South Africa’s best mountain cabins offer a bespoke experience
FROM the Overberg to the Drakensberg, mountain stays offer a tranquil and peaceful escape unlike any other and offer a wide range of activities from walks, to hikes and biking.
Here are five mountain cabins to stay at if you are considering a luxurious spring getaway.
Kolkol Mountain Lodge
This lodge is a rustic getaway offering luxurious accommodation on the Van der Stel Pass near Bot River.
Just an hour from Cape Town and set in a tranquil environment with sweeping views of the Babylonstoren Mountains, this self-catering accommodation offers the perfect breakaway for couples, family and friends of all ages.
You can relax in a private woodfired hot tub while enjoying a glass of fine local wine. The lodge also offers massage treatments in the comfort of your cabin or pod. Curl up in front of the stone fireplace surrounded by the fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
The lodge has individual cabins and four pods. A two-sleeper pod costs from R2 750 a night for two adults; the King Cabin, for up to 10 guests, starts from R3 750 to R5 600 a night.
Stonewood Mountain Cabin
Overlooking farmland, fynbos and exquisite mountain views, Stonewood Mountain Cabin is tailored for couples, friends and families alike. It’s in Mount Bain Nature Reserve in Bainskloof near Wellington and Ceres in the Western Cape.
Stonewood is spread across two floors with an all-wood interior and has a spacious open-plan lounge with high ceilings, a massive stone fireplace for cosy evenings, a dining area and a self-catering kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows invite nature inside.
The country-chic cabin sleeps six in two comfortably furnished double bedrooms and there are two additional single beds in communal spaces.
Stonewood also has a spacious outdoor deck for braaing and outdoor
lounge sets for admiring the view.
There’s also a reading nook with a book-swop library and a stock of popular and family-friendly board games. There’s wi-fi, and the cabin can even serve as the perfect remote working location, while the cabin is off-grid and runs on solar panels.
A stay at Stonewood starts at R4 200 for two nights.
Tulbagh Mountain Cabins
The cabins in Witzenberg Game Park, Wolseley, in the upper Breede River Valley region of the Western Cape, are comfortably furnished and accommodate up to five guests. They have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an outside open-air shower and bath.
The main bedroom with en suite is in the loft and has a queen-size bed, while the second bedroom is on the ground floor and has two single beds.
A further mezzanine level has a single bed.
There’s an open-plan lounge with a fireplace and a fully-fitted kitchen opens onto a wraparound terrace with views over the grazing fields where you can spot springbok and zebras and the stunning Winterhook Mountains.
A thatched roof BBQ area is ideal for those late afternoons, and a small river runs past both cabins, which adds to the peace and tranquillity.
A stay at the cabins starts from R1 650 to R1 950 a night from April to September; from October to March,
prices are from R1 950 to R 2 150 a night.
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
This 4-star boutique lodge and nature reserve is in the heart of the Kamberg Valley in the Drakensberg, part of the beautiful Midlands Meander. Qambathi is a truly romantic setting. There are a total of five suites, making for a personal and stress-free oasis.
The garden rooms have private decks with hanging chairs overlooking the gardens and mountain.
The Chill Lounge and Pool Deck area offer panoramic views, ideal to sunbathe or sip sundowners.
Enjoy a Qambathi forest trail taking you deep into one of the last remaining indigenous forests in the Kamberg valley, or a casual walk on game trails where zebra and blesbok keep you company.
The lodge can accommodate up to 10 guests, and is perfect for small groups such as family reunions, company retreats, or gatherings or friends.
A room at the lodge starts at R1 500 a person (Farmhouse Room) while the Stable Suite is R2 200 a person a night.
Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge
The lodge is in a valley surrounded by mountains, 12km outside the town of Malelane and 19km from the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga.
The lodge and restaurant are in a bio-diverse forest-type eco-system. Some of the trees date back more than a thousand years. There is an abundance of bird species, rare butterflies, orchards, dragonflies and natural roaming game.
Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge has four spacious and luxurious thatched chalets romantically tucked away in the riverine forest overlooking a mountain stream.
The secluded luxury honeymoon suites each have a private deck.
On the Lake View side of the lodge are a further two luxury suites overlooking the lake and majestic Matumi trees.
Serenity also offers a two-bedroom luxury suite which accommodates four people and has a private boma area and braai facilities.
While staying at the lodge, you can organise a safari tour at the Kruger National Park or a full day tour of the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondawels, Graskop Gorge, God’s Window, Pinnacle and the Mac Mac Falls.
Serenity offers African gourmet cuisine and the scent of giant forest trees, the soothing sound of the cascading water that flows past the lodge and the endless different shades of green which give rise to mystical forest tales.
A stay at one of the luxury Lake View suites starts from R2 850 a night.