Treehouse Magic | KwaZulu-Natal
Play Robinson Crusoe in a fun treehouse!
WHERE Mtunzini Forest Lodge, just 400m from an unspoilt private beach.
AROUND & ABOUT Explore the forest and rare mangroves with mudskippers and fiddler crabs, take a barge ride, and watch for fish eagles, zebra, red duiker, bushbabies and shy bushpigs.
VITAL STATS Four- or six-sleeper cabins. Includes DStv, braai area, swimming pools, games room plus restaurant with a bar and big-screen TV.
BOOKING & COSTS 035 340 1953 or 083 894 4497 | Mtunzini, 90 minutes from Durban on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast | www.mtunzini.co.za/mtzforest.htm | Four-sleeper from R995 and six-sleeper from R1 100 a night.
Great Escape | Limpopo
Centre yourselves for the year with a family break in nature.
WHERE Stanford Lake Lodge, between Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof, Limpopo, has comfortable self-catering cabins and rustic cottages set between an indigenous forest and a beautiful lake.
AROUND & ABOUT Walk through the forest, explore mountain-bike trails, fly-fish or just chill enjoying the view and the birdlife. Active family members can check out adventure activities from tubing and horse riding to kloofing, abseiling and paintball.
VITAL STATS Cabins sleep six to 10 and cottages sleep two to eight.
BOOKING & COSTS 079 519 9211 | A21 Stanford Farm off the R71 | From R1090 a head a night in a cabin and R740 in a cottage. | www.stanfordlake.co.za
Country Escape | KZN Midlands
Pull in for a cosy weekend at The Potato Shed, a converted farm shed.
WHERE In the peaceful Dargle Valley in the Midlands, 45km from Pietermaritzburg.
AROUND & ABOUT Walk in a forest, swim and fish for bass in the farm dam, or relax with a book in the gorgeous garden while kids cycle and help milk cows. Howick Falls, Midmar Dam and Karkloof Canopy Tours are easy drives away.
VITAL STATS Sleeps six adults and two under-12s in three double bedrooms and the lounge (open-plan with a fireplace). It’s solar-powered, but the kitchen is fully equipped and there’s an outdoor braai. Farm milk provided daily.
BOOKING & COSTS 072 251 3513 or 082 786 9718 | On the Dargle/Impendle Road, KZN Midlands | www.thepotatoshed.co.za | R2 000 a night; cleaning: R100 a day.
Beach Bliss | West Coast
Enjoy long beach strolls or cosy up with a good book – the West Coast is perfect for both summer and winter breaks.
WHERE Paternoster, West Coast. About 1 hour 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town.
AROUND & ABOUT Right opposite the white sandy beach, this whitewashed West Coast double storey is both charming and comfortable. As the owner says, it has everything you need ‘down to a potato peeler and a bottle opener’. In season, catch your own crayfish or buy from the locals. (Just make sure they adhere to size regulations!)
VITAL STATS Sleeps nine. Its adjacent flatlet, which sleeps two, is a lovely add-on for grandparents – or teens – who may want to be apart from the group. It has a low, unobtrusive wall too, making it child- and pet-friendly. The resident housekeeper keeps the place shipshape.
BOOKING & COSTS From R1 600 per night | 083 261 5617 | diepomphuisie.wordpress.com
Digital Detox | Western Cape
Go off-grid and reconnect with nature at the Cape-Maroc-style Akasha Mountain Retreat.
WHERE High up in the Langeberg mountains, about 12km north of Heidelberg.
AROUND & ABOUT Soak up the panoramic views, go for a slow hike through the forest kloof or bird-watch – or simply doze in the hammock – while the kids enjoy a treasure hunt, fishing in the small dam or board games.
VITAL STATS Main house sleeps six adults and one child, suite sleeps two adults and one child. (Rented as a single unit.) Both are fully equipped and solar-powered.
BOOKING & COSTS 082 090 1741 | Off the R322, off the N2 near Heidelberg | www.akasharetreat.co.za | From R3 000 per night.
* Prices correct at time of going live and are subject to change.
