Tugela River Lodge – A must for your bucket list!
Tugela River Lodge is a self-catering eco-lodge situated in Winterton. They are completely off the grid, using solar power and gas to run their lodge.
Being pet-friendly, Tugela is the perfect place to bring the entire family, literally! As well as for singles, couples or friends.
ACCOMMODATION
With 5 cottages to choose from, you can either book the Main Lodge which sleeps up to 14, The Hideaway which is a 6 sleeper and The Rapids, The River House and Kingfisher Cottage which are all 4 sleeper.
All of the cottages don’t have any TV sets. Tugela River Lodge wants to instead encourage visitors to experience nature – which we definitely agree with.
We stayed at the River House which was a double storey house, ensuring we each had privacy as a couple.
HISTORY
The Green family have been running the lodge for over 20 years. They have a passion for mountain biking, trail running and the outdoors in general. Every year, The Berg & Bush cycle ride and The Oxpecker trail run take place.
THE EXPERIENCE
Upon arrival, check in was such a breeze – we found our accommodation easily and settled in for the night.
For dinner we opted to have a braai. The boys loved catching up while us girls chilled on the comfiest couches with a glass of red.
We were joined by two of the owner’s dogs, as well as a cat, making us feel right at home.
Our double storey house had more of a modern feel than the rest of the cottages. We had a spacious lounge all to ourselves which was part of an open plan kitchen. The main bedroom had a double bed with an open plan shower and toilet, while the upstairs room had a double bed with the most gorgeous outside view.
We were fully equipped with high speed WI-FI too. A bonus if you’re needing this feature while on your trip away. The River House is the only unit to have this functionality.
The River House is also ideal for bringing your pets as the property is well fenced off – You don’t have to worry about losing your fur-babies!
WHAT TO DO NEARBY
You don’t really need to leave Tugela. With plenty of walking trails available, one can find themselves walking along the beautiful Tugela River.
If you feel like a drive however, we would recommend Spioenkop Nature Reserve. A popular water sport destination, it also offers a serene game reserve environment. We saw rhino, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and many different species of birds.
You can also take a drive through the Tugela game reserve with a cooler box and watch the sun go down with views of the Drakensberg on one side and the Freestate on the other.
ACTIVITIES AT TUGELA:
Other activities at Tugela include trails for walking/running, kayaking along the river, daily animal feeding and use of their farmstall for any fresh produce.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT TUGELA RIVER LODGE:
Email: info@tugelariverlodge.co.za
Cellphone/Whatsapp: +27 82 823 4746
Website: www.tugelariverlodge.co.za
One of the best weekends!!