Balgowan Accommodation / Beacon Vlei Howick Accommodation / B&B or Self Catering in Balgowan

Nestled in the heart of the Kwazulu Natal Midlands, Beacon Vlei Guest Farm offers luxurious B&B and self-catering accommodation with a touch of history. Our 50 acre private dam, and the surrounding wetland area, is home to hundreds of beautiful bird species, as well as large brown and rainbow trout.

Four charming dwellings exist on the farm. The Boat House (self-catering) and The Manor House (bed & breakfast) are both elegantly, appropriately and comfortably furnished. Crane Cottage and Rose Cottage are both self catering. Guests need not leave the farm to enjoy fly fishing, birding, boating or a picnic after a leisurely walk around beautiful Beacon Vlei. Other outdoor activities that can be arranged in the surrounding countryside include, hot air ballooning, mountain biking, horse riding, canopy tours, battlefield tours and even paragliding.

Beacon Vlei Guest Farm is a family friendly establishment centrally located on the famed Midlands Meander, and only 1 km from Michaelhouse School. The Midlands Meander offers visitors an abundance of art and craft shops. There are also many fine restaurants, delicatessens and cheese farms in the Balgowan district, within 3 to 5 km of Beacon Vlei.

Accommodation

The Boat House, situated 20 m from the edge of our 50 acre private dam, is a picturesque, fully equipped thatched cottage, which sleeps up to five people. It consists of one large and luxurious en suite bedroom and a large open plan living room with a bunk bed and sleeper couch, and a second bathroom. The Boat House is warmed in winter by a fireplace and heaters. Braai facilities are available, and the lounge is equipped with TV.

The Manor House is a large, elegant and comfortable farmhouse which has one en suite double room and one four sleeper family suite. All of the rooms take in sweeping views of our 50 acre private dam and the surrounding countryside. Breakfast is served in the dining room, around a striking, custom made White American Oak table.

Crane Cottage consists of two king bedrooms both en suite, a fully equipped kitchen, a large open plan living / dining room with Dstv and a big fireplace for those cold winter nights. It also has a covered veranda with braai facilities and spectacular views over our 23 hectare private dam. The cottage also has a double sleeper couch in the living room so it can potentially sleep six.

Rose Cottage consists of two inter leading bedrooms and one en suite bathroom. It has an open plan living / dining room and a kitchenette. It has a covered veranda with braai facilities looking over a private garden.

Otter Cottage consists of two king bedrooms both en suite, one bedroom has a shower and bath whilst the other has only a large shower. The cottage has a central room which is an open plan kitchen, dining room and lounge, it has a flat screen with Dstv and a large fire place for those cold winter nights. The central room has double doors leading onto the covered veranda which looks over our 23 hectare private dam. The kitchen is fully equipped and braai facilities are provided.

Facilities

Tea and coffee making facilities are provided in each room, and guests have full use of the spacious and comfortable lounge and other rooms in the house. TV is available. Braai facilities are also available on request.

Recreation

The dam provides excellent trout fishing! In fact, the 1965 Natal record rainbow trout was caught in this dam by Michaelhouse pupil Frank Stacey. The monster trout weighed 10.2 pounds (about 4.6 kg)! We stock our dam annually with only the healthiest brown and rainbow trout from the Drakensberg. Guests are welcome to fish and use the boats free of charge. Please note that we only allow fly fishing and rods are available to hire.

We are dedicated to providing our guests with a relaxing and therapeutic stay. Whether this means taking it easy at one of the top quality day spas in the area, or challenging yourself to something more adventurous, such as mountain biking, horse riding, canopy tours, birding the Natal Midlands Birding Route or hot air ballooning, Beacon Vlei and the KwaZulu Natal Midlands has it all! We can arrange bookings for these and other activities in the region, as well as advise on the many arts and crafts shops found on the Midlands Meander. We are also surrounded by a selection of great restaurants, and can make these reservations as well.

Wildlife

Beacon Vlei is registered with Birdlife South Africa as a Birder Friendly Establishment. Some of the birds of special interest found on Beacon Vlei include the Crowned Crane, Purple Heron, African Fish Eagle, Olive Woodpecker, African Jacana and Marsh Harrier. We are a birding site on the Midlands Birding Route and are confident that during the spring and summer months the multitude of birds that flock to our dam and the surrounding wetland will delight most birders. We are also extremely lucky to have a pair of Crowned Cranes nesting in the wetland around the dam. Trails, viewpoints and picnic spots around the dam and property provide our guests with hours of entertainment and relaxation.

Depending on the season, duiker, reedbuck and bushbuck can be sighted. Other wildlife on Beacon Vlei include otters, jackal, porcupine and genet.

ACCREDITATIONS (as claimed by the establishment)