Greystone Lodge
Greystone Lodge is a purpose-built, genuinely pet-friendly lodge in the mountains 8 km outside Dullstroom, at roughly 1,900 metres above sea level. Nine private self-catering chalets are spread across the property, each individually fenced with its own private garden behind a 1.2 metre diamond-mesh fence, and two chalets carry extended 2 metre fencing for Great Danes, jumpers and determined escape artists. No chalet shares fencing with another, which keeps things private and calm for dogs that prefer their own space. All breeds and sizes are welcome with no limit on the number of dogs per chalet, and rescue, therapy and service dogs stay free.
Each chalet has a lounge with an indoor fireplace and a generous stock of free firewood packed and ready to light, a full self-catering kitchen with gas stove and oven, fridge, microwave, gas kettle and toaster, a braai or Weber outside, electric blankets on every bed, and a TV with an HDMI cable for your own streaming device. Water comes from a natural spring and is delicious straight from the tap. There is no wifi in the chalets by design: free wifi is available in the pet-friendly library, where you are welcome to swap a book. There is also a restaurant on site.
The birding here is genuinely good, across open grassland, wetland, forest edges and the dam. A breeding family of Blue Cranes, South Africa's national bird, has returned to the property every year since a chick fledged in December 2019. The elusive Red-chested Flufftail lives and breeds in the wetland by the dam, Secretarybirds stalk the open fields, a Black Sparrowhawk nests in the forest nearby, Spotted Eagle-Owls call at night, and White-bellied Korhaan are often heard over the grasslands. European Rollers turn up in December, a Bronze-winged Courser was recorded at the gate in February 2021, and an African Emerald Cuckoo made a memorable visit in December 2022. The lodge keeps a recorded list of more than 90 species seen on the property.
Dullstroom itself is trout country, with fly fishing, restaurants and shops ten minutes down the road, and the lodge has its own dam, walking trails, an agility course for dogs and a function room.
Please note the lodge is reached by a 13 km gravel road from the R540 towards Machadodorp; it is fine for a standard vehicle, but do not rely on GPS, which routes visitors the wrong way. Follow the lodge's own directions.
