Durban - The Granny Mouse Country House and Spa in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains gives you the comfort of home without sacrificing luxury.
Nestled in Balgowan, overlooking Lions River in the KZN Midlands, Granny Mouse caters for a variety of guests with world-class conference facilities on site.
To really appreciate the resort, guests should ideally spend at least three nights there to fully experience the rural ambience of this charming country hotel with understated modern comforts.
There are areas of relaxation throughout the complex, including a spa that offers treatments for all preferences. The spa team use Thalgo La Beaute Marine as their skincare product of choice, combined with a full range of health and beauty treatments. Their facilities also include a steam room, jacuzzi and a hydrotherapy bath.
Granny Mouse’s wedding packages are designed to make this wonderful yet often stressful time go smoothly. Their chapel and reception venue, overlooking Caversham Valley, can seat up to 120 people.
Guests have a choice of two restaurants. The Bistro has a simpler yet delicious menu that reflects the gentle Midlands surroundings and yet caters for more casual dining. This is a lovely area where children can join their parents for a meal.
The Eaves is a fine dining restaurant hidden in the eaves above the Bistro. It offers guests a contemporary South African menu and is great for intimate dinners.
The resort’s Single Malt & Cigar Bar adds to the hotel’s appeal as a conference and team-building venue, but is also a great place to relax after an indulgent meal.
It’s a perfect smoking lounge designed to allow guests a place to relax with a good whisky – it offers about 30 different single malts along with a few blended whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Japan and India – and a cigar, and to be at peace with the world. The hotel was recently presented with the Diners Club Diamond Wine Award for the fourth consecutive year for its 2013 wine list.
The 2014 list has more than 4 000 bottles of South African and international wines. Wine tasting and food pairing events are put together on request in a private dining area that seats eight people in an underground cellar.
Big groups can be accommodated at the fully furnished farmhouse on Oakleigh Farm, which is just less than 1km away.
The self-catering house sleeps 12 people and has a dedicated cleaner who comes daily to service it.
If You Go...
How to get there:
From Gauteng (4 hours 30 minutes): Take Exit 132 from the N3 south bound. Turn right over the highway and proceed for 8km until you reach the R103 in Nottingham Road village. Continue in the direction of Balgowan/Pietermaritzburg on the R103 for a further 17km. Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is on the left.
From Durban (1 hour 15minutes): Take Exit 107 from the N3 north-bound. Turn left at the stop street and follow the road to the T-junction. Turn right on to the R103 in the direction of Lions River. Follow the R103 for approximately 12km. Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is on the right.
Approximate cost per night per person:
October 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015
Garden room – R2 045 per room, per night
De Luxe room – R2 480 per room per night
Family room – (2 x double rooms, 1 x single room, 2 bathrooms) – R2 480 per night for 2 adults and R550 per additional person per night.
De Luxe suites – R2 915 per room per night
The Farmhouse – Rates to be confirmed by the reservations team.
Things to do in the area:
l Informative historical tours to KwaZulu-Natalbattlefields including Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift, Spioenkop, Colenso and Sani Pass, with Rob Caskie. l Visit the Ardmore Ceramic Art gallery and museum where you can watch the artists working, and afterwards enjoy tea overlooking the Lions River flow over the Caversham Waterfall.
l Try your hand at metal work with Sterling’s Wrought Iron Basic welding and forging courses. They produce wrought-iron furniture and accessories, from heavily forged iron to delicate French wirework.
l Zulu-Lulu Ceramic Boutique. Zulu-Lulu also caters for children with their Art Bar, it’s a great way for kids to work with the challenges and rewards of painting a three-dimensional ceramic object while having fun creating something special in an outdoor environment.
l Visitors can also enjoy a variety of outdoor activities.
The Mercury