Oaklands On The Knoll

I've been a DVC member since 1998 and have used my points probably only 5 times over the years. My first stay with them was at Pinelake Marina, a wonderful experience from a different time. I've moved and misplaced the contract I need to cancel DVC, so when I found out my points were about to expire, I decided to use some. Oaklands on the Knoll was booked. I hadn't been to Knysna in years, and DV promised a good experience. The drive from Cape Town took well over 5hours with a few stops and speed controlled road works. We arrived at night and had advised them we'd be late, arranging for the pin and key. That part was okay, though the host / manager initially forgot about our late arrival. We were told not to use the front door because it was broken. No problem, we're not difficult people. We were in Unit 11. It smelled a bit musty, understandably since we arrived late, and looked clean on the surface. It was well lit. There was a small DV Branded bag of coffee, a small carton milk and tea, but no inventory list, so you just have to assume everything is there. It caters for 4 people, with 4 of everything, literally. After so many hours in traffic, we wanted a warm shower, but the gas shower came with no instructions. We got about 1min of warm, not hot, water, then cold shots. We were too tired to care. There are 2 bedrooms. The main bed was ridiculously uncomfortable, just one double sized mattress on a wooden frame. The pillows looked big and full but fell flat when you put your head down, with the sides puffing up over your ears if your head was in the middle. The mattress was hard too, not suitable for anyone weighing more than 85kgs or those with dvt. Fresh air was a problem. Monkeys and flies could get in even through a 1cm window opening on the 2nd floor. They know how to open windows, doors, cupboards and foodstuffs. It got stuffy and humid. Small cockroaches were all over the kitchen, on the counter tops, floors, fridge, everywhere, even though we hadn't left food out. There's a warning about feeding or harming the minkeys and advice to put food away, but nothing about securing the windows. The monkeys came through a small opening, scoped the place in seconds and grabbed the complimentary coffee and sugar. The day after we arrived, loadshedding started at 6am and lasted until about 10pm. At 8am the host said it was coming, apologized for the inconvenience and told us power would be back by6pm. About 95% of the city shut down too, malls were dark, and even wimpy was closed. DVC offered a complimentary boat trip, but the host lady only told us Friday morning. You need to book a week or so ahead to get a spot. Power came back around 10pm, and we heard nothing from the host. For recreation, there's a tiny Pool and a pool table, but it closes at 5pm. The unit's TV is small and old, with a permanent white haze at the bottom of the screen and bad sound. The couches are super hard, with no back pillow support. The most annoying thing was the lack of privacy when dressing or sleeping. The solid pull down window covers are either open or closed, unlike blinds that you can adjust. Forget dressing or putting on makeup in natural light. If you like dozing on the bed in the sun, your neighbours can see you. People live there permanently too. At one point it felt a bit like independent living. Maybe we just got a bad unit, with the cold water, no electricity and bad TV, but it's the small details that make an ordinary place extraordinary. So no, there was nothing dreamy or vacationy about this venue.