Are all the cottages pet friendly? Kind of, Wisteria Cottage and The Oaks are 100% pet friendly, but Nightjar and Sugarbird aren't, they are pets by arrangement. We do make exceptions for small dogs and sometimes large ones, so please just get in touch if you'd like to stay at Nightjar or Sugarbird and bring your dogs along, and we'll go from there.

Are there limits to the number of dogs I can bring? Not in Wisteria and The Oaks, but remember that they are an extension of your family and therefore you're responsible for their behaviour. Any damage to property may be charged for. We tend to limit large dogs to two in the smaller units but please get in touch as we're happy to deal with each booking on a case by case basis.

Are the gardens fenced off? Yes. The gardens at The Oaks and Wisteria are both very large and fenced off, but very small dogs could get through if they really tried. So please still keep an eye on your pups if they're prone to wandering or have a tendancy to pull a Houdini. Sugarbird is also fenced, a little smaller garden but enough space for doggos, but Nightjar has no fence.

Can we walk our dogs off lead? Yes. There may be other dogs on the property so if your dogs are not well socialised please just keep that in mind.

Can the dogs swim? Yes, in the dams and the river. The water is safe and clean.

Are the dogs allowed inside the cottages? Yes, but the farm can be a dirty place so please just keep an eye on them in the houses. Any damage to linen or furnishings will be charged for. If you would like to bring blankets with you to cover the furniture then that's great, and your pups are then welcome to join you on the sofa.

Do you provide dog bowls and bedding? There is a large dog water bowl in Wisteria and The Oaks, but please bring your own food bowls and bedding along with you.

Are there dangerous animals that could hurt my dogs? In short, no. There are wild animals on the farm but they are mostly nocturnal and would be scared of human or animal activity so will most likely keep their distance. During the day you may encounter cows and horses on the farm but they are very used to dogs. Please just be aware of any cows that have young calves with them, as they will be more protective than ususal.

Do our dogs have to be socialised to bring them with? No, just keep a close eye on them when you are out and about if there are other dogs around. If you're worried about your dogs meeting others, please let us know before you come so that we can make sure you're aware of any other dogs that might be on the farm during your stay.

Do our dogs need to be vaccinated? We would prefer that they were up to date with all their vaccines, simply because we have a lot of fur kids visiting us and we would hate for your or anyone's dog to pick something up on the farm, but it isn't a requirement. All of our dogs are up to date with their vaccinations.

Are there ticks on the farm? Yes, there are ticks in the veld and your dogs may pick up a couple if they go exploring. Certain times of the year there are more (Summer) and other times less. We recommend that you make sure your dogs are up to date with their tick and flea treatments as a precaution, but we haven't had any cases of illness from tick bites in at least the last 20 years or so. Nevertheless we do suggest that if you notice ticks  on your dogs just keep that in mind if your dog becomes ill once you get home, and if so make sure to mention it to your vet.

Are there snakes on the farm? Yes, we have some venomous but mostly non-venomous snakes on the farm. They are very rarely seen, and the most common snakes on the farm are water snakes and mole snakes, neither of which would be a threat to your dog. There are two snake bites that would require urgent attention from the vet, those from an Adder or a Rinkhals.

Where is the closest vet? Our vet (The Vets @66) is in Nelspruit, just over an hours drive away. If there is an emergency we would highly reccommend them, and will assist you in getting your pet there as quickly as possible. We are also able to phone them for advice should there be an incident that doesn't require emergency medical attention.

Are the housekeepers ok with dogs? Yes, all the housekeepers are super friendly and great with dogs. Please let us know if your doggos aren't good with strangers though or need to be specially introduced to new people so that we can ensure a stress-free arrival for everyone.

Are there other dogs on the farm? Yes, we (Alice and Graeme) have two German Shepherds, Cooper and Zoey. They are the friendliest dogs in the world to people but unfortunately aren't great with other dogs so we keep them in our garden if there are other dogs on the farm, and if we do walk them they will be on leads. If you walk past our garden with other dogs there's a good chance that they'll bark at you but rest assured they can't get out and don't pose a threat. Tim and Lesley-Anne also have a German Sherpherd, Maddie, and she is good with both people and other dogs. They live next door to Sugarbird.