Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge

Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge was originally built in the 1970s as a state enterprise, though former Batlokoa chief Wessels Mota built a stone hut for backpackers on the site in the 1950s. The lodge was gradually given over to the current King of the local Batlokoa community, Morena Mota (son of Wessels Mota), in the mid 90s.

It was officially made a community asset by the state in 2000. Management challenges prompted the Traditional Council of the Batlokoa under their leader, Morena Mota, to enter into an agreement with Transfrontier Park Destinations (TFPD) in 2010 as management and marketing operators.

With their focus on the development of a viable and sustainable tourism industry that balances the needs of the local community with those of nature, TFPD now manages Witsieshoek and the surrounding land and tourism activities on behalf of the Batlokoa community. The Batlokoa still own the lodge and the bulk of its revenue remains within the community; the Batlokoa also provide the majority of the lodges workforce.

Any proposals regarding the future of the lodge and the finances garnered by it are relayed to King Mota and his council for discussion before any decisions are taken. Much of the artwork and woven items in the lodge is also made within the local Batlokoa community and Qwa Qwa region.

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Reviews

"Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge"

23 February 2020

"On entering the lodge grounds we were asked to pay an entrance fee in cash and were told to claim on money spent at the Lodge. I tried to claim against a supper bill and was told I had to claim for items bought during the day... I'm out hiking during the day ... .that's going to be a challenge.... My booking on 22 Jan 2020 for Sentinel 2 was changed to Sentinel 7 with no explanation. Its unfortunate I didn't have a copy of the booking email with me or I would have questioned the change of room at the time of arrival.Sentinal 7's toilet floor needed a good scrub and the liquid hand soap pump was broken. Usually not a big deal, but for the price of the room it is.The 1st night my vegetarian burger was nice... the waiter was friendly and the chef had added a bowl of mushroom sauce, the burger looked appealing. The 2nd night I asked for the onion to please be fried... after I heard raised voices from the kitchen the waitress returned to tell me that onion is only served on lunch burgers not dinner burgers. I pointed out to her to show the chef the menu states "Dinner Menu" and under veg burger it states "onion" as ingredient... I was presented with an un-appetising veg burger with no onion and a sad piece of tomato on it. I won't post the pics comparing the burgers of the friday and saturday night but the waitress saw me taking a pic on the saturday night and appeared completely unperturbed."
"Being high up in the mountains and waking up in quaint little lodge."

01 October 2019

"I loved having a comfortable base to come home to after a strenuous hike in the mountains. And Witsieshoek was the place to be. Easy, comfortable, pleasant, clean and like home!"
"Best view"

07 March 2017

"Super spotFriendly and helpful staff.Nice vibe Note that overseas Internet bookings are quite a bit more expensive"
"Ideal location for perfect hikes"

21 August 2016

"New bungalows are very nicely equipped, excellent bed, unfortunately only one armchair for sitting, no sitting area outside.<br/>Restaurant ok, very nice lounge and bar area, good breakfast, wlan against payment."
"Great location"

27 October 2015

"Wonderful rooms with stunning view on the amphitheatre. Spacious room and bathroom, good restaurant and breakfast. We enjoyed our stay verymuch !"
"Unpretentious old-school hospitality"

24 February 2015

"A beautiful location, with lots of walking, birding and photography opportunities. Very helpful staff, and the chalets have everything you need, if you want to genuinely get away from it all."
"Great service"

23 December 2014

"Beautiful scenery, very friendly people, great service! Rooms not as clean as it can be: lots of cobwebs and insects in the window panes."
"Good stay for peace of mind"

16 September 2014

"The place is very nice,staff is so friendly and understanding. The food is so delicious and neat I put my hat down for the catering. ."
"Too short"

10 July 2013

"My wife and I loved the place, we can't wait to stay in the new luxury houses. We will definitely go back and hope to get some snow on the way and do the hike and some mtb'n."
"An old haunt re-visited"

19 May 2013

"We first stayed at Witsieshoek in 1990, in the room that's now roofless and derelict. We would love to see that space renovated! The place remains as charming as ever and the new units are looking good. We had a lovely visit over our three days. The staff were friendly and extremely accommodating and did their best to ensure we got wonderful pictures of two bearded vultures. We will be back!"
"Witsieshoek"

21 February 2013

"People are very friendly. Mountain view is beautiful."