• About
    About

Your Hosts

Tanja Otto is your host and will welcome you to the establishment. She has extensive world-wide travel experience and understands the needs and expectations of visiting guests. She will make sure that your visit to Hermanus will be full of excitement and well-remembered.

The Whale on Main Sustainability and Community Involvement

Sustainability

  • Installed an high end inverter as well as highly efficient lithium batteries
  • Installed 16 solar panels to charge our lithium batteries (creating renewable energy through the sun)
  • Recycling glass, plastic and paper
  • Donating used furniture and linen to local charities
  • Installed an energy efficient heat pump to heat our hot water (75% saving on electricity)
  • Installed a two thousand liter water tank to harvest rainwater to use for watering the plants

Community Involvement

  • Sourcing fresh fruit and vegetables from local suppliers.
  • Sourcing glass bottled water from Tessies Genuine Mineral Water, bottling at the source in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
  • Sourcing free range eggs from Barne Eggs.
  • Donating room nights to the Hermanus community as prizes in competitions and fundraisers.

Reviews

  • Friendly And Generous Hosts

    Upon check-in (and we arrived earlier than expected), we were warmly greeted by our friendly and generous hosts who made us feel immediately welcome and provided us with tremendously valuable local insights. Also, the property far exceeded our expectations (which were already high)!February 2026 - 3 Nights

    Spencer

    Canada

  • Wonderful trip to Hermanus - Absolutely fantastic stay!

    Absolutely fantastic stay! The accommodation was spotless, comfortable, and exactly as described—if not better. The hosts Thomas and Tanja were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable, especially when it came to local restaurants. Their recommendation was spot on, with Lizette’s, which was absolutely amazing. Great location, well-equipped space, and thoughtful attention to detail throughout. Everything from check-in to check-out was seamless. Highly recommended, and I’d happily stay here again.

    Excursion

  • One Of The Highlights Of Our Trip

    We made a last minute decision to stay in Hermanus at The Whale on Main and it wound up being one of the highlights of our trip! Even though we made a last minute booking, the host greeted us with enthusiasm and warmth, making us feel right at home. He had great recommendations for making the most of our night in town including nearby hikes along the cliff and... Read this review

    Marguerite, January 2026

    USA

  • Wunderbarer Aufenthalt

    Wir waren 3 Tage in dem wunderschönen Guesthouse. Von Tanja bekamen wir tolle Tipps für die Umgebung u. Restaurants und ein Tisch wurde auch für uns reserviert. Frühstück war klasse, das gesamte Haus ist sehr sauber und liebevoll eingerichtet und die Lage am Cliff Path hervorragend ! Herzlichen Dank für den schönen Aufenthalt, wir haben uns rundum wohl gefühlt und kommen sehr gerne wieder !

    Susanne, January 2026

    Deutschland

  • Eine super Unterkunft in Hermanus - rundrum zum Wohlfühlen. Absolute Empfehlung!

    Wir haben uns hier rundum wohlgefühlt. Das sehr nette deutsche Gastgeberpaar, die liebevolle Einrichtung, die tollen Betten, das freundliche Personal und das wunderbare Frühstück haben den Aufenthalt besonders angenehm gemacht. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die große Flexibilität – wir konnten sogar etwas länger bleiben –, der persönliche Austausch zu Aktivitäten, zur Umgebung und zum Leben in Südafrika sowie die hervorragenden Tipps der Gastgeber. Die ruhige Lage etwas abseits vom Zentrum... Read this review

    Jan, January 2026

    Deustchland

  • Wir haben uns sehr wohlgefühlt

    Tanja ist eine sehr aufmerksame und nette Gastgeberin. Wir haben uns im B&B sehr wohlgefühlt und wurden mit hervorragenden Tipps versorgt, welche unsere Pläne ideal ergänzten. Für das Frühstück gibt es eine kleine Karte, welche man am Vorabend ausfüllen kann mit seinen Wünschen.

    Ellie, December 2025

    Schweiz