the necessary pause
Off-Grid Retreat in Cederberg, South Africa
Life pulls at you from every direction until the constant buzz turns into nothing but noise. At Bliss & Stars, you pause for days at a time and let quiet return. The river keeps moving. The boulders keep sitting. It isn’t a metaphor. The river runs. The boulders sit.
The retreat is located in a secluded valley along the Doring River, surrounded by wild mountains and endless sky, beyond signal and off the grid.
Six private chalets are spaced across the land, holding no more than ten people in total. The scale keeps it human, with conversations at the table, long silences on the rocks, and shared awe under night skies. Guided with care, the days fall into an easy rhythm, giving you room to slow down and settle into the stillness the valley holds.
Arrive when life’s speed wears you thin. Leave when you are ready.
Intentionally designed for presence, not improvement.
body & mind
Simplicity isn’t minimalism. It’s a return to how life feels without noise and distractions. Drawing on mindfulness, somatic practices, plant-based food, and deep presence, this is a retreat for being with yourself, here and now.
astronomy
Lie under the vast Cederberg sky. Trace constellations. Listen to stories older than your words. Here, astronomy is not spectacle. It’s the quiet recognition of our place in the universe, unfolding night by night.
nature
Find a place where the river moves, the rocks remain, and your thoughts finally settle. In wild valleys, with sky, stone, and fresh air around you, immersion in nature becomes less about escape and more about being fully here.
What we do,
if we had to name it
Sit still. Stargaze. Eat real food. Notice the body waking up. Let the mind wander. Lie on a rock. Breathe. Move. Let silence guide you.
Mindfulness, somatic experiencing, nature, meals, and galaxies meet to remind you of the ordinary miracle of being alive, right now, right here.
PAUSE ISN'T A LUXURY. IT'S A NECESSITY.`
Book the only meeting that actually matters.
Meeting with yourself.
Step into four, six, or seven days where the noise drops and the land takes over. You’ll find yourself face to face with silence in the Cederberg, without phones or chatter. It’s not an escape. It’s a space to notice what stays when distraction falls away: breath, body, the vastness of the open land. And in that space, the question shifts: what if nothing needs adding, and less is enough? Silent retreat is an invitation to meet stress with space, sadness with capacity and fear with breath.
Five days in the Cederberg devoted to a microdosing journey with medicinal mushrooms.
We offer an ultimate privacy in nature, nourishing food, mindful movement, breathwork, and star‑filled skies to create the frame for your experience. Bloom offers a space to explore your mind, your wellbeing, your next chapter. Grounded, down to earth, and about you. Simple yet elevated stays that invite interesting conversations and lasting connections with open‑minded people.
orion's Odyssey
Three nights under the Cederberg sky, telescopes pointing up, stories passed around the fire. Each night, you explore constellations, galaxies, and ancestral myths.
Dinner becomes a dialogue with the cosmos. Dishes are inspired by star clusters, dark matter, and the Big Bang, with simple ingredients crafted to taste like the universe itself. It’s a space where the vastness above and the stories we share remind us of our smallness, our significance, our belonging, and the connections that make us human.
You don’t need time off. You need time offline.
“The incredible team that is Bliss and Stars, each one of you weaving your magic into the entire experience. Actually there are NO words. The weekend was beyond anything I could have imagined.
Heine, the photographs were breathtaking and your love and passion for what you and Daria have created, is palpable. Thank you for letting us into your world. Daria, your enthusiasm and very gentle spirit are so inspiring. PURE magic.
It was really unique, being put in a group of people who actually did not know one another at all, and how well we blended.
I could go on forever………”
– Tammy, after her retreat at bliss & stars
Need to know a little more?
Discover more with our 3 latest journal entries.
WHERE TO FIND US
Off-grid in the Cederberg Mountains, Western Cape. 300 km north of Cape Town. 55 km past Clanwilliam.You can reach us by car or by helicopter.
Far from the signal. Close to stillness. You’ll lose reception before you arrive. That’s the point.
For all travel inquiries or any special requests, please send your questions through the contact form.