"Very nice place, lovely swimming hole, nice visit."

Two negative points to note: 1. The bad dirt road. 2. R300 for a wifi code and it was also an unstable connection. Other places give free wifi.

"Peaceful and wonderful."

Mac and Steve with their gorgeous dogs and cats were really special. They made our stay even nicer than we expected.

"Was nice, but there is no walking trail along the river, very rocky."

Recommend a bench and umbrella at swimming hole. A walking trail about 1 km up the river would be really fun.

"Little piece of heaven. Precious people running the lodge with an even more precious owner."

Covid sanitizing done properly after guests leave, the cleaning fee is worth paying for your peace of mind. Stayed a week and will forever go back. Quiet, pet friendly at a fee, which is minimal. The rock pool is divine to cool off in after a hike or jog.

"Just 1 word - great."

Semane Lodge is a hidden gem.

"Peaceful, beautiful, amazing landscapes."

I loved the situation and the beautiful pools on the river. We were lucky to have the whole place to ourselves.

"Soul care deluxe!"

Semane Lodge is everything a laid-back city person could wish for. No contact with the outside world, lovely scenery, countless stars nearby and very safe. locks and keys are a redundant invention.

"Felt part of nature and relaxed with sounds of birds and river."

We were received very friendly by Mac & Steven. Cottage very clean and equipped with solar power & electricity & all basics required. Place is well maintained and improvements were done like repainting and stone-edged paths. Our stay was lovely with just the sounds of nature and a trio of fish eagles hovering and the constant sound of the river.

"Was a lovely getaway with beautiful scenery and friendly service."

Beautiful place to stay, everything well maintained and clean and tidy. Friendly happy service. Will happily go back.

"Lovely getaway in the mountains away from everything."

Cottages clean and neat. Overlooking the river which has a nice sandy beach with large pools to swim in.

"Quiet in the mountains."

Nice break away from all the hustle and bustle.

"It was beyond wow."

It is probably one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. The house is beautiful, well cared for, and the service is great. It was everything and much more that we were looking for. The kids also enjoyed it a lot. Would recommend anytime.

""Refreshing""

Dit was 'n wonderlikke ervaring, dit is nie ons eerste keer daar en was 'n jaar trug ook daar saam ander familie. Definitief 'n plek waar mens kan gaan om te ontspan!

"Slept very well here."

The Stone Cottage has a comfortable veranda with a view over the valley. The river pools are nice and big and you can swim 80 meters in them! It's wonderful to walk out on the hump with a beautiful view of the valley during sunset.

"Absolutely unbelievable! "

We were a big group that stayed in the main house. We were made to feel welcome from the first moments by unbelievably friendly and helpful staff - they deserve a special thank you. The house was clean, neat, the fridge was turned on with ice in the freezer. The house is equipped excellently for a big group of people with two en suite-bedrooms on the ground floor which made it easy for the older people that don't like climbing stairs. The second evening was cold and the fireplace in the living room did an excellent job, we were all warm. Semane Lodge's greatest attraction is the location - this is definitely the cherry on the cake! Quiet and as close to nature as you possibly can. We thoroughly enjoyed the Kouga River, pulled out some beautiful fish - and threw them back in again - because we will definitely come again. We had fun playing on our kayaks, and although the waterfall was low due to the drought, there is plenty of water to paddle up and down - with a few places to climb and pull the kayaks through the shallow water. We took our own kayaks. Communication was fast and easy from the start - please use their early check-in (11:00 am) as you should spend as much time as possible on the nice walk-in porch. When we arrived, the tables and chairs were already unpacked! Excellent service! Remember to take everything with you, it is quite a distance to town - the dirt road was in good condition, my mother drove her car without any problems. We have taken our own braai wood, but there is wood for sale if you do not have space. We moved the mobile braai under the tree and had a great time. We took our own camping chairs to use on the grass, but there was plenty of seating on the porch for those who didn't want to bother. The only negative comment I would like to mention is that the second floor's wooden floor cracks when you walk on it and it may disturb other people in the silence of the night. Undoubtedly, I recommend Semane Lodge to anyone who needs a break from the city and its noise and want to spend time with your loved ones, swimming, fishing, kayaking and hiking - not to mention stargazing when the sun goes down. Thank you so much for a wonderful holiday!

"Well equipped if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world."

Due to location you are literally cut off from the world, was a shame to get there so late couldn't really explore the area but would consider staying there again. Scenery and location are bonus.

"Good place to relax after long day on the road."

The cottage is basic, but neat. Has everything you need. The staff we received were very helpful.

"Cook rats."

The word lodge should not be used at all. It's a very old place with a few chalets, that's all. The price we paid is hopelessly too much for the chalets we stayed in. We expected much more for the amount we paid to spend the night there, precisely because we thought we were going to spend the night in a lodge. It was just me and my family of 5 and then the man who I suspect is the caretaker and his little wife who were in the lodge. Semane Lodge is four chalets that are very sparsely equipped and the place is full of cockroaches. There was a lady who couldn't speak English, with a very angry dog who didn't want to leave us alone, who welcomed us, (we first stood around for 15 minutes thinking the place was deserted, we just had to really drove, before she made her appearance from the bushes with the dog) and showed us our chalet. Very, very little maintenance is done on the premises and grounds. The place is not drivable at all with an ordinary Sedan, this is not mentioned on the website. The only reason we stayed was because we had already paid on the way there, we got there after 17:00, very tired, and didn't feel like tackling the 13 kilo dirt road back again at night. False advertising at its best. Definite no, no, no. Stay away!

"Secluded in beautiful nature."

Spacious house with a nice porch with the most beautiful view of the mountains. River is clean and had a nice swim. Workers are very friendly and helpful. Only negative comment is all the Black Wattles that are taking over the area on either side of the river. It is an invasive plant that must be eradicated. Also, the section towards the river and around the river can be kept clean or a path laid out to walk there without having to find your way through all the plants/shrubs. Keep the gardens around the cottages natural - see a bed planted with Kannas which is an alien species. Beautiful flush stones.

"Tranquil, peaceful, isolation, perfect!"

The directions were spot on, just when we thought 'where the hell are we heading' the Semane Lodge turn off popped up. The road from OnderKouga through to Opkoms was picturesque and worth exploring!

"Beautiful setting! "

We had a great stay and were supplied with plenty of firewood to enjoy under a starry sky.

"Very nice and secluded."

Very special place. No mobile phone reception and during rainy periods 4x4 will be required to get back to the main road.

"(CECILIA not Anthea) disappointed."

Very dissapointed to say the least. Place is not advertised as on website, river dirty, cannot swim or catch fish. all the other amenities are nil and void. No towels in room, although we had our own, but it is stated as such on website. Dirt road not suitable for a motor car, they should add that on website too. Will never recommend anyone to go there. We left earlier because the place was not up to standard or at least as they advertised.

"Great location for a complete get away from rat race."

We were there with family members including 2 children and had a great time despite the fact that the weather was wet and cold for a great deal of the time. The only thing I would recommend future guests to do, is to bring drinking water and your own towels. The water comes from the river so after heavy rains, it is very murky and then highly chlorinated. We had to ask the housekeeper for towels as I had not noticed that they would not be supplied when reading the description on the web page. Other than that, it is top class.

"Would never ever want to stay there again."

Would never ever want to stay there again. Fridge didn't work, no glasses, rooms were incredibly small for 4 adults. Towels and bedding were in very poor condition. We had to ask for towels. Because of the fridge and hot weather, we couldn't stay there any longer. Very very poorly equipped. No we couldn't call anyone because our phones didn't have his.

"Amazing."

Had an absolutely amazing time at Semane Lodge. Was everything we had hoped for and more!

"Overall a good experience and stay."

See stars.

"Peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city."

Exactly what we needed after a very long year. Very friendly and helpful staff. The mountain and water are so peaceful and beautiful. You completely forget about everything, as if time stands still. Our dogs really enjoyed nature and the river. The house is luxurious but also down to earth. No signal or technology did us much good.

"Value for money, very nice, safe and will go back again."

See stars.

"Wonderfully quiet and peaceful. One can't help but rest! The view of the mountains is wonderful."

Even though the +-14 km dirt road that you have to drive to Semane is a bit rough in some places, the accommodation, natural beauty and silence made it worth it.

"Lovely nature quietness. Family time, no cellphone reception."

We just didn't have water.

"Beautiful setting, but ill-equipped for such remote, self-catering accommodation."

We stayed at Semane Lodge for 5 nights in Stone Cottage and Khayelide. We give Semane Lodge two stars. The first star is for the beautiful setting. Surrounded by rolling green hills and a short distance from rock pools with stunning white sandy shores, the natural beauty of this setting is just what a weary city dweller needs to completely unwind. Waking up to the spectacular view of the surrounding mountains every morning is sustenance for the soul. The website does not do the setting justice. The second star is for the staff – Stephen, Charles and Hope – who are super friendly and helpful. These three will go far beyond duty to make your stay as comfortable as possible. In spite of the beautiful setting and the wonderful staff, Semane Lodge has some significant drawbacks. Getting to Semane will require you to navigate a rather crude 15 km gravel road which is fine for SUV's or 4X4's but to be avoided if you drive a sedan (as my cracked radiator can attest to) – no mention of this or warning on the website. Semane Lodge is mournfully under-equipped for such remote self-catering accommodation: braai facilities, but no braai equipment (good grief, this is South Africa after all!), microwave, but no microwave bowls, no plug for the bathroom sink, no mirrors, no towels, no cleaning things (probably to force visitors to use the cleaning services offered by Semane – at extra cost, of course). I suspect prison cells are better equipped. My mother-in-law cut herself twice on the chipped crockery. However, it will cost you R50 if you should break one of these treasures (about 5 times more than these items are worth). And if you should break one of the large bowls or water jugs, it will cost you R100 (luckily these items were in no danger of being broken as they were nowhere to be found). Khayelide is not appropriate for a family holiday – the rooms are just big enough to fit a double bed/two single beds and a side table in. The lack of cupboards was a real problem considering that we had luggage for five days. In addition, Khayelide seems half-finished – the walkway in front of the rooms and the veranda off the kitchen and bathroom has no shading – a serious problem in an area with temperatures in the high 30's. If you do not have access to a shaded veranda like we had with Stone Cottage, you will be trapped in your room for most of the day. In summary, if you are looking for a get-away-from-it-all accommodation, Semane Lodge’s setting is perfect but be prepared to bring everything and the kitchen sink.

"Had a wonderful time with friends and young kids."

See the ratings.

"Fantastic farm setting with lovely swimming pools."

Stayed in main house. Beautiful, clean house with good layout and comfortable accommodation. Staff reception very warm. Lovely lawn and nicest river swimming with rocks where children could jump off. Quiet and remote. An hour and a half's drive to the swimming beach at Cape St. Francis as well as Baviaanskloof.

"Paradise!"

As part of a group of friends with young children, we had a wonderful weekend at Semane Lodge. The surroundings are beautiful, the house (Main House) is very well furnished and the staff extremely helpful and friendly. Thanks Stephen, Barry and Priscilla! We could visit quietly while the children frolicked on the grass. We will definitely come back again, this time for more than 2 nights!