Doornkop Fish and Wildlife Reserve — Attraction in Albert Luthuli Local Municipality

This beautifully scenic and relaxed spot will either be your idea of heaven or hell depending on what kind of holiday you need.

Chalets are excellent, comfortable and sensibly designed. Housekeeping, aminities and manitenance are great. Earning a solid 8 or 9 out of 10. Data and phone signal are almost non- existent. Make sure you have no urgent calls planned.

The site has numerous fly fishing catch and release dams and a river. Competent anglers will enjoy these facilities. However, inexperienced anglers or beginners can rent equipment there but thats where the support stops. There are no lessons, guides or help - so come fully trained or with an experienced friend if you have any intention of using these dams.

Wildlife is plentiful. Being the bush, you may encounter night adders, scorpions, lots and lots of bats, numerous birds, hares, warthog etc. And that is just around the chalets. If you want to see some of the game such as blesbok, giraffe, zebra, you will need your own 4 x 4. Although the site boasts a game vehicle, they dont seem to ever use it or really have much interest in running game drives. The rivers amd dams attract a few interesting bird species as well.

There are a couple of hikes and walks around the area that may interest you. There are lots of labelled bike paths as well. The walking paths arw generally badly signposted but its hard to get lost since all the walks are all pretty local.

Recreation is limited to a swimming pool, pool table, table tennis and a tennis court. There are a few games for kids, some ps4's, dated board games and ancient books. There are some horses and horst trails. There is really not much to keep small kids busy so make sure you have your own schemes for keeping younger kids occupied. The small tuckshop offers some very limited items at ruinous prices.

The local towns offer very little in terms of diversion, education or interest. There is quite simply not much you can do in the local geographic area.

It is ideal if you really want to rest, read books, get some sleep and do some sedate walking or fishing. Weather is generally cool or temperate. It can get pretty cold in winter

TL:DR Best for adults who need a rest away from people or noise. Ride a bike, take a walk or light a fire in winter. If you enjoy fly-fishing or some casual birding then there will be some diversion. Incredibly quiet and restful - especially since your phone and 3g will not work. Bring your own games, books or art supplies. Bring outdoorsy older kids who prefer quiet. Youngsters or those that need more stimulation might be better...

If this rating was based on the beautiful surroundings and accommodation then I would have given this resort a 5 star rating.

Before you book, take into account that only MTN has cellphone reception here and if you have young children, this might not be the place for you, be sure to pack loads of stuff for kids to keep themselves busy with even though they have an entertainment area for children and horse riding is also available. Pack your DSTV Smart Card as they have only a few channels available. Be sure to stock up on ice, firewood and lots of drinks because these items will cost you an arm and leg if you buy from the resort.

READ THE RULES - It will save you a lot of money!

They will fine you hefty fines (R1000) if you break any of their rules and some transgressions may lead to being banned for a three month period.

Only fly-fishing allowed and you may only fish with a permit obtained from the resort at R250 per permit, if you plan on keeping your catch it will set you back R250 p/kg and most fish are 1kg and above.

They have game drives available but only 6 pax plus.

On the upside - this resort is absolutely breathtaking.

They have quite an impressive mammal variety and the animals are not shy to show off! The animals are in peak condition and if you are an avid birdwatcher you will most certainly not be disappointed so pack a pair of binoculars.

If you need to get away from everything (including technology) and enjoy nature or take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, then this is the perfect...

This resort provided an incredibly disappointing bush experience. Upon our arrival, we immediately noticed strange sounds emanating from the thatch roof. Despite initially dismissing them as typical wildlife noises like crickets and lizards, the disturbances escalated, particularly during the night. On the fourth night, a horrifying realization unfolded as I turned off the lights – bats were entering the room through the roof, creating a scene reminiscent of a haunted house from a horror film. The fear that gripped my children and me made for an unsettling night.

Expressing my concerns at the reception yielded a dismissive response: "We're in the bush." Attempting to address the issue, the resort sent workers to spray pool chlorine, which only exacerbated the problem. More than 20 bats emerged on that day alone. To make matters worse, we discovered a flea infestation. Shockingly, we were informed that our situation was comparatively mild, as another unit experienced an invasion of over a hundred bats during a similar treatment.

It is imperative for the resort to acknowledge and address its bat problem promptly, investing in effective pest control measures to ensure a more comfortable and secure experience...