Gumpost Cottage, Pennington, South Coast, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

What a gem of a place, this was our first time travelling to Pennington together and I cannot wait to go back! We stayed as a couple but the cottage has 3 bedrooms (two double beds and two singles) and two bathrooms so it is perfect for a family holiday.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Main bedroom with en-suite bathroom (below)

The beautiful, well maintained garden comes to life in the afternoon with an amazing variety of birds and butterflies. We spotted a grey-hooded bush shrike and a white-bellied fly-catcher while soaking up the last of the afternoon rays from the comfortable couches on the large under-cover patio. 

Comfortable out-door furniture

Additional seating and table

A sparkling splash pool adds to the holiday feel and is perfect for cooling down after a morning at the beach or before sun-downers. 

Gorgeous sunrises and sea views can be enjoyed from the lovely wooden deck and this is where we were lucky enough to have a black-headed heron land in a tree right in front of us!

Wooden deck

Sunrise from the deck 

The heron

Another stunning sunrise

Should you, for whatever reason, wish to remain indoors, there is a dining-room table and large lounge (with a tv) where you can enjoy the meals you prepared in the well equipped kitchen, or perhaps play board-games with the family.

The kitchen - with all the essentials

Dining-room table and chairs

Lounge

We spent most of our time at the gorgeous beach, soaking up the sun, swimming in the crystal clear warm waters and exploring the rock pools filled with abundant sea creatures. 

Pennington beach

Sea grass?

Rocks and rock pools provide endless entertainment

Great features:

Everything mentioned above!

Not so great features:

Only one shower

Price: Budget to mid-range and worth every cent! (Less than R500 per person)

Recommended for: Couples, friends, a quiet family (it is a very peaceful and quiet neighbourhood)

The host/s:  Absolutely fantastic! We were made to feel very welcome and even given some home grown vegetables straight out of the garden. 

For more information and bookings:

jonsteph@telkomsa.net 

Aliwal Cottages, Umkomaas, South Coast, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The unit is basic but clean and comfortable. We stayed in the garden cottage which sleeps two - lounge, kitchenette, bathroom with a shower and bedroom with a queen sized bed. 

The kitchen has all you need for a self catering stay and it was wonderful not to have to search through endless cupboards and drawers to find what we were looking for!

The couches were surprisingly comfortable and we used the wicker chairs from inside the lounge on the little undercover patio. Partial sea views can be enjoyed from here as well as lovely trees and plants surrounding you. 

There is a pool but unfortunately it does not get much sun so we enjoyed the comfortable loungers until 2 pm when the entire area was shaded. 

The beautiful beach is a quick 10 minute drive away and there are quite a few restaurants in the area. It is an ideal spot for those wishing to go shark-cage diving or exploring the Aliwal Shoal. 

Great features:

* Quiet, peaceful area

* Short drive to the beach


Not so great features:

* The unit is on a property with permanent residents at the back and front so not recommended for rowdy guests.

* Unfortunately the pool does not get a lot of sun

Price: Budget (Less than R500 per person)

Recommended for: A quiet couple who will be spending most of the day out and about 

The host/s: Very friendly and kind!

For more information and bookings:
aliwalcottages@lantic.net

Undercover patio

Table and chairs on patio

Lounge

Kitchen

Bedroom with queen sized bed

Pool area

Shower