Tillietudlem Game and Trout Farm, Impendle, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The first thing that struck us about this beautiful private game farm is the complete raw and natural beauty that surrounds you. The second thing was the incredible silence - absolute bliss for the soul. For our entire stay all we heard was the occasional cry of a bird of prey and the constant soothing sound of the river running over the rapids. 

One of the waterfalls on the property

Acres of trees and open space

One of the dams 

Untouched 

There are no bells and whistles - the self catering unit is clean, comfortable and equipped with all you need. Ample heating is supplied by the fire-place in the lounge, three gas heaters, two electric heaters and electric blankets on the beds. As we arrived on what felt like a winter's day, we were extremely grateful for the warmth all of the above provided. 

Lounge with fire-place

Kitchen - small but well equipped

There are four bedrooms, three of which have two single beds (and share a bathroom with a bath, basin and toilet) and one with a double bed. The main en-suite bedroom (with a shower, basin and toilet) has stunning views of the river and dam on either side. 

Upstairs bedroom 

Downstairs bedroom 1

Downstairs bedroom 2

Bathroom 1

Main bedroom 

Bathroom 2

View from the main bedroom

View from the main bedroom 

One of the many great features is the massive partly covered patio with stunning 180 degree views of the natural surrounds. We sat for hours just admiring the beauty and listening to the river. The game did occasionally pay us a visit and we spotted quite a few birds, including fish eagles. 

Wildebeest in front of the patio

Spacious and partly covered

We also took walks along the river and to our own private rock pool - possibly the best part of this self-catering unit (besides for the fact that you are miles away from the anybody). The water was crystal clear and we drank straight from the river! 

View of the rock pool from the patio

Up close - crystal clear water

Good enough to drink!

If you are looking for a place to get away from everything and everyone, to find your peace and calm your mind, Tillietudlem is the answer. We cannot wait to go back and would highly recommend it to any nature loving person.

Great features:

* Everything mentioned above!

* No cell reception in the unit and no wifi - just be in the moment and appreciate what is right in front of you (you can take a drive up to the North Gate if you are desperate to make a call)

Not so great features:

* The outdoor furniture is not very comfortable and a pair of loungers would make it ideal (we made our own out of the sleeper couch mattresses)

* The roads for the drives around the property are only suitable for 4 x 4 vehicles so you might have to do your exploring on foot

Price:

Mid-range but you cannot put a price on the experience! (More than R500 per person)

Recommended for:

Couples or families 

The host/s:

Absolutely fantastic over email and in person!

For more information and bookings:

www.tillietudlem.co.za

The Beach House and Beach Cabin, Clansthal, South Coast, KwaZulu Natal

There are two separate units available for rent - The Beach House and The Beach Cabin - we stayed in the cabin and felt like we were back at Illovo River Lodge when we walked in!

The wooden cabin has exactly the same lay-out, with lovely wooden floors and two en-suite bedrooms on either side of the kitchen, lounge and deck . 

Entrance

Lounge with sleeper couches

First bedroom

En-suite

Second bedroom 

We loved the view from the wooden deck - trees to your right, a lovely pool down below and partial sea views in front. This is where we spent most of our time as usual - the outdoor area is the most important feature for us!

Outdoor furniture - not conducive to relaxation

Trees to your right

The pool / entertainment area is for use by the guests of the house and the cottage but we were grateful to have it all to ourselves for the weekend. There is a table-tennis table (not sure where they keep the rackets and balls though) and 3 braai-stands available. 

Pool and sea

The kitchen was small which is not a problem but there were a few essential items missing - like plugs for the sinks (!), a can opener, a sieve / colander and a wiping up cloth. 

The unit is fairly close to the beach, approximately a 10 minute walk but you do have to cross the railway line. Otherwise a short drive takes you there in less than 5 minutes. We loved that you can hear the sound of the waves crashing in the distance when you lie in bed at night. 

Great features:

* Nice view

* Lovely pool and loungers 

* A second bathroom is always a plus

Not so great features:

* The place needed a really good clean - the top of the fridge was covered in a layer of dust, shower had lots of mold, windows could use a wash

* The kitchen needed a few essential items mentioned above

* Furniture was uncomfortable - the bench on the deck as well as the sleeper couches in the lounge (we borrowed two chairs from the house to put on the deck)  

* There are only single beds which are pushed together. This is not normally a problem except they did not fit very well next to each other so we had to use an extra duvet in the middle to make it more comfortable. 

Price:   Budget / mid-range (Less than R500 per person)

Recommended for: Couples / small families

The host/s:  We never met the owner even though she lives on the same property. We were grateful for a later check-out on the Monday though.

For more information and bookings:

rainbow@yebo.co.za 


  

Toad Tree Lodge (Cheetah Cottage), Hluhluwe, Elephant Coast, KwaZulu Natal

There are 3 separate units which are part of this 'private reserve' within the Kuleni reserve, we stayed in the small unit, just for couples - Cheetah. 

We were greeted by a mother wart-hog and her three babies on arrival and a male Nyala as we drove towards our chalet, magic!

The outdoor area is fantastic and this is where we spent most of our time. It comprises a lovely partly under-cover deck with a private splash pool, loungers and a table and chairs. There is also a braai area and the entire unit is surrounded by natural bush.

Deck and braai area

The 'garden'

Splash pool and loungers

One of our favourite features was the loo with a view that looks onto the outdoor shower, which is completely private and protected from the wind. There is a bath which was tempting especially since it was so cold on the Sunday but due to the extreme water shortage in the area, we braved the shower instead. 

Outdoor shower

The lounge with a tv (not that you need one) and two couches overlooks the kitchen - which was small but it had what we needed to prepare basic meals for two. 

Lounge looking onto kitchen

The bedroom was comfortable and looked onto the pool and front yard. We had a couple of frogs join us on the window and sill during our stay.

View from the bed

Frog on the window

Frog on the sill

We did go for walks around the reserve although the trails are not marked on the map. Most of the time we did not have to leave the deck though as the animals came right up to the chalet and small man-made watering hole.

Warthogs came to visit

Crested Guinea Fowl at the watering hole

Warthogs by the braai area

Crested Guinea Fowls in the front yard

Male Nyala grazing in our front yard

One of the best parts of the trip was the arrival of the bush-babies every night. We would hear the thunk thunk on the roof before they climbed down the tree right in front of us to come feast on the bananas and pears we put on the deck for them - too precious!

Bush-babies - less than 2m away!

We loved the fact that the unit is north-facing so you get the best of the sun every day and you can just relax and enjoy the sounds of the bush from the deck. Although there were guests booked into the family unit next door, we definitely felt like we had our privacy and enjoyed every moment of our stay. 

Great features:

* Peace, quiet and privacy

* Great outdoor area

* Animals and birds come to visit

* Close to the Hluhluwe / Imfolozi Game Reserve

Not so great features:

* The bathroom tap leaks every time you turn it on so we had to keep drying around the basin. This is also a waste of water especially since the area already has a shortage of this precious resource. 

* No soap-dish to put your hand soap in (and no liquid hand-soap provided - almost every self-catering place provides this these days)

* The 'rinsing' sink in the kitchen is tiny - only one cup / plate fits in at a time. There also was no dish-rack provided so we had to stack the dishes on the towels provided. (There is a lady who will come and clean the kitchen for you but we prefer to do our own washing up so this was a bit inconvenient).

* The seal on the fridge has a big hole in it so the bottom of the fridge ices up (not great for the stuff in the vegetable drawers)

* We were not given a map of the reserve when we arrived and had to ask for one. Unfortunately the map does not have the walking trails marked on it so the only way to find them is to walk around and look for the markers

Price: 

We are normally budget to mid-range travellers but this was in celebration of two special occasions for us so treated ourselves. (More than R500 per person)

Recommended for:

This unit is only suitable for couples.

The host/s:

The owner was very friendly and efficient over email. The lady who runs the reserve was also helpful and kind.

For more information and bookings:

www.toadtreelodge.co.za 

Music of the Sea, Pennington, South Coast, KwaZulu Natal

This was our second time visiting Pennington, we would've loved to stay at Gumpost Cottage again but as we were travelling in a bigger group, we needed a few more bathrooms!

The house is great for a group stay with three bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as an additional self-contained flatlet. Although there are no sea views, the beach is literally a 5 minute walk away!

Bedroom 1 - two single beds

Shared bathroom for bedroom 1 and 2

Bedroom 2 - two single beds

Main en-suite - double bed

En-suite bathroom

Flatlet - bedroom 2 single beds

Flatlet - bathroom (basin, shower, toilet)

Flatlet - kitchen 

The inside of the house was a bit dark for our liking (even with all the lights on) and needed a good airing when we arrived. 

Lounge

TV lounge

Dining-room

We preferred to spend our time on the lovely under-cover verandah - the perfect place to enjoy your meals, have a braai and socialise. 

We spent most of our time on the verandah

These chairs come with cushions and are very comfortable

Built-in braai

A beautiful garden that attracts hundreds of birds (what a treat for the bird-watcher) will also keep the kids entertained with lots of space to run and play as well as a jungle gym (you can keep an eye on them from the verandah)

Jungle gym 

One of the many gorgeous plants in the garden

Side gate - cannot be opened

With two fridges and enough space to prepare meals for a group, the kitchen was adequate. 

Kitchen - well equipped

Great features:

* Close to the beach

* Lovely outdoor area and garden

* Outdoor hot and cold shower for rinsing off after a day at the beach

Not so great features:

* We were only left 1/4 roll of toilet paper in each bathroom - remember to pack your own

* There was no dish-washing liquid. Although there is a dish-washer, you still need it for washing pots etc. 

* The interior is a bit dark and needs to be thoroughly aired before visitors arrive

* Although we do not watch a lot of tv, the unit is advertised with dstv which was not working at all for our entire stay

Price: Budget/mid-range (Less than R500 per person)

Recommended for: Family / group 

The host/s:

We never met the owner but she was friendly enough over email, she very kindly allowed us an earlier check-in on the day of arrival.

For more information and bookings:
chaplins@futurenet.co.za