Quote: Bhejane Bush Lodge, Nelspruit, South Africa

We booked the accommodation through roomsforafrica.com as we did with all our other accommodation for our trip to South Africa. This is an excellent site and covers all of South Africa for accommodation with pictures and details of what is available at each place.
This guest house we assumed would be out of Nelspuit and indeed it was but the directions we got in order to find the place were excellent and we found it easily up quite a long dirt road and then came to an automatic security gate. We tried pressing a button but no luck, we tried phoning a number on our booking form with no luck, we walked to the nearest two houses but neither were any help so we finally got the boys to climb the gate to go and see if anyone was there and ask how to get in. We were a little worried in case there were large dogs but they did arrive safely, got the gate code just at the same time as the owner arrived and put in the code for us at the gate as well.

After that rather unfortunate start we were feeling a bit annoyed. They knew we had booked from the UK so should really have emailed us the code with the booking confirmation I feel. The owner said she had tried to ring us but naturally our home number didn’t work as we were not there.

Anyway the lady who owned the guesthouse was quite welcoming and showed us to the self catering lodge that was our home for the night. It was a beautiful setting on the farmstead in the bush set amongst huge rocks so that we were totally private. We had a small patio with a couple of director chairs and a very solid wooden coffee table. The garden around the house had a huge avocado tree, several other fruit trees and beyond that grassed area was just bush.

Inside the house was a huge living area with three sofas leading to a very large dining area with extremely heavy wooden table and chairs. The kitchen was a full sized kitchen with cooker, fridge/freezer as well as cupboards full of pans, crockery and glasses.She had also provided dishwashing cloths and liquid so there was ample equipment to cook whatever you liked really.

There were two bedrooms and one bathroom. Our bedroom had a nice big double bed with lovely cotton sheets and was beautifully made up. The boys had twin beds with a similar set up. Our room had air conditioning and a fan and there was also an air conditioner in the open plan lounge/kitchen/dining area so we put both air conditioners on and the fans and shared the effect of the cooling with the boys.

The house was quite rustic with polished concrete floors throughout but they had hung African pictures and various artefacts on the walls to make in homely and Africa in character but I was irritated by the fact that the pictures were hung unevenly in a group of three and one mirror was fixed to the wall on a slight tilt but you could not right it as it was fixed rather than hung on a hook and little things like that show a lack of care to detail I think.

There was a lovely infinity pool set with rocks around and in it to create a more natural look but the pump was broken, they had cleaned it but it was not as clear as it could have been. We went in but didn’t put our heads under water and made sure we had showers afterwards. The setting was delightful and views over the farm area made it all very relaxing.

The next day we went over to the main house for breakfast which was included in the price. Their house was also lovely with a very high thatched roof in a very African style. The owner had set us up a table outside nicely laid and they invited us in to choose from the breakfast she had laid out. It was very well presented with lots of choice, fresh fruit including strawberries and grapes, cereal, fruit juice, toast and then she cooked those who wanted it a full cooked breakfast to order. As we ate our breakfast we watched the horses being fed and groomed before they were let out to graze on the farm grounds.

We had to pay the balance of our account in cash as there was no phone connection or internet there at all. We then drove off down the drive way with the code for the gate. As we approached the gate we found where the horses had all gone to, just in front of the gate on the drive way so the boys and I got out and had to try to push them off the drive way and open the gate for the car to get through without letting the horses out. We were successful and did manage to get the car out leaving horses in but it made for an interesting departure.

This was a lovely setting and the accommodation was comfortable and clean and nicely furnished but once again I can’t understand why they put aircon in one room and not the other. If it was two pairs of adults coming as friends then one would have a far superior room to the other and if you have children then surely they are just as likely to get hot as adults.

The road leading up to the farm was a dirt road and some parts were a bit rough. We were there when it was very dry but I’m not sure how easy it would be to drive there in a normal car after some rain. No mention is made of the dirt road on the internet and I do think they should point out that it is a dirt road and how long the dirt road is so people can make their minds up if they want to take their car up there prior to booking. If you book like we did over the internet then the deposit of 50% is pre-paid and it is lost if you don’t turn up so you really need to know about the road access situation prior to paying the deposit.

It was a comfortable house and had all you could want for a few days stay if you want a very relaxing country retreat. It is only a few miles outside Nelspruit so food can easily be bought for self catering. Apart from the pool and the grounds there is no other entertainment so it would be very much a country escape but it was a nice place for a night’s stop for us on our way up to Kruger National Park which is only a few miles away. It would be a good place to stay if you wanted to visit Kruger but didn’t want to stay in the park I suppose.

So yes, it was a pleasant stay but the gate code situation needs sorting as it was not very welcoming .People should also be warned that the track is a dirt road of a couple of miles which could be a problem if it is wet but otherwise a nice self catering accommodation suitable for a family get away rather than two couples because of the fact that one bedroom has no air conditioning which can make it very hot in summer. The house was not screened but we shut all the windows and put on both air conditioners then sprayed the sleeping areas with insect repellent as there were a few mossies around we noticed.


From journals South African Road Trip