LODGING & FACILITIES

All accommodation offered at Ridgedale is equipped with bedding and towels and each unit is serviced daily.  Please remember to tip our hard working staff.

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Oak Tree Lodge

This superb up-market bed & breakfast lodge sleeps 12 people in 6 beautifully appointed double rooms with en-suite bathrooms (shower & bath).  All the rooms and bathrooms have under-floor heating for those chilly winter nights.  Upstairs there is a large lounge area with TV, DSTV & DVD  player.  Each bedroom has tea and coffee making facilities.  Breakfast is served downstairs in the dining room.  Lunch and Dinner are available daily and bookings are essential.

Otters Den

This cozy little thatch cottage has three en-suite bedrooms sleeping 6 in total.  There is under-floor heating throughout.  Otter's Den is fully equipped for self-catering with open plan lounge/dining/kitchen and has gas/electric stove, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and fridge/freezer.

The comfortable lounge has TV, DSTV & DVD player and this area leads out onto a covered wooden deck for outdoor entertaining with patio furniture and weber braai.

Lunch and Dinner are available daily at Oak Tree Lodge and bookings are essential.

Kingfisher

This majestic looking thatch home has four en-suite bedrooms sleeping 8 in total.  There is underfloor heating throughout.  Kingfisher is fully equipped for self-catering with a large living area/kitchen and has gas/electric stove, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer and fridge/freezer.

The comfortable lounge has TV, DSTV, & DVD  player and this area leads through the sunroom onto a covered wooden deck for outdoor entertaining with patio furniture and weber braai.  The views from this cottage are superb.

During the first half of 2010 we will be getting TGCSA to give us a 4 star rating for both of the above units.

Fisherman Huts

Just on the other side of our trout dam we have 3 little fishing huts that are equipped for self-catering guests.  These units do not have television although they each have their own "bush telly" (fireplace).  Please bring your own firewood.  Each cottage also has a little wooden deck and braai facilities.  When you have parked your car next to the dam, you will need to carry your luggage up the wooden stairs and over the waterfall (+-150m).  The paths are all wooden walkways and are lit at night.

Dragonfly Cottage

This cottage has 4 separate bedrooms (2 en-suite) and 2 separate bathrooms.  Although it does not have a lounge there is a large dinding table with adequate seating for 8 people.  This cottage is not really suitable for families with small children but is perfect for couples who have come to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and will be spending most of their day outdoors only using the cottage for meals and sleeping.

More about the facilities at Ridgedale

Ridgedale has gone through a massive transformation in recent years.  Many years ago it was the Natal Parks Board Trout Hatchery and was know as "The Hatcheries". We have kept some of the trout ponds and still use them for growing trout.  The property was then sold privately and took on the name Aviemore.  Over a period of years it underwent numerous owners and was still known locally as "The Hatcheries" when we bought the farm in 2005 it was looking rather sad and neglected and was in desperate need of a huge facelift.  We wanted a new start and decided to drop the name Aviemore and for very personal reasons, the name Ridgedale seemed the natural choice for our new venture, and yes now Ridgedale is known as "Aviemore" and/or "The Hatcheries".  Maybe one day folk will cotton on to our new name.  One by one we demolished and rebuilt each house and cottage on the farm, providing better staff facilities in the process.  We also re-built the dam wall and added all the wooden walkways and little bridges.  I must add that Tembi, one of our cleaning staff, has been here for so many years watching owners come and go, that her loyalty to this property is nothing short of amazing.  I think she loves the fact that she no longer has to wash all the linen by hand, especially during our winters.

For the intrepid fishermen, we allow our guests to fish in the dam for a rod fee of R75 per rod per day on a catch and release basis.  There will be fresh trout available from our restaurant depending on availability of the right size fish.  We can also offer you access to a bigger dam that is stocked with trout and bass.  The farm "Tarnside" is about 2km on the Bushman's Nek road.  Please speak to our management couple who will make the necessary arrangements for you.  This dam is big enough to accommodate a few float tubes or even a little boat.