Happy Jackal Guest House

Nestled along the scenic riverfront in Colchester, Happy Jackal Guest House offers both bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation, making it the perfect choice for corporate travellers, vacationers, and group bookings alike. We provide guests with a selection of 5 tastefully appointed rooms in the main lodge and 5 fully equipped self-catering units. Each of our rooms offers cosy beds, private bathrooms, and essential amenities. Guests staying in the main lodge enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning, along with tea- and coffee-making facilities for added convenience. For those opting for self-catering, the units come with fully stocked kitchens or kitchenettes. All accommodations feature Android TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi, and the self-catering units include private outdoor areas with patios and braai (BBQ) facilities. Guests can unwind by the solar-heated swimming pool or take advantage of our private jetty for boat mooring and fishing (fishing licences required). Nature enthusiasts can enjoy birdwatching from our bird hide or take a guided tour of the Addo Elephant Park in an open game-viewing vehicle. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a tranquil sunset boat cruise along the Sundays River. The main lodge offers 3 standard ground-floor rooms and 2 luxurious first-floor rooms, each with private patios and decks that offer beautiful views of the Sundays River. The rooms come with a delicious breakfast, including fresh fruit, yoghurt, juice, a hearty hot meal, and homemade bread and jams made from our garden. For those seeking adventure, we offer various activities, including full-day game drives on our open game-viewing vehicle, sandboarding, and the ever-popular sunset riverboat cruises. Please note that these activities can be arranged in advance for an additional fee. Happy Jackal also offers a private jetty for guests to moor their boats or enjoy fishing. Guests are encouraged to bring their fishing licenses. For a more relaxed experience, visit our bird hide and enjoy the various species that inhabit the area—perhaps you’ll even spot an otter! We also provide light lunches, picnic platters, and dinner, available upon request on select days, and can be pre-booked for an additional charge. Come relax, explore, and enjoy all that Happy Jackal Guest House has to offer – your riverside getaway awaits!

Area Info

Whether you're seeking a luxury retreat or affordable lodging, Colchester offers a variety of options for all travellers in South Africa's Eastern Cape. Situated along the Sundays River, just 20 minutes from Port Elizabeth’s coastline, Colchester lies in an untouched part of the country, surrounded by ancient dunes that are estimated to be around 100,000 years old.

The town of Colchester takes pride in its history. Named after the oldest town in the UK, Colchester once sought to rival Port Elizabeth as a port more than a century ago. This ambition was largely driven by an engineer from Westminster, who envisioned Colchester as the railway hub for the Eastern Cape.

Though the area's unique river flow made it a prime location for development, today, both locals and visitors enjoy the natural surroundings, which remain largely undeveloped, aside from a recent property boom. The dunes, believed to be between 6,000 and 10,000 years old, rest on even older compacted dunes, possibly as old as 100,000 years.

The dunes are rich in wildlife, with animals such as bushbuck, grysbok, bush pigs, and smaller creatures like mice, meerkats, and mongooses calling these sandy hills home. Birdwatchers frequently include Colchester in their travel plans, and river cruises along the Sundays River offer sightings of a diverse range of birds, including waders, herons, ducks, colonies of Cape and masked weavers, and several types of kingfishers. The nearby salt pans are home to flamingos, African pied avocets, blue cranes, and various other wading birds. The tidal pool is a popular spot for swimming, and the Addo Elephant Park is just a short distance away.