Those who follow my road trips will know that I usually stay at a guesthouse in Lydenburg if my final destination is within the Hoedspruit area.
It breaks my trip into two manageable parts, which allows me to enjoy breakfast and still be at my final destination before midday. This means that I do not have to leave my home in Johannesburg at 03h/04h00 to achieve similar results.
However, on this occasion, the guesthouse was full, and so I stayed overnight in Dullstroom.
A change for me, but seeing that it added less than an hour to my final leg to Hoedspruit, I thought that it was a workable alternative.
An aside…
I have to comment on the road between Dullstroom and Lydenburg…almost all the potholes have been repaired and eradicated. This means that one might get stuck behind one of the large trucks that use this road regularly, but overtaking is less dangerous than it was previously.
After years of bickering as to which municipality was responsible for repairing the roads, SANRAL has finally stepped in and taken over.
That being said, the road leaving Lydenburg and heading towards Origstad is still filled with potholes and needs to be driven with caution.
On this particular trip, the entry to Hoedspruit was also being cleared of potholes of various sizes.
This is what I saw when I first entered.
This is the dedicated lounge, which features a bar fridge, a beverage station, and a Nespresso machine with a selection of pods.
One day, I will learn how to operate one of those machines; however, until that day arrives, when I travel alone, I will drink tea.
But I digress…
The Browns’ was easy to locate, and once on the property, my accommodation was accessed via a staircase leading up from the garden.
The room was bright and airy, and the views from the large windows made me feel as though I was almost in the bush…
Originally a family home, and my accommodation, as I was to discover, used to be the master bedroom. It had more cupboards than I required and a bathroom that had both a double shower and a bath.
The door on the left leads to a separate toilet, and the facing door took me back into the large, comfortable lounge.
Another view of my bedroom.
The late afternoon sunlight was streaming into the room, and even though it was a cold day, these final rays made a valiant attempt to keep the room warm.
The passage that leads from the bedroom towards the dressing room on the left and the bathroom at the end of it.
The entire right-hand wall comprises cupboards and drawer space.
The dressing room…wth more cupboards and drawers. Seeing I was only staying one night, I did not even bother to unpack. However, for those staying longer, there is no reason to complain about the lack of space to unpack their suitcases.
Did I mention that there was a surplus of cupboard space?
Given that this was the master bedroom of a family home for nearly a decade, all this hanging space makes sense.
Not one shower, but two. A neutral colour palette and the fact that the bathroom was spotlessly clean made my time spent in here pleasurable.
A bath might seem like a luxury, but often guests will insist on having one available.
The toilet is separate for those who are squeamish about sharing ablution space.
It is ALWAYS 5 o’clock somewhere.
The dying rays of the afternoon sunlight lit up this glass of sherry, perfect for combating a chilly winter evening.
This is the second establishment that I have found one of these recently. Difficult to play alone without cheating.
Soon it was time for bed, and as I don’t like sleeping under piles of blankets, I was grateful for the electric blanket, which I utilised so that I did not have to get into a cold bed.
The view out of the windows as I turned off the lights. An early start awaited, and I wanted to awake refreshed and prepared for the final leg of my journey to Hoedspruit.
This venue comes highly recommended for use as a base while you visit the various attractions in the area.
It is situated at the end of a quiet street away from the hubbub and the weekend traffic (both human and vehicular) that can be invasive.
As I stayed in one of the luxury suites on this occasion, I cannot comment on the Brown’s Cottage Suites offering. Perhaps a reason for another visit?
That being said, you can walk from The Browns’ to the main street so that you do not have to get into a contest for a parking space.
To discover more about this stunning accommodation in Dullstroom, click on the logo above.
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