SA’s best mountain cabins offering a bespoke experience
If you’re a mountain lover and itching for a mountain getaway, South Africa has plenty of options to tickle your fancy.
Our country is home to beautiful mountains, gorges and canyons, each with their own personality and features.
From 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 bespoke mountain cabins to stay at if you are considering a getaway and it’s just in time for spring with cool temperatures that will have you enjoying your surroundings.
Kolkol Mountain Lodge
KolKol Mountain Lodge is a rustic getaway offering luxurious accommodation on the Van der Stel Pass near Bot River.
If you’re planning a visit to the Western Cape or the Overberg, this lodge offers a truly South African experience.
Situated just an hour from Cape Town and set in a tranquil and peaceful 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 wood-fired hot tub while enjoying a glass of fine local wine. The lodge also offers massage treatments in the comfort of you cabin or pod. Curl up in front of the stone fireplace surrounded by the fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
The lodge has nine unique cabins and four pods, with one under construction.
A two-sleeper pod starts from R2 750 a night for two adults while The King Cabin, which takes up to 10 guests, ranges from R3 750 to R5 600 a night.
Stonewood Mountain Cabin
Overlooking farmland, fynbos and exquisite mountain views, Stonewood Mountain Cabin is tailored to couples, friends and families alike. The cabin is located in Mount Bain Nature Reserve in Bainskloof, near Wellington and Ceres in the Western Cape.
Stonewood is spread across two floors with an impressive all-wood interior and features a spacious open-plan lounge with high ceilings, a massive stone fireplace for cosy winter evenings, a dining area and a self-catering kitchen.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows invite nature inside while unparalleled mountain views await from a wrap-around deck.
The rustic-chic cabin sleeps a total of six people in two comfortably furnished double bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, while there are two additional single beds in communal spaces.
There are two spacious bathrooms with either a claw-foot bathtub or a large walk-in nature shower overlooking the leafy surroundings through a wall of glass.
Stonewood also has a spacious outdoor deck convenient for braaing and outdoor lounge sets to relax on while admiring the views: purple-hued mountains in the summer and snow capped in the winter.
There’s also a cosy reading nook with a book-swap library and a stock of popular and family-friendly board games makes the eco cabin the perfect choice for escape-it-all rustic luxury all year round.
Guests can also enjoy Wi-Fi and the cabin can even serve as the perfect remote working location, while it is completely off-grid and runs entirely on solar panels.
A stay at Stonewood starts from R4 200 for two nights.
Tulbagh Mountain Cabins
Tulbagh Mountain Cabin is situated in Witzenberg Game Park, Wolseley in the upper Breede River Valley region of the Western Cape.
The cabin is comfortably furnished and offers accommodation for up to five guests which consists of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an outside open-air shower and outside bath area.
The main bedroom with ensuite is in the loft area and is furnished with a queen-size bed while the second bedroom is on the ground floor and it comes equipped with two single beds.
A further mezzanine level has a single bed, which is accessed via a staircase, just above of the living room.
Tulbagh boasts an open-plan lounge with fireplace and fully fitted kitchen that open up onto a wraparound terrace offering uninterrupted views over the grazing fields where you will spot springbok and zebras, and of the stunning Winterhook Mountains.
There is a thatched roof BBQ area for those late afternoon and evening braais, while a small river that runs past both cabins adds to the peace and tranquillity.
A stay at the cabin costs from R1650 to R1950 a night from April to September while a stay from October to March costs from R1950 to R2150 a night.
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Qambathi Mountain Lodge is a four-star boutique lodge and nature reserve nestled in the heart of the Kamberg Valley in the Drakensberg, which is also part of the beautiful Midlands Meander.
Qambathi offers a truly romantic setting in the surrounds of the Drakensberg mountains and valleys.
There are a total of five suites at Qambathi, making it a personal and stress-free oasis. The garden rooms have their own private decks with hanging chairs overlooking the gardens and mountain.
The Chill Lounge and Pool Deck area offer panoramic views, ideal to enjoy a late afternoon sundowner or to simply relax in the sun.
You can 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 the existing game trails to enjoy the beautiful views 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 just friends getting together.
Prices for the Farmhouse Room start at R1500 a person a night while the Stable Suite costs R2 200 a person a night.
Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge
Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. It is 12km outside the town of Malelane and 19km from the famous Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga.
The lodge and restaurant are nestled in a bio-diverse forest type eco-system, a combination of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Some of the forest’s trees date back more than 1000 years and with that comes an abundance of bird species, rare butterflies, tree orchards, dragon flies and natural roaming game which are found in this reserve.
Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge offers four spacious and luxurious thatched chalets that are romantically tucked away in the riverine forest overlooking the cascading mountain stream.
The luxury honeymoon suites are secluded, romantic and spacious, each with their own private deck.
The cascading mountain forest stream flowing through the lodge makes it an ideal location for a romantic and unforgettable getaway. On the Lake View side there 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 it own private boma area and barbecue facilities.
While staying at the lodge you can organise a safari tour at Kruger National Park or a full-day tour of Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondawels, Graskop Gorge, God’s Window, Pinnacle and Mac Mac Falls.
Serenity offers African gourmet cuisine and boasts the smell of giant trees, the soothing sound of the cascading water that flows through the lodge and the endless different shades of green which give rise to mystical forest tales.
A stay at the one of the luxury Lake View suites starts from R2 850 a night.
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