Old Willow Houseboats - Hop on board a Marine Architect-designed 4-berth Leisureliner houseboat & charter your own course along the magical Vaal River. So why not take the help & steer your own adventure?
By day, cruise the 55 km of the Vaal barrage, dock at the many and varied shorefront attractions, swim, sunbathe, fish and bird watch. In the evening, cast your Old Willow Houseboats’ anchor in unspoilt river tributaries to watch the sunset, braai and fall asleep under the starry sky.
Cardholder, ID/Passport is required at check-in.
The credit card used for the online deposit must be present at check-in.
All rates include VAT.
One-Night Bookings: No one-night bookings are accepted during peak season, or weekends; Friday and Saturday nights must be booked together.
Extra Passengers: Boat sleeps a maximum of five. See rates sheet for cost of extra passengers.
Petrol Charges: Fuel is provided on board. Rates exclude cost of fuel used during your charter. Fuel costs approximately R33.00 - R50.00* per liter for a 25-liter tank, depending on fuel price, which is sufficient for between three and four hours of cruising at a reasonable speed. Refueling must be done at our jetty. Failure to do so will make you liable to be removed from the houseboat with no refund, and make you liable for the costs of any damages to the engine.
Incidental Costs: Costs of any equipment rented from us such as fishing rods, fishing boats, life jackets, towels, tubes, charcoal, firelighters, drinks, fishing tackle, etc., and equipment purchased from us, to be paid before departure.
Rates: Special rates are not applicable in peak seasons.
Deposit: Receipt of a 50% deposit within 48 hours of booking confirms your booking. Deposits can be paid by EFT, cash, cheque, or credit card. A refundable security deposit of R1000 may be required for the duration of your charter. * Payment for Charter: Full payment is required 14 days prior to boarding. You may pay using EFT, Cash or Credit Card.
Arrival & Departure: Arrival time is between 14h00 and 17h00. Boats must be vacated by 10h00 on day of departure unless otherwise arranged.
Houseboat Operation: Hirers must be adults in possession of a valid driver’s license. We are authorised by SAMSA to issue temporary skippers licenses for the duration of your charter, after basic skippers training. We will brief you on how to operate the boat, the “rules of the river” and what you can do on the river. You will be provided with a comprehensive information file. You will be required to sign an indemnity prior to departure.
Pets: No non-humans allowed on our boats, please.
Smoking: You may smoke outside the houseboat, with due caution for petrol and gas on board.
The houseboats are fully equipped. All guests need to bring are: Food and beverages Towels The self-drive houseboats sleep up to 5 people each and offer a cabin, sitting area, kitchen and bathroom. The cabin contains a double bed as well as a single sleeper couch, and the seating area can convert to a second double bed. The head is fitted with a chemical toilet, overhead shower and a basin. All bedding is included and guests just need to bring their own towels. The galley or kitchen is fully equipped with a stove, oven, fridge and tea and coffee facilities. The outside sitting area is located under the retractable awning with a braai area and the top deck offers 2 deck chairs.
Old Willow Houseboats is located on Millionaires Bend on the Vaal Barrage, just one hour down the N1 from Johannesburg. Leave your car in a safe location, and head off down the river to explore the many riverside restaurants and pubs, spas, golf courses, casinos and family entertainment venues. In the surrounding area, you can visit nature reserves, and historical and heritage sites, and partake in gentle or adrenaline-pumping pursuits in and around the Vredefort Dome, South Africa’s newest World Heritage Site.
From Johannesburg: Take the N1 South (Bloemfontein). Go through the Grasmere Toll Plaza, and look out for the Vanderbijlpark / Sasolburg Offramp. Follow this road until it crosses the Vaal River (you will go through a stop street and three sets of robots).
Immediately after crossing the river, take the Vaalpark offramp. Turn Right back across the highway, and go past JJ Bricks on your left hand side. Take the first tar road to your left, just before the mine dump. Follow this road for 6,5Km until you see a house on the right hand side of the road, and a cellphone tower on the left hand side.
Turn left onto the dirt road just before the house on the right. Turn left immediately, and turn into the third gate on the right (thatch gate post).
