The Midlands. Find your way to better days The Midlands

Guide

Where to stay in the Midlands

Country house hotels, farm cottages with log fires, treehouses and a farmhouse in the shadow of the Drakensberg. How to choose a Midlands stay.

By The Midlands

Cottage room with a fire and a view of misty hills

Where you stay shapes a Midlands weekend. Pick a country house hotel near Nottingham Road or Balgowan if you want to be in the middle of the Meander, a farm cottage in the Dargle or Karkloof for quiet and walking, or the Kamberg if you're heading for the Berg.

Many places are small, so they can fill up over school holidays and long weekends. Book early, and check each place's own website for rates and what's included.

Country house hotels

The classic Midlands weekend: gardens, fireplaces, a good restaurant and a long Sunday lunch.

Stay · Curry's Post

La Clef Boutique Hotel

Eight-room farm-style boutique hotel on the Curry's Post road with verandas over the valley. Meals are prepared by an in-house chef and it hosts weddings and events.

Address
B19 Curries Post Road, Balgowan, 3275

Website (opens in a new tab)

Farm cottages and self-catering

Farm cottages, forest cabins and garden units, several of them on working farms with dams and walking trails.

Activities · Dargle

Copperleigh Trout Cottages

Working farm under iNhlosane mountain with fly-fishing on the 10 ha Mavela Dam, which is stocked with trout every year. Two self-catering units overlook the dam.

Address
Copperleigh Farm, Upper Dargle (about 30 km from Howick, 22 km from Boston)

Website (opens in a new tab)

Activities · Nottingham Road

Troutbagger Farm

Small farm with three trout dams, one also holding bass, fished catch-and-release, with self-catering accommodation. The Meander lists it for day anglers.

Address
Between Mount West and Curry's Post, about 12 km from Nottingham Road

Website (opens in a new tab)

Near the Drakensberg

For walking, trout and rock art in the Kamberg and beyond.

Walks & nature · Kamberg

Kamberg Nature Reserve

Part of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site, established in 1951 and named after a mountain shaped like a rooster's comb. The Mooi River runs through it. Trout fishing (Eland and Erskine dams all year; fly tackle only, rod fee payable), guided walks to Game Pass Shelter, hiking trails, three picnic sites, and game including eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest and oribi.

Hours
Gates 05:00–19:00 (Oct–Mar), 06:00–18:00 (Apr–Sep)
Fees
Conservation fee (SA/SADC): R80 adult, R40 child. Rock art walk R120 adult, R60 child.
Address
Near Rosetta (PO Box 72, Rosetta 3301); from Rosetta about 40 km on the Kamberg road.

Website (opens in a new tab)

Walks & nature · Drakensberg

Highmoor Nature Reserve

A 14,749 ha section of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park known for trout dams, grassland and sandstone scenery. Hiking, two bookable overnight caves (Caracal Cave and Aasvoelkrans Cave, 12 people each), fly-fishing, birding (bearded vulture, Cape vulture, Verreaux's eagle) and a picnic area beside the camp office.

Hours
Gates 05:00–19:00 (Oct–Mar), 06:00–18:00 (Apr–Sep)
Fees
Conservation fee (SA/SADC): R80 adult, R40 child
Address
Off the R103 via the Kamberg/Highmoor road, about 43 km from the N3 at Nottingham Road

Website (opens in a new tab)

Spa and wellness stays

For a weekend that's mostly about doing very little.

Close to Hilton and Howick

Handy for a first night off the N3, a wedding, or the schools and businesses around Hilton.

Questions

Which town is the best base for the Midlands?

Nottingham Road and Balgowan put you in the middle of the Meander, with restaurants, studios and the brewery nearby. Howick is closest to the N3 and the waterfalls. The Dargle and Karkloof are quieter and better for walking. The Kamberg suits a Drakensberg trip.

Is it cold in winter?

Yes. Winter nights are cold, and frost is likely, especially higher up towards the Kamberg. Many country stays have fireplaces, but pack warm layers and check what your stay offers.