Tegwaan Country Getaway – The Pine Cottage

Climb – Hike – Bike – Fish – Relax...Tegwaan is the perfect place to stay to have access to a lot of fun outdoor activities while staying in a comfortable place! Immersed in nature, Tegwaan is a little ecosystem of its own: with fresh water springs, several fish ponds and a creek, the grass is always green, the trees are tall and the birds are happy! :-). The Pine Cottage sleeps 6 adults and is ideal for two couples with kids, big families, or small groups of friends – especially with dogs. TEGWAAN: Set just outside of Waterval Boven (one of the most popular weekend destinations among climbers and mountain bikers form Joburg and Pretoria), Tegwaan is a destination in itself: it is the closest place to the Restaurant(-At-The-End-Of-The-Universe) and Triple Tier crags, and closely connected to some of the hiking and biking trails. We also have our own ponds and fish, so bring your rope, your hiking shoes, your bike, your fishing rod or your hammock! Your dogs will also love it – with so much space to run around and water to splash in, they will be happy and exhausted by the end of the weekend! Tegwaan is also an ideal stopover for travellers: being just a few kms off the N4 on a good road, just halfway between Jo’burg and Kruger National Park, it’s an easily accessible place to break up the drive and enjoy a properly relaxing day by the pool, followed by a braai under the stars and an evening by the fire. Tegwaan has only 5 units (two cottages, one studio, one tiny house and a luxury glamping unit) but 34 hectares of land, and the Pine Cottage is a few hundred meters away from the rest, so you’ll have privacy and quietness. PINE COTTAGE: The Pine Cottage is nested in a cosy little pine grove overlooking the Rock Fairies creek. It can accommodate 6 people (+1 on the couch), so it's ideal for big families or groups of friends: there’s one master bedroom (en-suite with tub and shower), one twin bedroom (en-suite with shower) and one room with two bunks. The rest of the cottage is open-plan, with the living room opening up to a naturally shaded patio with pic-nic table and braai area. The kitchen is almost fully-equipped (no oven). The cottage is all yours, but obviously you’re welcome to enjoy the rest of the property as well. Have a walk around and you’ll be amazed at how diverse this little paradise is! Or take a chair and just chill in the garden and see how many different bird species you can spot (we're not good birdwatchers but we're at about 50 and counting! – from the tiny Sunbird to the mighty Fish Eagle). The natural panoramic outdoor swimming pool is open to everyone, though it should be noted that it is a "natural" pool, meaning spring-fed and not chlorinated (so it's not crystal-clear, but it feels amazing!) Fishing is free for guests. We’re no experts but apparently the bass in our ponds are big (up to 4kg), and we have an agreement with our partner across the road (Troutways) so that you can also test your fly-fishing skills for free. Bass-fishing at Tegwaan is catch-and-release, while the policy for trout-fishing at Troutways varies by season. We’re assuming you’re coming to Tegwaan for quietness and relaxation so we won’t disturb you, but definitely feel free to come say hi if you see that we’re around. We’re always happy to chat! Tegwaan is just off the road going from Emgwenya (formerly Waterval Boven) up into the hills. In Boven you’ll find all the essentials: a supermarket and some shops, a petrol station, ATMs, a couple restaurants and pubs... and in the hills you’ll find all the climbing crags, the hiking and biking trails, the fish ponds, etc. Tegwaan is surrounded by wild “highveld” at the edge of the escarpment where the highveld gives way to the lowveld, and within just a couple of hundred meters you’ll find some of the mysterious Stone Circles that are still a hot topic of discussion among archaeologists. Most people will come by car, but international travellers might be interested to know that there are actually public transport options available. From OR Tambo airport, book a shuttle with CityBug (5 shuttles per day) or Lowveld Link (1 shuttle per day, time varies per day). The Lowveld Link shuttle can also pick you up in Sandton (a little earlier) or in Pretoria (a little later), but because of this detour LL also takes a bit longer from ORT: 3h50 vs 2h45 for Citybug. CityBug will drop you off at Milly's petrol station (about 20km away) and Lowveld Link at the Waterval Boven exit on the N4 (about 5km away). We can arrange a pickup at both locations. The same options work for going back to Joburg. Another company is LimeTime Shuttle but we haven't tried this yet. On the east side, Tegwaan is about an hour from Nelspruit (with the same shuttles to pick you up and drop you off) -- and 1h20 or so from Kruger International Airport. Don't hesitate to inquire about the possibility of early check-in and/or late check-out. If we don't have back-to-back bookings we're happy to be flexible. Dogs are welcome but please note that we do like to let our chickens roam free when there are no dogs around, so please make sure to let us know if you have dogs so that we can keep the chickens safe and you can maybe take your dog off the leach. Furry Friends - Dog Policy - Extra charge of R60 per dog per night (R30/n for the campsite) - Dogs are allowed at the discretion of management. - Dogs must be kept under control at all times and must be leashed if other guests are around. - Please pick up after your dog around the houses. - Dogs are not allowed in the bedrooms or on the couches. - We reserve the right to add an extra fee in case of damages caused by pets. - Owners take full responsibility for any damage or injury caused. Vodacom network is generally okay, but you’ll have to walk around the property a bit to find MTN. No hi-speed Wi-Fi for now but we can give you access to our 3G wireless if you need it. Laundry washing available upon request. Let us know if you need a portable crib, a high chair or toys for your kids. We have a 4-year old and a 6 year-old, so we have a bunch of kid stuff. Additional mattresses available on request.