I spent a few nights in a self-catering chalet at the Little Switzerland Resort in Bergville which is in the Drakensberg Mountains of KZN, South Africa. It’s located approximately halfway up the Oliviershoek mountain pass. I left Durban for Johannesburg on a Sunday and planned a halfway stopover at this resort where I could work remotely during the week.
Self Catering Chalet
I booked into a one-bedroom self catering chalet which has a private kitchen. Fortunately I was given one of the newly renovated units. There were builders on-site working on other units while we were there, but this did not disturb us in any way. The one-bedroom chalet is located over 3-floors. The main entrance and bathroom is on the middle floor.
It would be nice if the basin had a shelf and mirror above it (there is a mirror to the side of the basin which wasn’t really convenient).
The bedroom with balcony is upstairs.
I could view part of the Tugela falls from the balcony (top of waterfall in the middle of the image).
The lounge and kitchen is downstairs, and each unit has a tv set with DSTV. Housekeeping is available to clean the self catering chalets.
The units with stairs are not recommended for guests with mobility difficulties.
The units do have fans in the bedroom and lounge. Unfortunately there is no air-conditioning which made it uncomfortable when we visited as it was quite hot (with many bugs and mosquitoes in the area).
Facilities
There are lots of activities available on-site. There’s a petrol station and convenience shop just before the main gate. The resort does offer spa services. Meals are available at the restaurant on-site and included for guests staying at the hotel.
Guests in the self-catering chalets will have to pay to eat at the restaurant (non-halal friendly kitchen).
There is a separate kids facility with a number of activities for kids.
Bicycles and an outdoor theatre screen are available on site.
There is a stable with horse and pony rides available, bowling greens, putt-putt, tennis court, 2 swimming pools, go-karting a number of hiking trails, volley ball, fly fishing (for hire) and more.
The landscaping and outdoor gardens are maintained in pristine condition. If you want to chill-out and do nothing or keep yourself busy, there’s a lot to do on site.
The views from the resort are breathtaking.
For a full list of activities, check out the resort’s website: https://www.lsh.co.za/
Connectivity
WiFi signal is excellent throughout the resort and you are shielded from load shedding – prefect for remote workers. I had no signal on Telkom Mobile, but with the WiFI I could connect to Telkom Mobile using VoWiFI. Signal on Cell C and Vodacom were excellent.
Nearby
From the main road or at the view point at the top of Oliviershoek pass, you can look down to Woodstock dam and beyond.
Sterkfontein Dam nature reserve is also a 15 minute drive from the resort. When I visited, the dam was 102% full and some of the gravel roads in the reserve were flooded (I could not get to the dam shore by car). The jetty was accessible, if you have a boat or canoe/kayak.
In General
The staff are very friendly and welcoming. I’d like to visit the resort in a cooler month in the future. I’m sure it’s magical when there’s snowfall.
