Toad Tree Cottage

Toad Tree Cottage The cottage can accommodate six people comfortably in three decorative bedrooms. There is a small library of books of local interest.

Set on a farm outside Mtunzini, Toad Tree Cottage is a charming hideaway set in a large indigenous garden with sweeping views of sugarcane fields and the Ongoye hills. Toad Tree Cottage is a charming three-bedroom residence set in a large indigenous garden overlooking rolling sugarcane fields outside Mtunzini on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. The cottage takes its inspiration from the colonial far

mhouses of yesteryear and has been lovingly restored after years of hunting demolition yards, auction houses and junk shops for authentic building materials from the past. It boasts all the modern conveniences but has features taken from old railway stations, gentlemen’s clubs and churches which have long been demolished. The open-plan kitchen is fully stocked for self-catering but a Bed and Breakfast option is also available. The cottage can accommodate six people comfortably (two double beds, two singles) and there are overhead fans in all the rooms. There are two full bathrooms and the lounge has a television, DVD player and radio/cassette. French doors open onto a verandah and private entertainment area with a swimming pool, alfresco dining and barbeque facilities. Guests are requested to bring their own beach towels. The cottage is cleaned daily and a laundry service is available. A delightful feature of the bedrooms is the decorative themes that celebrate the three distinct cultures of the region. The African Room has the textures and earthy colours of the Continent and is simply furnished with local works of art and crafts. The English Room is done in the style of the British Arts and Crafts Movement and is furnished with family antiques. The Indian Room is romantically inspired by the intricate and richly decorated Mughal palaces of the East. The beautiful 5-acre garden consists almost entirely of indigenous trees and plants and makes up an impressive private botanical collection. It has been landscaped for year-round interest and features an extensive aloe garden, which brings welcome warm colours in winter – as well as attracting a large variety of sunbirds. The white garden beside the swimming pool creates a relaxing area for escaping the summer heat. There is a small indigenous tree and plant nursery on the property. The cottage is six kilometres from the Raphia Palm natural monument and the Umlalazi Nature Reserve – a vast stretch of unspoilt beach, coastal dune forest, mangrove swamp and lagoon. Ongoye Forest – a prime birding site – can be seen on the ridge of rolling hills to the west. Eshowe - with its extremely popular forest aerial boardwalk and interesting historical museum and Zulu craft gallery - is only 40kms away. The seaside village of Mtunzini caters for most of visitors’ needs. There is a supermarket, several restaurants, bottle stores, a country club with 9-hole golf course, three tennis courts and a squash court, as well as a very active bowling club. There is also a doctor’s surgery and two chemists. More urban pursuits are only an hour away. The world renowned Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserve and the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park are also close enough for a day trip.

This is a wonderful resource if you want to more about the fascinating history of the region.
13/10/2023

This is a wonderful resource if you want to more about the fascinating history of the region.

28/11/2020

We were delighted to host East Coast Radio and the Tourism KZN group for a weekend and share our world with them

01/07/2019

We love it when guests at Toad Tree Cottage bring a drone with them and have fun using it on the farm. This weekend Ryan came with his family and made this short film. of the surrounding sugarcane fields and the garden in its winter foliage. The soundtrack sounds like the start of Downton Abbey, it's just a pity there isn't a fine English country house lurking in all that bush . . .

We were delighted to be featured in the June issue of Go! magazine's cover article on the North Coast . . . "Bed down at...
19/06/2019

We were delighted to be featured in the June issue of Go! magazine's cover article on the North Coast . . . "Bed down at the best seaside chalets, bush lodges and farm cottages from the Dolphins Coast to the Mlalazi River . . . " Wow! Thank you Go!

19/06/2019
13/11/2017

Ever been on a selfie safari?

06/11/2017

Every October the Shembe Church gather for two weeks on a hilltop known as Judea not far from Toad Tree Cottage. They observe Saturday as their sabbath but Sundays are reserved for celebrating their faith and culture with a unique variation of traditional Zulu culture. We took a group of visitors from America to experience this noisy colourful occasion.

21/09/2017

The annual Zulu Reed Dance remains one of the largest and most colourful events on South Africa's cultural calendar. It always sparks debate about its role in a modern South Africa but visitors who witness it are always amazed by its tradition and sheer energy. This year Toad Tree Cottage hosted Nathalie Drogoul and her family from France for a day visit to Enyokeni Palace near Nongoma to experience this unique event. They even got to take selfies with the Zulu king . . .

Toad Tree Cottage has found a kindred spirit in a small intimate guest house in Pondicherry, India. Pondy is famous as a...
03/12/2016

Toad Tree Cottage has found a kindred spirit in a small intimate guest house in Pondicherry, India. Pondy is famous as a meeting place of various cultures and today still has a distinct Gallic flavour with its French Quarter of well laid out tree-lined avenues, its beach promenade along the Bay of Bengal, cafes and book shops. Maison Perumal is a carefully-restored mansion once owned by a Tamil family and built around a series of courtyards surrounded by impressive teak columns, lush vegetation and colonial furniture. It is highly recommended!

Toad Tree Cottage recently joined the global hospitality phenomenon Airbnb and we soon had our first visitors. A French ...
24/08/2016

Toad Tree Cottage recently joined the global hospitality phenomenon Airbnb and we soon had our first visitors. A French family booked for two days and liked it so much that they stayed for four nights. This is the great review they posted on the Airbnbn website: "The Toad Tree Cottage is a fantastic place. We were supposed to stay 2 nights and we finally spent 4 nights. The house is huge, well equiped, and beautifull. The pictures are totally conform to the reality. The colonial charm of the house is amazing. We visited South Africa during 4 weeks and our stay at the Cottage was our best experience. Thanks Bruce !" Merci beaucoup, Didier!

02/04/2015

A very useful birding guide is available if you are planning to do some bird watching in the Umlalazi Nature Reserve in Mtunzini over the Easter holidays. With a checklist of over 230 species found in the reserve as well as a detailed map of hiking trails and picnic sites, the pocket-size booklet is an essential companion on your visit. It is available at the reception office at the entrance to the reserve for a small sum, the proceeds of which go to the Honorary Officers Projects.

Those of you who have Dish and don't listen to the radio, may have missed this . . .
30/04/2014

Those of you who have Dish and don't listen to the radio, may have missed this . . .

Karen Key hosts a weekly travel programme on SAfm called Time to Travel and recently featured a series on towns with interesting features. For her ...

The nearby town of Eshowe is ideal gardening country and this year's Open Gardens made that boast abundantly clear with ...
19/03/2014

The nearby town of Eshowe is ideal gardening country and this year's Open Gardens made that boast abundantly clear with four park-like settings of sweeping lawns, lush foliage, meandering pathways through forests, trickling water features and stunning outlooks over the rolling green hills of Zululand. Hats off to Fiona, Paige and Anina for all the hard work that has gone into their incredible garden transformations. And when next in Eshowe, do look out for Julie Upfold's beautiful bird baths. They are a must-have!

President Zuma and his merry bunch of wives - almost single-handedly - keep the B&Bs in Eshowe full 365 days a year with...
01/03/2014

President Zuma and his merry bunch of wives - almost single-handedly - keep the B&Bs in Eshowe full 365 days a year with their travelling circus of bodyguards, spin/witch/medical doctors, chauffeurs, caterers, builders, interior decorators, etc etc.
And you thought that the R250-million extensions to his property were done to accommodate all these people. Aikona! They all stay in the best B&Bs in Eshowe.
Thank you President Zuma!

On the surface, Eshowe, a former colonial military garrison cradled in the embrace of the thick Dlinza coastal scarp forest, does not appear to be the usual tourist honey trap. This small KwaZulu-Natal town of weathered low-rises and utility shopping centres is about a 45-minute drive (25 minutes if...

01/03/2014
If you missed the article on John Dunn ('The Forgotten White Chief of Zululand) in the Go! magazine, you can now read it...
01/03/2014

If you missed the article on John Dunn ('The Forgotten White Chief of Zululand) in the Go! magazine, you can now read it online.

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Mtunzini

Telephone

+27833012958

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