Lake Naverone Self Catering Cottages — Hotel in Kwa Sani Local Municipality

We spent the weekend at Lake Naverone with our two dogs. The property is beautiful with huge trees and no noise! Just the breeze whispering through the trees. We were in Gosling Cottage which is perfect for a couple, with a huge enclosed garden for our dogs. The cottage is very quaint, like visiting your granny's house. I saw on some reviews that the interiors should be updated and I strongly disagree. If I want to have ultra-modern furnishings I'd book into a hotel chain. It would detract from the overall romance of the cottage. Pretty furnishings with a big built in day bed to read or just relax on. We had a lovely view over the lake and mountains. The cottage has a well equipped kitchen, the bed was very comfortable (a big plus) with a full bathroom en suite. The gas bottle ran empty on our first day and the manager was there within a few minutes to replace it. Excellent service. There is a full sized fridge/freezer, a gas stove, microwave, electric and stove top kettles, toaster, etc. There is a woodburning stove in the seating area which would make a winter getaway very cozy. The cottage was serviced daily and very clean on arrival. The cleaning staff were extremely friendly. I would suggest that you take all foodstuff with you or stop in Underberg to stock up. There is a convenience store very close to the site that sells basics such as milk, bread, fresh vegetables (small selection), braai wood, etc. (No alcohol available). The walks are spectacular and in high summer a dip in one of the rock pools would be wonderful. Each cottage has a jetty with a little rowboat. The weather can change on a whim in the Drakensberg so I suggest a mix of warm and cool clothing is a good idea. The days were lovely and warm, but the evenings do get chilly outside on the patio. The road from the South Coast past Umzinto, Ixopo up to Underberg is being resurfaced so there are a number of stop and go areas which added time to the trip there and home. Once the upgrade is completed the drive would be a pleasure. Beautiful landscapes and driving past the pine forests. We did not go on any of the excursions that the area is known for, i.e. a trip up Sani Pass as we did not have enough time. We are planning on going back for longer than two days to do that with one of the local day trip operators. I highly recommend...

Where do I begin?? There are so many words that can be used to describe this place. But sadly none of them will do justice until u physically book in and stay for a day or two. Then u will realize that you actually need a week or two. The abundance of nature that surrounds this place is breathtaking. And the wonderful reception that greets u make u feel at home immediately, even if its your very first time to visit the place.

The mountains that seems forever changing during the day as the sun changes position, the absolute total absence of any city and day to day noises comes actually as such a shock when u sit down and just listen to everything around u.

Sometimes all u hear is the wind blowing through the trees, and then as you stare over the mirror like waters of the lake u become aware of the sounds of an Egyptian Geese pair drifting by on the lake. Every now and again you see the rings made by the Bass and Trout as they break the surface to leave only a ripple that can be followed with your eyes until it disappears.

With no TV or Radio to disturb the peace, u can hire a fishing rod or bring your own. Then jump in a little row boat that is available for each cottage and row into the middle of the lake and either just relax or try your hand at fly fishing. Or if you are a horse lover you can go on horse rides or even go on different hiking trails.

And after a long day of fun filled adventures or a day of just plain pure relaxation, you stack up the wood in the weber braai or use the gas stove to make a lovely supper. And for those that go during the colder part of the year, there is a nice fire place that u can light up and get cozy.

The cottages are very beautiful and blends into the surrounding nature and the thatch roofs rounds up the complete all nature picture. All cottages have Gas stoves and gas geysers with a fridge and microwave. Nothing more is needed than your personal items and food, anything more than that will be interfering with the peace, tranquility and absolute beauty of...

We'd been meaning to spend some time at Lake Naverone for many years, and when we finally managed three nights in September we weren't disappointed.

To get there we took the R617 from Howick through Underberg. The road was twisty and potholed, with occasional sections of stop-go roadworks and recently repaired surfaces. We needed to concentrate intensely for 90 minutes, there and back, so we made sure we were appropriately coffee'd up.

We stayed at Cottage No. 17, the Owl Cottage. It could have slept six people, so just two of us had loads of space, but I think even a family group of six would also have found it spacious. It was well appointed, all décor and fittings were tasteful, and the small touches and thoughtfully provided appliances meant that we weren't short of anything. There were even hot-water bottles galore, although it wasn't cold. (Perhaps electric blankets in winter would be a good idea.)

The cottage was serviced every day. We had the log fire going one evening, and this was repacked the next morning and the firewood restocked. We'd brought our own wood for the braai, but I suppose we could have saved some money by using the provided firewood.

The views over the dam to the far mountains—the sandstone Castle and the basalt Rhino Peak being especially prominent—were magnificent, especially from the east side of the dam where we were. Sunsets were truly awesome. Two eponymous barn owls lived in an box high in a tree in front of the stoep, and they woke at night to hunt, sometimes hissing at each other in what we could only imagine was a domestic squabble. They were cute.

We had a boat moored in front. We plucked up the courage to push out into the lake one afternoon and we managed a lap or two while laughing at our ineptness with the oars. It was a good way to hone our appetites before I fired up the braai.

All in all, it was a truly memorable stay, and definitely...