Twilight Breeze Lodge

There was no hot water, and the cold water pressure was so low that showering was impossible.

The hosts were friendly and helpful, and the scenery was stunning. The atmosphere was really relaxing, and I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the accommodation was and how it had all the necessary amenities.

The location is good and the views are lovely, but the place has a lot of potential that needs better management. There’s no air conditioning or backup power, and the generator is used sparingly. The water was cold most of the time because staff kept switching off the geyser. The owner also told me I had to allow cleaning between 10 and 11am when the cleaner was available, which effectively dictated when a guest could sleep.

When work or business brings you to Phuthaditjhaba, Twilight Breeze Lodge is a pleasant surprise. It’s clean, tidy, safe, inviting, quiet, and peaceful, with a lovely mountain view. There’s a communal kitchen where you can make your own food and a braai area for entertaining guests. I’d only suggest adding a sink to the kitchen for washing dishes. The surrounding area isn’t much of a holiday destination. Loadsheddding and power cuts can combine into a bottomless abyss, and the roads are full of huge, scary, hard-to-avoid potholes that make travel feel high-risk. Sometimes, though, you have to come here for work.