A couple’s weekend escape from Midrand to the Vaal River with Old Willow No. 7 Houseboat Charters
I’ll be honest, when my husband first suggested we spend a weekend on a houseboat, I pictured something rickety, cold, and mildly terrifying. I am not a boat person. I barely like swimming pools. But the man was persistent, and somewhere between his third pitch and the promise of a braai on open water, I caved.
What followed was one of the best weekends we’ve had in years. I’m talking proper, phones-down, genuinely-switched-off kind of good. And because I know there are other slightly hesitant partners out there who need convincing, I’m going to break down exactly what the experience was like including what it cost us.
Getting There: Midrand to the Vaal
We left Midrand on a Friday morning, and the drive to the Korhaan River Estate in Sasolburg took us just under two hours. Honestly, not bad at all. The route was straightforward mostly the N1 heading south and by the time we pulled into the estate, I was already starting to decompress. There was something about leaving the highway behind and winding down into a riverside property that just immediately shifts your energy.
The estate itself sits along what locals apparently call “Millionaire’s Bend,” and once you see the stretch of river from there, you understand why. It’s genuinely beautiful. Wide, calm, bordered by riverbank trees and birdlife that you’d normally only encounter if you went out of your way to find it.
Checking In: What to Expect at Old Willow No. 7
Old Willow No. 7 Houseboat Charters is based right on that stretch of the Vaal, and the team there, Philip the owner and his crew (shoutout to Johannes who is incredibly patient with first-timers), made the whole process feel completely manageable.
Before you get on the water, they walk you through a detailed skippers’ briefing. No license is needed; they provide the training on-site and it’s included in your booking. They cover how to handle the boat, where to moor overnight, which sections of the river to avoid, and the best spots to anchor for a sundowner. By the time we cast off, my husband looked genuinely pleased with himself and I, somewhat against my will, felt ready.
The boats themselves are marine architect-designed and built to proper safety standards. Ours had:
- A fore-cabin with a double bed and storage (this is where we slept, cozy but comfortable)
- An inside galley with a gas stove, oven, bar fridge, and sink
- A small bathroom with a hot shower, chemical toilet, and basin yes, a hot shower. On a boat. On the river. I did not expect that.
- An outside sitting area under a retractable awning, with a charcoal braai on deck
- An upper rooftop deck with chairs which became my favourite spot for literally everything
You bring your own food and drinks. They supply the boat, the fuel (to a point more on costs below), the equipment, and the experience. It’s genuinely self-catering, which I loved because it meant we were completely in charge of our own pace.
Day One: Cruising, Stopping, and That Braai
We set off around midday on Friday. My husband took the helm he was insufferably confident about this within about twenty minutes and we began making our way downstream toward the quieter sections of the river near the dam wall.
The pace is slow. Wonderfully, deliberately slow. That’s the whole point. You chug along at what feels like a walking pace, and instead of feeling frustrating, it feels like exactly what your nervous system needed without knowing it. Hamerkops and herons watch you from the banks. The water is wide and calm. You go where you want, stop when you want, and nobody is waiting for you anywhere.
We moored up at a sandbank mid-afternoon for what I can only describe as an impromptu riverside break. We hopped off, waded in the shallows, and just sat in the sun with absolutely nothing happening. It was lovely. There’s something deeply satisfying about being able to park your home on a sandbank in the middle of a river and just… exist there for a while.
Later that evening, we found a sheltered bend to anchor for the night. My husband built the braai while I strung some fairy lights along the awning and opened a bottle of red. We had boerewors and chops, ate slowly, and watched the sky go from orange to purple to a sky so full of stars it looked almost theatrical. No traffic noise. No neighbour’s music. Just the river, the frogs, and the occasional splash of something in the water.
It was the kind of evening that makes you realise how much noise you’ve been living with.
Day Two: More River, a Waterfront Stop, and the Upper Deck
We woke up early on Saturday not by alarm, but because the light was something else. Morning on the Vaal is misty and golden and I highly recommend experiencing it from the rooftop deck with a cup of coffee.
After a slow breakfast in the galley (we’d brought eggs, bacon, the works), we set off again. This time we headed upstream to explore a different section of the river. The Vaal Barrage covers 55 km of navigable waterway, so you genuinely have options and it doesn’t feel repetitive.
One of the highlights of the whole trip was stopping at a waterfront restaurant along the river. There are a few spots where you can simply dock your houseboat and walk up for a meal or a drink. We grabbed lunch at one of them it felt wonderfully absurd, in the best way, to arrive somewhere for lunch by houseboat. We sat on the deck, ordered food, and watched other boats go past before heading back to ours.
The afternoon was spent anchored in a quiet inlet while I read and my husband fished (you can hire fishing rods and tackle from Old Willow directly if you need them). Then back to the braai in the evening lamb chops this time, a much better bottle of wine, and the same impossible sky.
What It Cost Us
This is the part people always want to know, so let’s be transparent about it.
- Houseboat hire (2 nights, weekend rate, 2 persons): Weekend rates for 2 people come in at around R2,634 per night, so for two nights that’s approximately R5,268 for the boat itself. Midweek rates are lower at around R1,914 per night if you have the flexibility.
- A R1,500 refundable breakage deposit is payable directly to Old Willow at check-in you get this back when you return the boat in good condition (we did, no drama).
- Fuel: Fuel is extra and charged for what you use. We were fairly relaxed explorers not zooming around and our fuel for the weekend came to around R350–R400. If you’re more ambitious with your route, budget a bit more.
- Food and drinks (for 2, self-catered): We packed well and didn’t skimp. Two nights of braais, breakfasts, snacks, wine, beers, juice, and coffee came to around R1,200 for us. Obviously this is entirely dependent on your tastes and shopping habits.
- Drive from Midrand (petrol, there and back): About R350–R400 in a reasonably efficient car.
Rough total for the weekend: ±R7,300–R7,400 for two people
That works out to roughly R3,700 per person for a full weekend away accommodation, activities, food, and all. By South African travel standards, that’s genuinely good value for something this unique and memorable.
Would We Do It Again?
Without question. In fact, we were having the conversation on the drive home about which friends we could take with us next time. The boats sleep up to 5 people for overnight stays, so a group trip with a couple of close friends would be even better value and just as much fun.
The key is going in with the right mindset. This is not a party boat. This is not a luxury yacht. This is a slow, self-directed, wonderfully analogue way to spend a weekend. You cook your own food, you steer your own boat, you choose your own pace. And that freedom that complete absence of itinerary is the whole point.
If you and your partner (or a small group of friends) need a proper reset and you’re within two hours of the Vaal, put this on your list. It is genuinely one of those experiences that feels much bigger than the effort it took to organise.
Practical Info: Old Willow No. 7 Houseboat Charters
- Location: Korhaan River Estate, Sasolburg (about 1h 45min from Midrand)
- What to bring: Food, drinks, ice (or buy from them on-site), towels, clothes, sunscreen
- What’s provided: Boat, fuel (to start), braai, gas stove, oven, bar fridge, hot shower, bedding, life jackets, and a full briefing
- Skipper’s licence: Not required training is included
- Booking: Via their website at oldwillow.co.za or on LekkeSlaap
- Minimum stay: 2 nights over weekends during peak season
- Contact: +27 83 391 4884 | [email protected]
Have you been on a houseboat on the Vaal? Drop a comment below — we’d love to hear your experience.