled life...
Thanks to them, we felt like we experienced South Africa from a deeper and more genuine perspective, and we made new friends at the same time 😊
Our kids also loved spending time playing with and cuddling their adorable dogs in the garden, and our youngest wouldn't leave on our last day as he wanted to stay with his favourite one 😄!
Thank you very much for making our stay unforgettable!
Thank you so much for the kind words! We loved meeting you and spending time with you, your children and friends.
Thank you for the wonderful gifts you brought us!
We wish you all of the very best and truly hope to see you again.
Much love
Leon and Meleney
It was a pleasure to host Meleney and her husband in Hove as part of their UK trip. Meleney was very easy to communicate with throughout. We came back to a very clean and tidy apartment on our return home and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them as a guest.
Meleney and I had a nice contact before their arrival and also during their stay. They arrived with 10 instead of 9 people, but the house is big enough so no issue there.
usually we do rent the house as a holiday house and we have since 3 years all year round paying customers ( from 500,00 Euros/night) staying with us. A lot of returning customers as well.
Always easy and so far never any complaints.
Meleney did smell something in the house after her first night, which was indeed the there, it was no Gas as she presumed (we do not have any gas in the house) it was the drain. Unfortunately they closed the window in the cellar and did a lot of washing the first day they arrived, which is a reason for the smell to come up. She was not amused about it and I am sorry about that. But it is as mentioned an over 100 year old house and the drain is nothing we can do about. Everything is newly done. The washing machine is usually only used by us. Guests stay in the house only for weekends. Meleney stayed for 5 nights and one night I was a bit shocked as they had the heating on and all the windows on the top floor were WIDE open. It was only 4 degrees outside.... The light was on as well but no one for almost 7 hours IN the house. . When I wrote them, she said the heating is off... But I Don't really believe it.
When. they left , the heating in all 10 Rooms was on FULL power. I only got in the house a day after their departure... That's how I presume that the heating was also on, when all the windows were wide open! Even to my paying customers I don't need to mention to switch the heating of or reduce it. I understand that people from SA are not used to our cold, but if I stay for free I would have appreciated to not increase the extra costs.
They paid a cleaning fee which we agreed while she made the reservation and was paid. Thank you for that. I am happy that I could help out with all the essentials which they were also welcome to use for free.
After this experience we decided to stop using PLU for this house. I was really excited about guests from SA, but I would have loved to have the house treated better and also if I come with 10 people instead of 9 a little present would have been nice.
Nevertheless as we do have good experience in our cologne flat, we will still be part of the PLU family.
Initially I decided to refrain from leaving feedback for this exchange as it was very unpleasant and I preferred to give Marion private feedback.
When I think of the idea of “People like us” it always made so much sense to us as we’ve made amazing friends in the community. I can’t say that I would call her “People like us”.
I did send notice that we’re 10 and asked her if there would be extra costs. I have proof of this discussion on WhatsApp.
The house is extremely beautiful. Well equipped and perfectly renovated and furnished. It lacks a manual for the appliances and Marion suggested we Google how appliances work and also suggested that we are not used to appliances like that in South Africa.
We traveled with our choir group of 6 African children and were joined by a couple.
The smell that she says I imagined is Methane Gas from rotting water under the house. It was very strong and every morning overwhelming, even with the cellar door closed. It comes up through the vents all the way to the top.
We had to sleep with windows open in the middle of winter due to the stench.
Unfortunately on a day we went to a neighbouring town the boys left their windows open upstairs. When I asked them why they did they said the smell is terrible up there.
We apologised profusely for leaving the windows open and I told her why. She simply dismissed the fact that the house stinks all the way to the top.
The fact is, she lives right across the street. She could easily have gone in and closed the windows and let us know she did, with the same number of WhatsApps it took to communicate her dismay.
We left the house absolutely spotless plus I left her €150 cleaning fee for the laundry.
After our visit she sent photos of a mark on a bathroom wall, claiming it is “some sort of colour”. We did nothing but showering in the bathrooms and nobody “coloured” anything.
I have long since had to deal with such a rude person.
Loved having Meleney and Leon in our home. They are very easy to get on with and it was good to look after them, in the way they looked after us. We met as guests and left as friends.
We’ve just returned home from our holiday and found the house just as we left it along with a little gift 😊. Our cats seem well cared for and we received updates while we were away. Meleney was a good communicator and replied quickly. Unfortunately we just missed meeting each other on arrival but maybe one day! Thank you for choosing us for your exchange, we hope you enjoyed your stay 😊
Thank you for taking care of our house ! Maik went there yesterday an did. love the hotel style toilet paper folding and that everything was so clean and tidy. It was a pleasure to get to know you a bit better , text you and enjoy dinner together . You are very welcome again. Any time and with your family. We will love to travel to you around Easter and get to know you better! Sending our love Kathrin and family
It was a pleasure to meet you both here near Oslo for dinner! It feels like we have known each other for a long time and we really are looking forward visiting you in Africa next year.
Enjoy our house on Husøy and please visit us again.
Feedback for Roz & Chris·Non-Reciprocal exchange·2 nights
Roz and Chris’s Apartment is absolutely lovely, well situated and well-equipped. Directly across from their home is a lovely park and the ocean to the left when you step out of the front door.
We spent a wonderful weekend there in Brighton, taking walks along the beach and enjoying the obligatory Fish & Chips on the shore. We watched a movie on their huge tv and I even got to play the piano, which is something I miss while travelling.
Roz communicated very well and we had clear instructions on finding and accessing their pristine home.
From the “welcome chocolates” to the beautifully decorated and furnished home to watching the birds in their courtyard garden, we had an absolutely wonderful visit and can wholeheartedly recommend them for a Brighton stay!
Feedback for Sanghamitra·Non-Reciprocal exchange·2 nights
We loved hosting this lovely family, although we did not get to spend nearly enough time together! They brought us REAL ingredients for Burritos - a HUGE treat in South Africa - and spices! Much appreciated. We wish them all the very best on their travels and happy exchanging!
Feedback for Michelle·Hospitality exchange·2 nights
Michelle and Chris are there sweetest people you will meet, or host! Uncomplicated and great fun to have around. It was a pleasure to have them for a stay and we spent very pleasant hours together, chatting and exploring our town.
They appreciated and loved our space and were very easy to please.
We wholeheartedly recommend them!
Feedback for Gabriella·Hospitality exchange·4 nights
Bournemouth is an amazing town and the home is extremely well situated and in close range of sandy beaches, shopping, nature and culture.
The two cats are gorgeous!
Feedback for Muriel·Non-Simultaneous exchange·5 nights
What a joy it was to host Laurène, Arnaud and their family!
They are wonderful people and we had a lot of fun and great times with them.
They were very interested in our country and also our work and it was a great pleasure showing them around and getting to know them.
We made new friends.
Wonderful spacious and immaculate, spacious house in beautiful surroundings. Kathrin and Maik treated us to a lovely dinner the night we arrived in Oslo and we proceeded to Husoy. We had the best time!
The home is absolutely wonderful! It is a very large home, beautifully furnished and well-equipped.
We had a very peaceful stay on this gorgeous little island and are well-rested.
The Villa Krolle website was helpful, with all the information needed for the heating and facilities.
We also had a wonderful visit with Kathrin and her family on the night of our arrival in Oslo. We love the Norwegian Sweet Cheese and Maik's amazing home-baked bread.
Premium
Meleney
Mostly my husband, Leon and I travel alone, but occasionally we might search out a home for our extended family or friends.
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.
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