Lake St Bernard

Self Catering Accommodation in Swartberg, Drakensberg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Venue Details Facilities Attractions Photo gallery Rates Location & Directions Send Enquiry

Cottage 1 CONTACT DETAILS Tel: +27 (0)83 570 8330 Cell: +27 (0)83 570 8330 Fax: +27 (0)86 688 8456 Physical Address St Bernards Peak Road Swartberg Drakensberg Kwazulu-Natal South Africa

We invite you to visit this small piece of paradise situated in the Southern Drakensberg. Lake St Bernard is a 68 hectare lake on a privately owned farm that is home to many species of buck and wildlife. Come and stay at our 2 furnished country houses or the 3 beautiful chalets on the water, for typical African farm experience. This is the perfect spot to spend with family & friends, unwinding in a truly spectacular environment.

We invite you to visit this small piece of paradise situated in the Southern Drakensberg. Lake St Bernard is a 68 hectare lake on a privately owned farm that is home to many species of buck and wildlife. Come and stay at our 2 furnished country houses or the 3 beautiful chalets on the water, for typical African farm experience. This is the perfect spot to spend with family & friends, unwinding in a truly spectacular environment.

What makes this venue special? Well in a nutshell - everything!
The Lake is vast (well over 60 hectares) and is scenically one of the most beautifull lakes in the country. The only waters that compete with this water scenically are Wolf Avni's beautifull water in the Giant's Cup Wilderniss Reserve, and Rorich's water Mount Arthur, set high in the Drakensberg near the Lesotho border.

Location:

• 70km south of Underberg
• 200km From Pietermaritzberg
• 200km From Port Shepstone
• 280km from Durban
• 680km from Gauteng
• 300km from Umtata

Details of Accommodation:

Cottage No. 2 - Thatch Chalet On The Water (sleeps 7)
This is an open plan thatched chalet with stunning mountain and lake views.

• The chalet has a main bedroom and upstairs loft room
• The bathroom is complete with shower, bath and toilet
• Open plan lounge/dinning/kitchen with a central jet master fire place
• All kitchen essentials are supplied, microwave, oven and fridge/freezer included
• A webber braai and scottle are also supplied
• Accommodation Layout:
  Main bedroom downstairs has a luxury queen bed
  Upstairs loft has 3 singles beds and a double bed

Cottages No. 1 & 3 - New Lakeside Cottages (Fish Eagle Cottage & Crowned Crane Cottage - sleeps 8 each)
Two new luxury 3 bedroomed, 2 bathroom cottages are right on the water. These cottages have stunning views and are something special to see.

• The open plan lounge/dining kitchens are heated by a central fireplace
• Kitchen is fully fitted with oven, microwave and fridge/freezer combo
• The stunning outdoor living area includes a built in braai
• Accommodation Layout:
  Room 1 has a luxury queen bed
  Room 2 has 2 single beds
  Room 3 has 2 single beds
  Lounge has a sleeper couch for kids-young adults.
  Country Houses are not on the waters edge but have stunning mountain and Lake Views.

Ferndale Country House (sleeps 10)
This is a beautiful family home 2km from the water with stunning views.

• It has 4 bedrooms and sleeps 8 comfortably plus a sleeper couch in the sun lounge
• The toilet, shower and bath are all separate units
• All kitchen essentials are supplied, microwave, oven and fridge/freezer included
• A webber braai and scottle are also supplied
• A log fire place warms up the main lounge
• Accommodation Layout:
  Main bedroom has a luxury queen bed
  Room 2 has 2 singles
  Room 3 has 2 singles
  Room 4 has a luxury queen bed
  Sun lounge - sleeper couch for kids

Leydn Country House (sleeps 12)
This farm home has recently been renovated and original oregan timber restored. Its approx. 5km from the water totally surrounded by mountains and has stunning lake views.

• There are 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms and two lounges
• The dinning room is wonderful for family meals
• All kitchen essentials are supplied, microwave, oven and fridge/freezer included
• Wonderful braai facilities available
• The formal lounge has fire place
• Accommodation Layout:
  Room 1 has a queen and a single bed
  Room 2 has a queen and 2 single beds (log fire place)
  Room 3 has 3 singles
  Room 4 has 2 singles

On arrival please collect keys at St Bernards Peak Mountain Lodge.

Please Note:

• TV's are not supplied
• No pets allowed
• No power boats
• There are no shops in the area, family, value for money meals can be enjoyed at the local hotel.

ATTRACTIONS - THINGS TO DO

Fishing
Lake St. Bernard, Swartberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

We call ourselves big fish country, this Lake has only recently been available to the public as a fishing spot and being catch and release we are able to maintain the fish holding. The water was previously named Ferndale dam by farmers/fisherman in the area. We regularly stock with 8 inch and 1 kg trout and with the catch and release policy our fishermen continually catch big trout. The biggest fish caught in our waters are 13lbs, and many 7, 8lbs fish.

Fishing on the continent of Africa is guaranteed to leave the stress of the modern day world behind. When you are looking for that complete break there is nothing more fulfilling than time spent experiencing a South African Fishing Adventure in some of the most awe inspiring parts of South Africa.

10 Top Tips For Trout Fishing Know when the Trout can see you. You need to know what the Refractive Window is to prevent scaring the fish away. Beware the monocular vision of your prey. The colour of your clothing matters. By wearing certain colours you are better camouflaged from the fish. The best time to fish for trout is, surprise surprise, feeding time. It's important to understand the particular ecosystem in which you are fishing so that you can determine when this feeding time is. It is still possible to catch them even outside of their feeding times but you'll need to work extra hard to entice the fish. Trout are extremely sensitive to noise. Even the faintest crunch of gravel underfoot can scare the fish away. Smoking a cigarette while fishing will drastically reduce your chances of a catch. Choose the correct line colour and catch more fish. When the conditions are just right, you can initiate a feeding frenzy among the trout. Water temperature plays an important role in trout feeding habits. Keeping a fishing diary will greatly improve your long-term fishing success. Activities: Trout fishing Hiking trails into the mountains Hike to view Rock art and Wild Protea flowers Mountain bike riding 4x4 trails into Lesotho border Swimming at the bamboo pools Bird Watching - many species found on the farm Stunning Picnic spots Horse riding at the local Mountain Lodge

 

SERVICES & FACILITIES

Please Note:

• TV's are not supplied
• No pets allowed
• No power boats
• There are no shops in the area. Family value for money meals can be enjoyed at the local hotel.

RATES

Rates
Lake St. Bernard, Swartberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Daily rod fee R100.00 per day, strictly catch & release. No charge for children fishing. (Catch & release) Boat hire with sneaker motors and battery R100.00 per day. Please bring life jackets. Lake Side cottages: R 150.00 per person per night, the cottage sleeps 6. Half price for childeren. Min. per night R800.00 for the cottege. Season and long weekends Lake Side cotteges: R200.00 per person per night & half price for children. Min. R1000.00 per night. Country houses: R125.00 per person per night and half price for children. Min R750.00 per night. Season and long weekends: R125.00 per person per night and half price for children. Min. R1000.00 per night. Mid week special out of school holidays and not public holidays: Mon.-Thurs.: R750.00 per cottage incl. fishing, all catch & release. Please note all bedding is provided, you will need to bring towels.