Make your way through bamboo, ferns and palm trees to find the tucked away Jungle Cabin. It’s an eclectically-decorated, sumptuously-furnished place to stay that’s surrounded by big leaves and fairy lights. It’s exotic, bohemian and improbably easy to reach – in a village just outside of Dover. The ferns, the fairy lights, the fiery log burners and the hot tub give the impression that you’re in a faraway land but, in actual fact, you’re only an hour south of London – with a train station just up the road.
This easy-to-get-to hideaway was handcrafted by host, Jon. It sits in a secluded position in the large garden behind his family home, just two miles from the sea. Its indoor and outdoor living space is split over two levels. Outside, that means a hot tub on the patio and a raised deck with sun loungers above. Inside, it means a few steps provide separation between the open-plan kitchen/lounge and the spacious bedroom with its four-poster bed.
Everywhere you look there’s something to see: a grandfather clock here, a giraffe sculpture there, local paintings on the walls. There are as many themes and styles as there are types of timber. It’s cedar clad with oak floors; the bedroom door is walnut, the bed itself – mango wood. There’s polished antique furniture and rough-hewn crates for shelves. Somehow all this works together – and works together very well. That’s thanks, not just to Jon's eye for design, but to the modern amenities that underpin your stay: electricity, wifi, kitchen appliances and a bathroom you’ll wish you had at home.
Jungle Cabin is a place to really savour and, with that in mind, you won’t want to spend too much time away exploring. Most people manage a trip to The Lantern, the village pub, a few doors up the road, and there are walks into the surrounding Kent countryside that don’t take you too far away. The beach is also very tempting. The closest one, St Margaret’s, is good for swimming, paddleboarding and walks. It’s sheltered and backed by white cliffs which remind you where you are: just five miles from Dover, with its famous castle, and the same distance from the lovely, seaside town of Deal.
Super cozy stilted luxury cabin with ‘hotsprings’ hot tub set in a garden dominated by Palms, Bamboos, Tree Ferns and other exotic planting creating a Jungle feel. Being hand built by the owner, this space really is a absolute one off. Everyone that visits, remarks that they ‘feel like there abroad’. A gorgeous kitchen sits adjacent to the lounge with 1 of 2 log burners. The bathroom has an extremely ‘high end’ feel to it. The lower level reveals an enormous hand crafted 4 poster bed. Myself and my wife Jo have lived here in the village of Martin with our two daughters for the past 15 years. We both have a passion for tropical style gardening. When not at local beaches paddle boarding, we just love soaking up country village life, here in South East Kent. We are literally next door, and usually myself or Jo will be home. If not we’re a phone call/txt away. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let us know, and we’ll do our very best to accommodate your needs. Guests have private parking on the drive. So hang up your car keys. Deals 5 minutes from us by train and the station is only 1/2 mile away. Whitstable and Canterbury are also not too far by train.Jungle Cabin is situated in the village of Martin. There are walks and bike rides possible from the front door on quiet country lanes and footpaths – and Jon can lend you bikes to use. He can also hire you paddleboards if you want to head to the beach. The closest is St Margarets Bay, a sheltered, shingle bay backed by white cliffs (two miles). There’s also Kingsdown (three miles) beach and a long stretch of shingle beyond it towards Deal. You can walk on the White Cliffs Country Trail in either direction from St Margarets for a coastal walk with great views of ferries and the French coast on a clear day. Heading west will take you all the way to Dover, passing the National Trust’s South Foreland Lighthouse (where there’s a tea room) on the way. Heading east takes you first along cliffs and then on the flat towards Walmer and Deal. Dover, Walmer and Deal are all home to coastal castles, which all are English Heritage attractions. If you don’t fancy the long walk, Dover is five miles by car, Walmer is four miles and Deal five miles. Dover and Deal also have train stations which are connected to Martin by the train station in the neighbouring hamlet of Martin Mill which is just half a mile away.
The Lantern Inn is a walk of about a minute from the cabin, providing a handy place for a drink or a meal out. It serves food Fridays-Sundays offering an a la carte menu and wood-fired pizzas which are available to eat in or takeaway. It is cosy with real fires inside and has a beer garden as well. There’s a pub, The Coastguard, overlooking the beach at St Margarets (two miles) which is a nice place for a drink with views and there’s another, The Zetland Arms, right on the shingle at Kingsdown (three miles). Solley’s Ice Cream Farm (three miles) is the place for an ice cream, fresh from the farm, and it has a rustic little farm pub too. For tea and cake, there’s the tea room at The Pines in St Margarets Bay (two miles) and Mrs Knott’s Tearoom at The South Foreland Lighthouse (three miles). Deal has lots of good options for food and Jon lets you know about his favourites on booking.
