Good to know

We are not a luxury lodge, we are an eco-friendly guest farm

While we strive to maintain a high standard in what we offer, we are still rooted in the guest farm tradition. We don’t assume to be an any-number-of-star-lodge, but rather want to make you feel at home and comfortable in the traditional and more familial South-African guest farm sense.

Please take note that we have about one kilometer of gravel road to travel between our turn-off from the main road to the premises.  We share the biggest part of the road with two neighbouring farms and all of us maintain the road to the best of our ability.  Unfortunately, because it is a gravel road, the quality of the surface is always weather dependent.  We endeavour to ensure all vehicles, even those with low ground clearance, can safely traverse the farm road, but some will have to take it slow and steady to navigate over the water control humps.  Please just be patient – you’ll know it’s worthwhile when you enjoy the tranquillity and views from KatiKati.

We have pets, who are part of our enthusiastic welcoming committee

As you would expect on a farm, we have dogs and cats. While the cats usually do not take much notice of the humans around them, our dogs are fond of humans and eager to welcome all our guests.  We will gladly introduce them to you, but we are willing to put them behind the fence to our private garden if you are intimidated by dogs. 

They are mostly with us, but at times they can be found around the entertainment area when in need of some socialising.  Please let us know if they are a disturbance.

Even though we have our own pets, we unfortunately do not accommodate pets of our guests and visitors, mainly due to the quality of the linen we use, the furniture in our units and our simple, but effective cleaning procedure.  The second reason is that our own pets might not be as friendly and welcoming to outsiders as we are and because the units don’t have enclosed gardens, we cannot ensure the safety of visiting pets.

We are people-people and are people-friendly and family-friendly

Families are welcome.  The family unit accommodates up to 12 persons and the loft-area is an open space specifically meant for children to sleep in.  A third bed has been added to one of the more spacious bedrooms, to accommodate a child, sharing the room with parents or a third adult.

Please take note that the staircases, hand railings and low-level windows in the double-storey units are not particularly safe for small children, so please always monitor your children.  The swimming pool is in an open garden and not enclosed to keep children out, so please always take full responsibility for children.  No children are allowed in the pool area unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

We strongly believe in an equal, diverse and free society and warmly welcome persons of any orientation, background or identity to enjoy a safe stay at our facilities. We absolutely do not tolerate bigotry, homophobia, racism, sexism or any other form of hate speech on our property.

Farm-style facilities

Because this is a farm where we must take responsibility for the water-supply, water run-off and sewerage at the premises, we have special circumstances and some crucial requests regarding our sewerage systems. 

Please help us prevent the blockage of our sewerage system, water pipes and drains.  No foreign objects, other than natural waste and toilet paper, may be disposed of in the toilets, basins or sinks. No sanitary ware, baby nappies or wipes, cigarette stubs, condoms or any other foreign objects may be flushed down the toilets.  Please use the bins that are provided to discard these items.

Take note that the water in the taps is completely safe to drink and much more tasteful than treated water from municipal sources.  Please feel free to drink the water and not bring bottled water along.

Servicing of units

We are located on a farm and our staff do not live on the premises, which means we do not service the units during your stay, unless otherwise arranged.  For staff to travel to work and back home over weekends, we must pay their fee as well as their transport costs.  Please make arrangements regarding the servicing of your unit, especially over weekends, well in advance.

As an eco-friendly facility, we do not replace towels and linen during short stays.  We therefore request of you to hang up your towels to dry.  For guests staying longer, linen and towels will be replaced once a week, but please feel free to request dry towels in extreme circumstances.

We do not provide pool towels and ask our guests not to use the bath towels, blankets or throws outside at the pool or when sitting next to the fire. 

Farmlife and wildlife

Farm life is wonderful, tranquil and peaceful.  Being in harmony with nature is at the forefront of all our activities.  At times this entails small animals, reptiles or insects to enter our premises and sometimes even the buildings.  We haven’t had problems with snakes coming too close for comfort, but during the summer months frogs tend to choose our buildings over their own homes.  Please don’t harm our natural pest control agents but let us know if they become a problem.  We have a doggy-poop-scoop available for the catch-and-release of frogs.

Do not wander too far from your unit at night.  There can be snakes and scorpions in the wilder parts of the garden, which make it unsafe to walk around in the dark.  

That being said, during the day our guests are welcome to walk, run or cycle on our property as well as on the neighbouring property.  

Safety & security

If you are attending another event in the Mbombela area, please make arrangements for your safe return afterwards.  If necessary, we can ask our security service provider to escort you safely from the main road to the premises.

Please inform us when you will be out on the farmlands so that we can keep track of your movements and your return and can provide help or assistance in case of an injury or if you get lost on the farm roads. 

Firearms & fireworks

If you must travel with a firearm, please declare it - with proof of your valid license - to management before entering our premises. 

Ensure the firearm is kept safely in compliance with the law. 

No firing of firearms or fireworks are allowed. If a firearm is discharged, our private security service provider and/or SAPS will be called in to take control of the situation and secure the premises.

Key & breakage deposit

In as much as some of our guests might not like being asked for a refundable “key-and-breakage-deposit” at check-in, we hope you will understand.

South Africa is a big country and chasing keys which accidentally remained in cargo pants pockets, handbags or backpacks is a mission. We just found that the refundable key deposit of R200.00 is the best reminder for our guests as well as our reception staff.