Hanlin Lodge — Hotel in Mookgopong Local Municipality

April 2011 At the beginning of April, we decided to book somewhere for the Easter weekend. I started to phone around, but most places were already fully booked. I really liked the one place – Hanlin Lodge, outside Nylstroom (Modimolle), but they were full. They had chalets right on a dam. Searching in 4 Provinces was tiring, so I gave it up for a while. When I checked my email, I was thrilled to hear that Hanlin Lodge indeed had an opening for us! I was on my way to respond to the mail, when I decided to phone instead. Oh my gosh!!!!! The chalet has 3 levels – the main level has an open-plan lounge-dining room-kitchen. Beautiful furniture, lovely wooden table & chairs, no TV and no cellphone reception. The kitchen has a convection microwave, a 2 plate stove, kettle, toaster, fridge and the normal pots, pans & utensils. Downstairs is a bedroom with 2 single beds, walking out onto the grass. It has an adjacent bathroom with bath, toilet & sink. Upstairs is the main bedroom with king-size bed, en-suite bathroom with shower, toilet & sink and a small balcony looking out over the trees. From the lounge, you walk onto this lovely balcony with a roof, pub table & seats that’s right on the dam. It’s just soooo peaceful!! The braai is on the side of the house, amidst all the muddy grass. I quickly unpacked everything, made some coffee and Hein cracked open a beer. Hein Pretorius realized I didn’t pack the toothpaste! Of all things!!! This must be a first – poor Hein had to drive 30 km to Nylstroom (Modimolle) to buy some. Giraffes right on your doorstep. Plenty of buck...

What a pleasant surprise. We booked in here for a wedding close by, and I was taken away by the value for money of this self catering set up. Upon entering the parking area, I assumed that the double storey unit will house us at the bottom, and more guests on top, to discover that the unit was cleverly divided into 3 storeys, with two air conditioned rooms, en suite bathrooms, and a quaint living area leading to a veranda overlooking the dam. The amount of thought and trouble that went into the buildings was astonishing, from the insulation between the corrugated roof and the wooden cladding, up to the provisions made in case of power failures. The kitchen, well appointed and spacious, and the staff friendly, and non intrusive. I will look for an excuse to visit again, for a longer time period this...

Our stay at Hanlin Lodge was wonderful! We stayed 2 separate nights and both times the chalet was clean and pleasant to be. The kitchen is well equipped and there is a braai in the garden, as well as a big porch from which you have a view of the lake. The surrounding area was very quiet and peaceful, which is what we wanted so we enjoyed staying here very much. The hostess was very kind and gave us tips for a nature reserve close by. ||There is a little hiking trail that takes you through the bush on the property which was very fun to walk, but watch out for the ticks and spiders! One evening a herd of rooibokkies walked right past the chalets, we also saw a kingfisher at the lake. Overall, we recommend staying here and we would definetly...