Those of us who have well behaved dogs, and our whole lives are pet friendly, are always asking these sorted of questions;
Is this place pet friendly?
Can I bring my dog with?
Is the place dog friendly?
Well, I’m going to try and make your life a little easier by listing some activities in the KZN Midlands Meander that are dog friendly. If you don’t have a well behaved dog, be sure to contact us for some training.
The Midlands Meander is an awesome place to spend the weekend or even school holidays. There is a plethora of things to do but not many places say whether they are dog friendly or not.
So, lets get into it. We will start with the most important places in the midlands…. The breweries. Lions river breweries, Drakensberg breweries, Nottingham Road breweries and Balgowan Breweries are all accepting of dogs and maybe even some day might brew a dog friendly beer! (I saw this once in the UK and have never seen it again). The breweries also serve food so it’s a great outing! Just make sure your dog is on a leash and under control.
Places to go for a hike that are dog friendly on the midlands meander are slightly harder to come by. This is because many of the great hiking spots are in nature reserves. As far as I know all nature reserves in SA don’t allow dogs as a general rule of thumb. Luckily for us there are some really great places to take your dog for a good walk.
The Nelson Mandela Capture Site has lovely trails in the plantations behind it, which are dog friendly. There is a small admissions fees to help with maintenance of the trails but its well worth it. Please note that there may be local livestock grazing in the trees so always keep your dog under control. The Karkloof Country Club is also dog friendly and for a small visitors fee you can take your dog for a walk down to the falls.
Just a little over 5km away from the Nelson Mandela Capture site is the famous Piggly Wiggly! It has a bunch of cool shops and is very welcoming to our four-legged friends. Nestled in amongst the vineyards of Highgate wine estate. After your stop here you could take a casual drive up the dargle valley which has a host of beautiful views and things to do.
If you feel like a hike, the Mount Park Guest Farm is the place to stop off. They have a beautiful set up and fantastic hikes in the nature forest. They have catered for everyone with short walks and longer hikes. You can find a well thought out and descriptive document on their website detailing all the hikes so you can plan ahead.
In the Karkloof is the Bushwillow campsite, they are at the base of Mt Gilboa. There is natural bush, a spectacular waterfall, and an amazing hike. The hike from Bushwillow campsite to the waterfall is roughly 10km there and back and is pretty steep going up. So, I would only attempt this hike if you and your dog are relatively fit. If you are fit, it is well worth it! The views from the top of the waterfall are spectacular! Please keep your dog on leash because the cliffs at the top are sheer.
Lets get to the eateries shall we.
After a good day out and about we want to stop off somewhere nice for a good meal. Luckily, the midlands meander is home to some really great places to full your belly.
I can highly recommend The Old Mushroom Farm in the Karkloof. It is a fantastic little spot that plays host to a variety of small shops, eateries and artists. The Bluebird Roastery, Doughm, Home slice cafe and The spot are just some of the foodie places here. The whole of The Old Mushroom farm is pet friendly and is an awesome place to spend your day.
Probably the most well-known is the Nottingham Road Hotel. Home to the Notties pub which is a legendary watering hole in the area. You and your furry friend can wet your whistle here while having something delicious to eat.
Also in Nottingham Road is the Bierfassl pub. Another fantastic pet friendly spot. This is where you can find one hell of a range of local and international beers and enjoy some truly delicious food. The Eisbein is definitely a winner when it comes to delicious meals and what’s more is you could share the bone with your dog😊
I know this isn’t a comprehensive list of pet friendly place to visit on the Midlands Meander, but it will definitely get you through a fun filled weekend away with your furbaby. If you know of more awesome places that we could add to the list or even if you own a place that is dog friendly in the KZN Midlands, let us know and we will happily add the place.
It is unfortunate that many places don’t actually say on their websites that they are dog friendly or not and we are hoping that people will start doing this. It is recommended that you just contact a place before you arrive with your dog to avoid disappointment. Luckily for you all the places listed above have been visited by me and my dogs so I at least know they will be chilled.
