TEEN DIE MEER
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Like The Boat House, this place is also on the western shore of Lake Chrissie, attracting fishermen and cyclists with affordable, no-frills timber chalets, safari tents and a shaded campsite.
The group tents are great for a big gathering – there are four three-sleeper safari tents that face each other, a communal kitchen, bar, bathroom and a children’s play area. A fifth larger safari tent is tucked away between the silver wattles – it has its own fridge, a coffee station, cutlery and crockery, as well as a cosy boma.
The timber chalets are private and secluded: Tent Chalet (sleeps six) is positioned in a clearing between the trees, with its boma a short stroll away in the shade. Similar to the group tents, Wood Chalet (sleeps seven) is perfect for a family holiday. A bathroom accessible from the deck means some guests can camp while the others sleep in the chalet. Wegsteek Chalet (“hidden away” in Afrikaans) has two en suite rooms sleeping three guests each, and two extra mattresses for children in the lounge. The name says it all – most visitors don’t even realise there’s a cabin sheltered in the bush!
Small or medium-sized dogs are more than welcome to visit. Owner Alida du Toit says some guests in the past have even camped with their cats!
The farm is a thousand hectares in size – without crossing any paths or backtracking on your route, you can cycle 27 km along purpose-built single track. Resident wild animals include blesbok, aardvark, aardwolf, black-footed cat and lots of hares.
Alida says waterbirds like spoonbill and flamingo prefer shallow water and visit the lake when the level is suitable. “Lake Chrissie was virtually empty from 1985 until 1992. During that time we had about 25 000 flamingos here.” The drought might have been a disaster for agriculture, but Alida says it was beautiful to see so many flamingos gathered in one place.
Facilities: You can buy basic groceries, wood, ice, drinks, snacks and fishing gear from the resort shop. Bring your mountain bike so you can ride the trails, or hire a canoe for the day (R50 per day).
Rates: Safari tent R400 per night for two people; R450 for 3 – 4. Camping R60 per person (max six people per stand), plus R50 for electricity or R60 if you have a caravan. Chalet accommodation R550 for four people, plus R50 per extra person. Day visitors R30 per person. Where? On the western shore of Lake Chrissie. Coming along the N17 towards Ermelo, turn left about 3 km from Chrissiesmeer onto the dirt road to the Genesaret campsite. It’s about 2 km from The Boat House.
Contact: 082 629 4320; teendiemeer.com