Sleeping amoung the Trees – Review: Sycamore Avenue Treehouses

Once upon a time a family of three, soon to be four, adventured to a faraway land of mist and rolling green hills…

There are many reasons we decided on a weekend getaway, two of those being we celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary this week, plus it’s probably our last vacation getaway before baby is born. The next couple months will be hectic and March will be here before we know it.
We had hoped to visit Sycamore Avenue Treehouses 2 year ago, but alas they were fully booked. I am not into the conventional holiday destination and if we are going to try somewhere new – the more interesting the better, be it destination or accommodation. Our friends Kyle and Liezl stayed there awhile back and it sounded delightful.
Situated near Mooi River, in the KZN midlands – these enchanting Treehouses will bring the child out in anyone.
Ours was the the “Fantasy Treehouse”, they have a number of different ones, each with its own name and theme, totally unique from each other. Our abode consisted of a sitting area at the bottom with a lovely fireplace. You walk upstairs and enter the main living area. With two bedrooms with double beds. The main bedroom has an open shower and there is an ensuite off the main bedroom. If you are looking for a bath… you are going to venture outside to the “spa in the sky” a jet powered bath, with stunning open views. Leave your inhibitions at home… and don’t worry who might see you. Each treehouse is well secluded from each other and there is no one for miles.

The Treehouses are not self catering – instead you get to enjoy a meal at the main houses dining room, which consists of a lovely bar and sitting area – note if you are a TV addict beware. There are no TVs, except for the sitting area in the main house. Bliss – you can really disconnect and reconnect with your family. Part of your per night cost, includes breakfast and dinner, wonderfully made by the amazing kitchen staff, who whip up tasty delights from local produce.

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To be frank – I am grateful we ended up going now and not when Skylar was smaller. The many steep steps and her, would of given me heart palpitations. Yes I said steps… be prepared to climb up and down… lots… and feel the burn!

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We also ventured out into the milands and visited Piggly Wiggly – its not a short drive from Sycamore Avenue, but it was something to do, and the scenery was great. I had seen many posts about this venue, and thought it would be a great place to take Skylar. It features a number of different shops, restaurants and activities. First on the to do list, was a trip on the mini train – much loved by my tot. Then a touch of candle dipping – Skylar was so proud of her bunny candle (it now takes pride of place on my dressing table). Piggly Wiggly is a very nice venue along the Midlands Meander, but I found it to be very cinical and missed some of the charm of the home businesses found along the way. Maybe it was the “newness” of it all, and the missing large trees etc. When you visit you will see what I mean. But in the end we still had a great time.

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Quick Tips for Traveling with a toddler:

Leave when its time for their nap – the more they sleep in transit the better
Pack some car friendly snacks for them (minimum crumbs and mess)
An array of toys that they can easily play with while in the car.
Depending on their age – you can play “spot the cow” or horse as we did – very aMOOOzing it was.