Crab Apple Cottages Dargle
Some years ago Professor Wallace Stegner of Stanford University wrote 'Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed ... and so that never again can we have the chance to see ourselves ... part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil ... part of the natural world and competent to belong to it. We simply need that wild country available to us ... for it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, as part of the geography of here ...'
Self Catering Accommodation
Architecturally designed and delightfully comfortable, the three AA Highly Recommended Crab Apple Cottages are situated on the edge of just such a pristine wilderness, the Dargle Valley Conservancy, a national heritage site. Each of these self-catering cottages has a different character while all being furnished with every comfort. Each cottage has a queen size bed and a sleeper couch for children. There is spacious open plan living area and a verandah.
The Forest
The forest is generously endowed with ancient trees, flowing streams and abundant bird and animal life. This is a place where life moves at a gentler pace, and where generations of visitors have experienced the soul restoring reassurance that comes from being surrounded by the beauty of creation, in all its rich diversity. A place where the call of the crowned eagle and the dassie are heard, and where visits by the family of Samango monkeys are part of daily life.
This is the place that inspired Austen Roberts to start his now well-known Roberts Book of Birds, and where visitors can walk the same paths and enjoy the same bird-life that he did. The Dargle Valley is lush and green all year round and resembles the Irish countryside. It is from this that it was so named. It experiences heavy rainfall and mist in the summer.
Your Hosts
Enjoy the hospitality of your hosts Helen and Barend and experience a truly country lifestyle, complete with horses and carriages. Meet Marmaduke, our handsome Venda rooster and his duchesses. Allow Kirby, our Labrador, to lead you by the hand to who knows where and taste and feel the softness of cold spring water. Appreciate the sounds and fragrances of the mist belted forest and allow the peace and serenity to revive and restore you.
For rose lovers, Helen’s hundreds of roses are a treat in springtime and, for the more 'earthy' soul, visit Barend’s organic plot where there is always something fresh to pick and eat. Experience on-site compost making.
Take time for a quiet moment of reflection in Crab Apple’s chapel. Meet Doris Buthulezi and the rest of our Zulu staff and enjoy the spontaneous laughter and singing of these beautiful people.
Related / Useful Links
Dargle Accommodation
Dargle Holiday Cottages
Dargle Self Catering
KwaZulu Natal Accommodation
Natal Midlands Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation
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Price Range
R380 per person sharing per night
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Contact Details
Farm No 13, Dargle Valley, Natal Midlands, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
- Contact:
- Helen Booysen
- Telephone:
- +27 (0)33 234-4235
- Mobile:
- +27 (0)82 337-2025








