Spacious designer studio in a rural setting

The Studio@Mount View Lodge is an upmarket off-the-grid pet and birder friendly establishment that sits unobtrusively in a rural setting. It is favoured by couples and singles seeking rest and rejuvenation in an environment that is safe, peaceful and comfortable. It boasts beautiful views over farmland to the mountains and forests, but is only a 15 min drive to Sedgefield and 25 mins to Knysna and Wilderness. The property is fully fenced to ensure that your pet is safe. The Studio offers a spacious and sunny lounge, kitchen and dining area with gorgeous views out over farmland to the mountains. Large windows and concertina doors can be flung open to let in birdsong and summer breezes, and the surrounding greenery provides both privacy and safe haven for the multitude of birds that frequent the bird feeders and ensure ongoing entertainment from the comfort of your couch or bed! Stable wifi provides for the digital nomad lifestyle or for streaming platforms. Water is provided by the clouds and power by the sun, and we encourage recycling. A small enclosed lawned area makes it pet friendly too and loungers provide for sun basking or daytime snoozes! There is an indoor wood burning fireplace for romantic cosy winter evenings. A feature bathroom allows you to commune with nature, and luxurious bedding on the King sized bed (or 2 singles) allows for peaceful sleep with only the sounds of nature as your companion. The kitchen has a 2 plate gas hob, a microwave and decent sized fridge, and is well equipped for stay-in meal prep. A paved patio area under a pergola has glorious views onto the Outeniqua mountain range, perfect for sundowners and a braai on the kettle barbeque after a day exploring, or for simply soaking up the sun in a quiet and relaxing environment. By being off the power and municipal grid, we embrace a more sustainable and purposeful life at Mount View Lodge. It’s an opportunity to form a deeper connection with nature and greatly reduce your individual carbon footprint. It’s also a way to live a gentler life, albeit just for a few days! Candlelight, reading, playing games, napping, actually communicating! The disadvantage is that you may have to forego some modern conveniences. Like an uninterrupted power supply in rainy weather and being able to have all the electrical appliances in the house on at the same time. It means being acutely aware of where your power and water comes from and making hay while the sun shines. There is a generator to heat the geyser - cold showers are a no-no! Access to a herb and vegetable garden - pick whatever is available. You are welcome to walk your socialised dogs onto the larger property to interact with the resident Labrador and Golden Retriever. We live in the main house on the same property and are respectful of the need for privacy (the cottage is on its own fenced-off piece of land). However we will gladly help with any information and recommendations on the area, be it restaurants, activities or sightseeing. In addition, and in particular those with dogs, we invite you to use the rest of the land for walking / swimming purposes (amount of water in the dams varies according to drought and season). We have 2 very friendly dogs (a Labrador and a Golden Retriever) of our own who welcome socialised friends! The property is based in a quiet and safe rural area, a 15 minute drive from Sedgefield, and 25 minutes to Knysna and Wilderness - all through forestry plantations. Water is provided by rain and power by the sun (with a generator for the odd rainy spell). We encourage recycling and have eliminated single use plastic packaging. Alien wood from the area is provided free of charge. Being close to the Garden Route Trail Park, the Seven Passes Road, the Knysna forests and numerous hiking trails, this is a perfect base for cyclists and adventurers. Or if activity is not your thing, a romantic retreat for couples (although there is a sleeper couch for young children!), and an off-the-beaten track hide-away for the travel-weary. Groenvlei / Lake Pleasant sits at the end of our road and is well-known for it's bass fishing. The Garden Route lake system and the lagoons of Sedgefield, Knysna and WIlderness offer numerous angling, boating / sailing, and bathing options. You'll need your own vehicle. There is no public transport or Uber Please note that we are completely off-the-grid with water supplied by rain and power by the sun. This means that in the event of rainy spells or exteded cloud cover, you may need to switch over to generator to heat the geyser and power the water pump. This usually only happens at night and the batteries quickly power up in the morning. Instructions to turn on the generator are supplied, as well as candles and a lantern. The hob is gas and the fireplace is wood burning and there is a kettle braai for meal prep. (Unlimited free wood supplied.) This is nature-dependent off-the-grid living!