Masakala Traditional Guest House

Situated in the friendly rural village of Masakala, close to Matatiele and on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, this guest house offers a stunning view of the Southern Drakensberg and Ukhahlamba Mountains forming the border with the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Masakala provides safe parking for hikers on the Mehloding Adventure Trail as well as a comfortable and secure base for overnight visitors who wish to discover the beautiful surroundings of the region.

Masakala has just been awarded an AA Quality Assurance grading. Two rondavels specially designed and built using local architectural ideas and skills offer a choice of single, double or dormitory-style sleeping arrangements. Traditional yet comfortable, the accommodation offers hot showers and baths and four beautifully decorated rooms.

As the sun sets and the evening draws in, enjoy a friendly meal prepared by the local catering group - home-grown vegetables, fresh produce and African recipes are on the menu, alongside conventional fare. We also cater for vegetarians on request.

For first time visitors and tourists to the area, we arrange local tours such as meeting local sangomas and traditional entertainment. Come and discover the Matatiele area by engaging in short hikes with local guides or take a horseback ride on a Basutho pony, suitable for both beginners and advanced riders.

booking enquiry no obligation!

Reviews

"Be aware of terrible road, poor signage and incorrect contact details"

05 May 2014

"Due to no fault of Masakala Traditional Guest House we arrived in Matatiele late on Saturday evening - around 8pm. When I tried to call at 5:30pm to tell our host Nomsa that we would be late there was no answer on the land line number provided, but the cell number was answered by a person named Robert who said he would pass on the message that we would be late. The directions from the R56 road to Masakala village were accurate, but left out the very important fact that the last 7km cannot really be described as a road. Large parts of the track are washed away entirely and resemble a dry watercourse more than a road - if we were not in a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle we would not have been able to get to Masakala at all. After driving the 7km on this road as directed we found the third of four signs described in the directions, but were unable to locate the fourth direction sign, nor the Masakala Traditional Guest House either. After trying to call the numbers provided once again there was no answer from any of them this time. Directions from locals did not help either and after an hour of searching we decided to abandon our attempt at staying in Masakala, and returned to the main road for another 45 minute drive to Kokstad. I am fully aware that our late arrival due to unforeseen circumstances was a large contributing factor in this problem as I'm sure that it would have been easier to find the destination in daylight, but providing correct contact information is there for precisely those kinds of situations. After a full day and a morning since we did not arrive there I still have had no contact from anyone at Masakala Traditional Guest House yet to ask what happened or if we were still coming. If you decide to visit Masakala - make sure that you are in a suitable vehicle and get there long before nightfall in order to find the place. Hopefully the contact details will be updated shortly too. The only reason this review has one star is that the format will not allow "no stars" to be selected. As we could not find the place I don't feel I can provide an overall impression."