General Retreat Information

Unless stated otherwise, retreats start at 6pm on the first day with supper, and end at lunchtime (1pm) on the last day. Please plan to arrive between 4 pm and 6 pm so that someone is on site to show you to your room. If you are already familiar with the Centre, you will find an accommodation plan on the noticeboard and can settle in as soon as you arrive.

You are welcome to arrive earlier in the day to settle in. Lunch on arrival day needs to be pre-booked, and costs R150 per person.

The pricing of retreats includes accommodation, bedding and towels, soap, hot showers, and three ovo-lacto vegetarian meals per day, including fruit, tea time treats, and beverages. A facilitator’s fee may be included in some retreat fees, and there may be a supplementary fee included to pay for additional costs such as teacher’s flights. There is usually also an optional environmental levy of R60 included in the pricing.

Please ensure that all final payments for the retreat have been made before you arrive. We prefer to get the admin out of the way before your arrival so that on arrival you can relax and don’t have to worry about payments. The only cash we accept is tips for the staff at the end of your retreat, snack-attack and shop payments, and dana for Buddhist teachers. We do have a card machine in the office for payments for shop items.

Tara Rokpa Centre is about:

  • 250 km to the north west of Johannesburg, and takes from 3 to 5 hours depending on your starting point,  traffic, or stops on route.
  • 220 km to the west of Lanseria Airport (2.5 hours)
  • 230 km (3 hours) west of Pretoria,
  • and 170 km (2 hours 15min) southeast of Gaborone.

There is a pin in Google Maps if you search for Tara Rokpa Centre (Click for map). From Johannesburg, please select the route via Swartruggens, if you want to take the 15 km gravel route. Otherwise, you might be directed via the 60km gravel road (via Bokkraal). Make sure you cache the map on your phone, as you will go out of cellphone range before you arrive. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you print the directions as a back up: Directions to TRC with map

The road is manageable in a normal sedan car. Please drive very slowly on the last 15 km gravel section. Rain regularly washes away the topsoil, and it is a slate area, so there are sharp edges. We want to prevent the likelihood of punctures.

If you indicated on your booking form you would like to carpool, TRC will send out an email at least 5 days before the start of the retreat with names and contact details of people looking for lifts or offering lifts. It is up to participants to arrange travel and sharing of costs amongst themselves, but TRC will help where we can.

For bigger retreats and if numbers warrant it, TRC will arrange a shuttle between OR Tambo Airport/Johannesburg and TRC on the day the retreat starts and on the day the retreat ends. The cost is usually around R900 per person one way, to be paid directly to TRC. TRC pays the transport company in advance in order to secure the booking for the shuttle and once confirmed, we cannot refund any shuttle payments. However, you can swap your seat with someone else requiring transport.

Flights should be booked to arrive at OR Tambo by no later than 10:00 am on the day the retreat starts, and departure from 7 pm for local flights and 8 pm for international flights on the last day of the retreat.

For alternate transport options, please see below.

If you would like to visit for a personal retreat, causal visit, or stay on for an extra night or two before or after your retreat, the pricing per person per night for the different room options is below.  Accommodation includes meals and beverages except for the self-catering rate:

   Daily Rates May 2023
 Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):    R750
 Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):    R650
 Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):    R850
 Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared  bathroom:    R850
 Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):    R950
 Single en suite room (if available)    R950
 Dormitory    R550
 Camping (own tent)    R450
 Camping TRC Tent (only for bigger retreats):    R550
 Cabin    R550
 30 days or more per night    R350
 Self-catering accommodation: per person per night    R300

Friends of Tara Rokpa Centre receive 10% discount on all retreats/accommodation costs. To learn about becoming a Friend of TRC, click here.

For family-friendly retreats, children under 3 years old are free and children under 12 years old are half-price.

It is important to us that everyone who wants to attend teachings is able to. Please do not let your inability to pay prevent you from attending retreats. Contact the TRC office (retreat@tararokpacentre.co.za) for volunteer opportunities and potential discounts or payment plans.

During quieter periods, we are happy to offer our accommodation for casual visits. The costs including vegetarian meals can be found under accommodation costs above. We do have 3 cottages with a fully equipped kitchen, which may be used for self-catering accommodation, when not booked for retreats. For inquiries about casual accommodation availability, please email retreat@tararokpacentre.co.za.

Retreat costs include all meals and selected beverages and snacks from supper at 6 pm on the start day until lunch on the last day. If you would like to arrive for lunch on the first day, please book with the office at least 2 days before arrival – there will be a charge of R150.

  • Breakfast consists of a staple of cereals, bread or toast, porridge, yoghurt, eggs, and fruit. (served from 7 to 8:30 am, depending on retreat schedule). 
  • Lunch is based on rice/pasta/other starches, veggie dishes, salads, and dessert (usually served at 1 pm)
  • Supper is a light meal of soup, bread, and salad (usually served from 6 pm).

We endeavour to cater for vegan or gluten-free diets. Please indicate your requirements on your booking form. Please also note any allergies such as peanuts.

If you have particular dietary needs, please let us know at least a week before arriving, and consider bringing your own supplies with you and discussing your needs with our retreat manager – we will do our best to assist you.

We have various teas and instant coffee, cold water, and juice concentrate available for self-service throughout the day in the dining area.

We do provide dairy milk, as well as a dairy alternative (usually soy). If you require any other type of dairy-fee milk, please bring it with you.

We do have French presses available for use – you are welcome to bring your own ground coffee.

Fruit, biscuits, and rusks are available throughout the day in the service area of the dining area.

Guests are requested to wash their own cups, glasses, plates, and cutlery, and to place them in the drying rack. Washing-up facilities consist of a container for scraps, a pre-rinse basin, a wash basin, and a rinse basin. Please bring mugs back to the dining area after use, and wash them.

There is a “Snack Attack” facility in the kitchen of the Main House for those in-between times, stocked with chocolates, crisps/chips, and other sweets – payment is on an honesty system.

We request that you do not bring alcohol on site unless it is specifically allowed for individual retreats. In that case, alcohol may only be consumed around the fire pit in the evenings. Please be considerate towards the other guests, who may be in recovery, or may have taken vows, and do not drink at the dining area or during meals. Please also take all bottles back with you when you leave.

There is no cell phone coverage at TRC, unless you climb to the top of Temple hill. The office phone at TRC is a skype phone, and does not work during power cuts. You can give the number out as an emergency number for family: +27 11 083 9338, but it is not manned regularly. It is possible to email from/to TRC at tararokpacentre@gmail.com in case of emergency. Email is usually checked often during retreats, both on site and offsite.

  • Three healthy ova-lacto vegetarian meals – substantial breakfast and lunch, and a light supper;
  • Tea, coffee and assorted refreshments available morning to night in the dining area;
  • Bedding and a towel per person;
  • Hot showers;
  • First aid kit in the Main House;
  • A small but diverse collection of books in the library, including many reference books on fauna and flora;
  • A little shop for emergency supplies and other fun things to buy;
  • Clean and healthy mineral borehole water (filtered by the rocks of the earth) for drinking, cooking and washing;
  • Marked walking trails;
  • Swimming spots.
  • A swimming costume and wrap if you would like to swim;
  • A torch and extra batteries, and/or a rechargeable LED light
  • A power bank
  • A raincoat and/or umbrella for summer thunderstorms;
  • Mosquito/insect repellent (the area is malaria-free);
  • Sunscreen lotion;
  • A hat;
  • Socks and sturdy shoes for if you go on a walk;
  • Slip-on/off shoes for on-site activities;
  • Personal medication (the nearest doctor/dentist/hospital/pharmacy is 45 km away).

Bring stretchy, comfortable clothes. It is a good idea to dress in layers that can be removed or added during the day and evenings, as there is a wide temperature range, particularly in winter (when jackets, thermals, beanies, and scarves are needed). Light, long-sleeved tops or long pants are recommended in the evenings to minimise mosquito bites. Long trousers for walks in the bush will reduce the chance of scratches or tick bites. A jersey or light jacket will be needed during summer. White clothes or delicate materials are not recommended for use at TRC.

There are washing facilities on longer retreats (excluding weekends).

The shop sells, besides emergency toiletries and basics, the following:
Ground coffee, local herbal products, local sustainable honey, shwe-shwe aprons, yoga mat bags, clothing items, postcards, yoga clothing, incense, Dharma cards, Dharma books, mala beads and other dharma items, shoulder bags and crafts from the Rokpa projects in Harare, local bottled produce and water, books, and some practical items.

There is electricity in all the houses on the property (Eskom permitting!). Our 3-pins plugs are round so you may need an international adaptor if your appliances have square plugs or the European 2-pin round types.

For Buddhist dharma retreats and some other workshops, dana (a donation) may be accepted by the retreat leaders in appreciation of their teachings. These teachers do not get paid from retreat fees, and often do not have any other source of income. The amount to offer to depends on one’s personal financial situation and the benefit one gets from the teachings. Dana boxes will be put out towards the end of the retreat.

For other retreats and weekend events, an additional facilitator fee may already be included in the cost of the retreat – the cost information on the event website will state whether this has been added to the fee structure.

In order to support environmental sustainability at the Centre, TRC asks for a voluntary Environmental Levy of R60.  This money is used for environmental projects at the centre. If you do not wish to pay this voluntary levy, please let us know, and we will deduct it from your retreat costs.

The Intercape bus (coach route Johannesburg – Pretoria – Gaborone) leaves Johannesburg Park Station daily at 12 noon and arrives at Groot Marico at 15.50, costing approximately R300 for a one-way trip. For the return journey, the bus leaves Groot Marico, direction Johannesburg, about 9:30 am daily. Tickets must be bought online. Park Station can be accessed either via a metered taxi/ride share from the airport (R200 – R400), or via the Gautrain from OR Tambo Airport to Park Station (with a change at Sandton, cost approx. R125).
TRC will do a pickup from the bus stop at Groot Marico, at a charge of R175 to cover petrol costs (R350 from Zeerust).
(Total cost for this option – train/taxi, Intercape bus/TRC pickup – approximately R700 one way)

There are a few taxi drivers we have used in the past who are willing and able to do the trip to TRC from OR Tambo Airport, at an estimated cost of R3500:

  • Sam Khumalo (based in Johannesburg) Mobile number +27 (0) 73 106 2806/+27 (0) 73 225 8748/+27 (0) 74 737 9232. He has proven to be very reliable and trustworthy, and he keeps his fares as low as possible for us.
  • Pule Pulenyane (Manager), Rotwe Travel & Tours, Madikwe Game Reserve, NW province, manager@rotwetravels.co.za
    +27 (0)73 548 4455/+27 (0)84 685 7058(o)/+27 (0)86 632 1026(f) www.rotwetravels.co.za
  • Alan Bilbrough, African Journeys: +27 (0)83 602 0399, alan@africanjourneys.co.za, (http://www.africanjourneys.co.za).

Please do keep us informed of your travel plans to Tara Rokpa Centre, so we can be on the look out for you.

As we are situated in a rural area, we do have many domesticated animals and other wildlife on site.

Some of our staff and residents have dogs and cats, and if you are uneasy about these animals please let us know beforehand.

If you would like to bring your pets with you, please enquire beforehand. Usually, people with pets are accommodated in the Brown House, about 5 minutes away from the main site, as it has an enclosed yard. We do reserve the right not to accept animal guests. We do also request that animals are kept locked up during meal and course times.

There are many insects around, which is a sign of an unpolluted environment. We do have mosquitoes, but it is not a malaria area. And there are ticks and tick bite fever does occur in the area, so please take precautions when walking in the veld. Other animals you may come across when out walking include snakes, water monitors, lizards, chameleons, spiders, frogs, scorpions, baboons, monkeys, various buck species, horses, donkeys, chickens, cattle, geese, and many types of wild birds – please do bring your binoculars, birding books and lists, and cameras.

If you do come across a wild creature in or near your house that concerns you, please do not approach. Contact a member of staff for advice.

Helping where help is needed

For some of our retreats we ask that participants sign up for a daily task to help with the smooth running of the retreat. The list of tasks will be posted on the notice board in the dining area. Tasks may include the following:

  • Flower collecting and arranging
  • Sweeping of paths
  • Shrine master
  • Gong Wong
  • Tea Wallah
  • Night lighter
  • Weeding
  • Cleaning the swimming pool
  • Setting up for supper
  • Cleaning up after supper
  • Watering of specific areas
  • Cleaning the Octagon