At The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge, we have been providing fun and relaxed self-catering holiday rentals for families and adventure seekers for over a decade. An authentic family Wild Coast Cottage, built by our late Grandfather Arthur Klette, almost 80 years ago, rich in memories and former Transkei history.
Recently rebranded "The Aloes", and now enjoyed, maintained and managed by Andrew Klette, an Adventurous character and Ocean enthusiast, accompanied by his enthusiastic companion "Brody", a young male Belgium Malinois.
The Lodge is focused on becoming a number one choice for Guests who are looking for a relaxed, authentic and historical Wild Coast Cottage feel, combined with an adventurous holiday vibe, should their mood choose.
We are conveniently located approximately 65 meters from the Mngazana River, and 110 meters from the beach and Ocean, so a minutes' walk for relaxation within nature and or adventure access is right on your doorstep. The Lodge itself is user friendly for All age groups due to its location, which definitely assists with short and easy walks to the beach and river.
Mngazana River Estuary, is arguably one of the most spectacular destinations on the Wild Coast, both geographical and its surrounding nature, bird life, abundant seafood, and its magnificent 118 hectare mangrove estuary.
For boating and water enthusiasts, it offers a tidal River and Ocean boat access, direct from wooden Jetty's. The destination sets itself apart from others, due to its broadened variety of adventure and lifestyle activities offered. It truly feeds the Soul.
The Aloes holiday, offers Guests very close proximity to all of the above, coupled with a gorgeous, picturesque beach to soak up the sun while tanning, casual morning and evening beach walks, a variety of picnic settings, spectacular close proximity sunrise and sunset view points over river and oceans waters, fun beach sports and activities, and a safe swimming environment, plenty fresh seafood to snack on, ....so just the perfect holiday soul food.
The Aloes Lodge Exclusive services offered;
1. we have a reliable Uncapped Wifi internet satellite feed for our guests.
2. a full time Maid to support and enhance your holiday's relaxed enjoyment
3. Gillies are available on request, to support your fishing /excursion needs (rates apply, client pays direct. R200/day)
3. River Boat and Kayaks rentals are subject to availability, T&C's apply. . . (Note; These services need to be arranged prior to your visit)
4. NB: a backup generator is available for all Eskom outages (5 liters of fuel is provided by The Aloes?, NB: fuel thereafter is for the guests acct.
5. Boat house and Jetty access
6. Lodge Owner (Andrew) is generally nearby for questions and support, however he does travel away fairly often on his adventure trips, but is then generally available on WhatsApp. 0817738041, or email.
*. Fresh seafood is abundant here, namely; Mud river Crabs, River Prawns, Octopus, oysters, black muscles, various Fish species, crayfish, etc
NB: therefore all relevant licenses are required for the various species you may want to eat and catch. (It is advised that you Purchase from your local Post office before arrival at the Lodge, as well as getting your fishing licenses)
The Aloes Lodge accommodation offering, and rates:
3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeps 8 comfortably, fully kitted out with all your holiday needs, all bedding, full kitchen, scullery, all cutlery, fridges, ice machine, gas 5 plate stove, large oven, chest freezer, large veranda, lounge, dining, external braai area and relaxed sunset forest river views. *For your added comfort, All bedrooms, Lounge and Kitchen have fans for those hot summer days, as well as one large sized Fan, for the Outside Braai area.
The Lodge has the typical Wild Coast Cottage coastal holiday charm, it is comfortable, clean and functional, with a full-time housekeeper on site during your entire visit, to ensure a relaxed holiday for everyone.
The Aloes also has two boathouses down on the rivers edge, with the spring high tides literally lapping at their doors in terms of proximity. These serve as storage for tackle, fuel, toys and convenient access points for clients, as well as a jetty for sunset drinks and fish processing area.
There is also pressurized Fresh water for a post dive rinse off, and for dive gear or fishing tackle rinses and equipment / fish cleaning.
(Note: The Aloes Boathouses and river Jetty's are a holiday lifestyle convenience and exclusive to very few Accommodation facilities down here)
*Rates are a standard thru ought the year @ R2600 per night for 8 persons,
2 additional persons can be accommodated on mattresses, charged at R300 per head per night. NB: payment secures Bookings.
**Maid is included in rate.
**Gillie's on request are R200 per day extra over (client pays direct)
**River Boat hire is R800 per day, fuel is for guests account, or as agreed.
River Boat Daily rate is reduced for long rentals periods too R600pday.(IE: entire booking period), or as agreed.
T&C's apply re Liabilities, Skippers license is necessary, and any damages that may occur to boat and motor are for Clients acct.
**Any seafood request, is at the clients discretion and acct. (the maid Anna can advise on this.)
NB: please take note of "Terms and Conditions of Booking cancellations, and Personal Lodge Indemnity form,." - found at the end of the website.
So much to do, and so little time !
River, Ocean and Coastal fun;
*T&C's apply for all events, and are weather and ocean conditions dependent.
**Note; all specialized and or requested Guiding services, are subject to Guide availability. and weather conditions. T&C's and Rates apply. Chat to Andrew ))
Please reach us at andrewklette@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge is a Self Catering accommodation vacation rental Lodge for short-term stays.
The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge - Mngazana River
Standard Trading Agreement Indemnity:
1. The below is a standard trading condition of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and due to the public availability thereof, it is regarded as having been seen and accepted by any party entering into a booking or other agreement with The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge. This is a standard trading condition of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and is a condition of residence/presence. (party entering into a booking or any other agreement with The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge or wanting to reside or be present on The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge)
2. Do hereby declare to and in favor of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and/or each of its associated companies, owners, trustees, employees, contractors, sub-contractors, agents, workmen or representatives (hereinafter jointly and severally referred to as “The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge”) the following:
3. That I/We have read, and accepted The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge Terms and Conditions presented during the booking process. I have also read and accepted the House Rules and Payment policy as presented during arrival in reception area and which is also available on the website.
4. That I/We enter the premises of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge entirely at my/our own risk.
5. That I/We acknowledge that I/We am/are aware of the risks involved in staying at this premises and any activities, which are or may be offered by The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge or embarked upon by me/us whilst upon the premises of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and/or using equipment belonging to The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and accept such risks.
6. That I/We acknowledge that I/We am/are aware of the risks involved in being present on premises bordering a dairy farm, as such there will be dangerous animal including but not limited to snakes, scorpions, spiders, and with the free reign of animals, insects, birds and reptiles onto the property whilst upon the premises of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and accept such risks.
7. That I/We undertake, when on the premises or involved in any activity at The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge, to obey all rules and regulations laid down by The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and to familiarize myself/ourselves with such rules and regulations.
8. That I/We hereby agree that it is a condition of my/our presence on the premises and/or participating in any activities that The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge shall not be responsible for any accident or bodily injury or death to any person or loss of or damage to property, whether suffered by me/us or any person brought by me/us upon The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge premises regardless of whether such injury, death, loss or damage results from the negligence of The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge or from any other cause whatsoever.
9. I/We undertake to procure that every person accompanying me/us will accept the aforesaid conditions of presence/participation, as well as the terms and conditions of this indemnity and will agree to be bound by it.
10. That I/We indemnify (where more than one person, jointly and severally) The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge against any claim by and on behalf of a person accompanying me/us or under my/our control (whether a minor or disabled person or otherwise and including such person’s heirs, executors, trustees, administrators or assigns) arising from, or in connection with any of the aforesaid activities, or his/her presence on The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge premises, including specifically without being limited thereto, any claims in respect of injury, death, loss or damage, as aforementioned, and arising from any cause referred to above.
11. That I/We hereby bind my/our heirs, executors, administrators or assigns to this declaration and undertaking.
12. That I/We are aware of the The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge evacuation procedures, i.e. to leave the Lodge speedily through the front door (if safe), or alternatively through the Back kitchen door, whichever is deemed safer at the time, with the prior being first choice, without pause to take personal effects, and to proceed to the driveway through the pedestrian gate on the front of the property and assemble near The Aloes parking areas. (assembly point under the large pole, near the Electrical Sub Station)
13. On arrival at Check in time, any guest/visitor/worker is required to sign this indemnity in order to stay or be present at The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge and it is a condition of any booking, arrival or agreement.
14. The Lodge and management cannot be held liable for non-filling in, and signature of same.
Number Guests names Title Id number:
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*NB: Extras over 8 person’s (to be agreed and authorized with and by Owner. Andrew, as per T&C’s on website)
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Signed by; ………………………………………………..Name:………………………………………..
Main Contact Person responsible and in charge of Booking and Guests
Andrew Klette - Owner
The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge
081 773 8041 WhatsApp
Some basic cottage handover information For The Aloes Lodge…..
Bedroom's & Bathrooms
There are 3 bedrooms.
The Main, has a Queen bed & double bunk, toilet, basin, bath (hot water)
2nd bedroom - two larger single beds
3rd bedroom - Queen bed.
The cottage sleeps 8 adults comfortably. There are an additional two single floor mattresses, ideal for young children. (note, extras over 8 persons, to be discussed prior).
There is another toilet, basin & shower on the veranda (with hot water)
All bedding, pillows duvets etc are provided (additional blankets etc in the cupboard in the main bedroom) Just ask the Maid for support.
There is no TV. There are 3 x fans which are functional, but of limited use. They are due for upgrade soon, due to rusting. (apologies)
The Lodge water mains runs off a pressure pump, which boosts pressure for showers and Lodge use. If the pump does not kick in and run on water usage, then we have an airlock, or a lack of water. They usually happen in tandem. The pump needs to be bled and rebooted. (please call me for support, if I’m not at Mngazana due to my personal travels, then I’ll talk you through the procedure to rectify)
Dining room/Kitchen -
Cutlery, plates, glasses cooking pots, pans etc all available , 2 x Fridge/freezers, 2 x chest freezers (small one for bait only), 5 burner gas stove (electric oven) Toaster, Microwave, Kettle. *I note that we recently lost the use of two of the gas plates(marked with x ) The maid can show you, so we’ve added a gas cooker top next to stove.
There is a braai area outside the back door and a light switch that turns those lights on is on the scullery wall. There is also a braai light, which has a switch hanging on the wall near braai. Wood and charcoal is normally available from the Mngazana Spaza shop, not to far from the Lodge. They also sell other basic supplies, and alcohol, etc. Its worth a visit, just for the experience.
Staff – (Maid) Anna 0723668769 -
She works from aprox 8am to 3pm, unless you need her for longer. Makes beds, Cleans the inside of the Lodge - dishes, sweeps, mops, makes beds etc. She can assist with the odd item for washing, but please note, our water is from the heavens, so we are “extremely” limited with this. (Note, there’s no ironing). Hand washing powder is required, if you think you may want the odd item washed and rinsed.
Gillie contact; “Sandile”; 0781171197 (WhatsApp) (House keeper "Anna’s" husband)
Refuse -
Please separate glass & take it home if possible, plastic & paper will be burnt by the staff at the Lodge.
Sceptic tanks -
The Lodge is on sceptic tanks, (not linked to mains) so no foreign objects can be flushed that aren’t biodegradable. (Plastics, tampons, wet wipes etc)
Thank you for your mindfulness and letting your other guests know re the above.
Water (very important) -
We are off-grid here with a 35 000lt tank capacity, and completely reliant on Rainwater for our water needs with no main feed from council. We have never run out of water ourselves, but we always look at our water situation prior to Guests arriving.
Note, that once our water is completely used up, we do have a back up, we have to buy water in on trucks which is “extremely” costly for us (R400 rands per 1000 litres). When guests arrive, we allocate a reasonable amount of water for the period booked and amount of guests. The rest of the water tanks are isolated, ready for the next guests bookings, and only those designated for your stay are opened. It really is a 50 to 60 litres per person per day situation, due to Rain water reliance.
NB: please bring your own drinking water with. Although we’ve had no issues personally drinking water from our tanks, we would rather you not take the chance. Thankyou.
Eskom power -
Like most of the country, we do experience blackouts and for this reason, we advise bringing torches and headlamps for easier getting around and Lodge functionality. We also offer a generator, mainly for the water pump, and fridge freezers in case the power is out for longer than anticipated periods. There are extension leads in the storeroom for connecting everything up for use. You will need to pay for fuel only, genny use is on the house. We generally keep a 5 litre can in the storeroom, just for support and your back up. (note, the fuel is poured straight into the genny, no oil mixing before) But we advise bringing some fuel along with you, for Genny purpose. (boat fuel, if not mixed, is perfect for use. The genny is economical).
Note, we do sometimes also experience "phase issues" with Eskom here, generally after rains, and or when the demand from all the cottages is at peak. We sometimes temporarily have a weakened phase and supply is too low to operate kettles, microwaves, toaster, geyser, pressure pump etc. During this time, we normally use the Genny on and off, to keep fridges and freezers running and the shower pump. *It’s the remote Wild Coast experience, all part of the journey and memory making down here ))
You can call me for the plug and play talk thru on the genny, should you require guidance and support.
Wifi comms -
We have a Wifi link for you, in case you require better and stable comms here. The name is “Indigo Eden”. The code is: BrodyKlette!2023 (Its also on the fridge door)
Rates & Payment & Maid (* rate includes domestic helper)
Our base rate is R2600/night throughout the year, for 8 persons (above 8 pay an extra R300 per person). The rate includes the maid who i will pay directly, after your stay is done.
*You are welcome to give "Anna" a tip if you are happy with her service, thank you.
Gillies are organized on behalf of guests, at their request, and must be paid directly by the guests for this service. The going rate is R200 per day. (please log your days with them, to avoid any issues)
Breakages and or damages to property Lodge assets
– as a rule, we don’t take deposits for breakages and damages, but instead we choose to rely on honesty and your notification should something accidentally be broken, or mislaid. Please just notify us in these events, so that we can come to some agreement on value, to replace the broken or damaged item. Thanks
We prefer that nothing be removed off site from Lodge for picnics and or other use while enjoying your holiday, but should you do so, please return them in same condition.
When packing up, kindly make certain with all your family and friends, that all Lodge towels and other Lodge assets remain in and at the Lodge on departure. We thank you for your support.
Boat and trailer parking and launching -
there are two choices, but I would suggest this one. Codesa Farm (Mngazana River Lodge) . It’s literally on your route to the Lodge, you pass right by it, and the launch site is also just down from that location to the river, about 300 to 400 meters.
The lady at reception, informed me that a boat and trailer is R80 rands a day, and a trailer is only R20 rands per day. Therefore, I suggest that you drop the boats there for the afternoon and or night when on route here, and collect them for the launch the following day, then return trailers to Codesa for secure parking for your stay. It will save you a lot of hassles and towing. The Codesa Farm, (Mngazana River Lodge) contact number is 047 0501046. Just pop in at reception, and they’ll help you ok. I’ll send a pin location at their entrance, so you can see its positioning is literally on the same road as what you’re coming in on. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cf5F9D25HPyWG7uL8
Have a look at this on maps, and chat to me if any questions.
*Launching ski-boats just below Codesa farm (Mngazana River Lodge) area at river, River navigation, Mooring on Jetty’s, river to Ocean launching;
1. Launching; - I suggest launching at high tide. The rivers a lot deeper, the boats should float easier off the trailers and there’s less mud.
2. River navigation; at high tide, the river is way deeper and I suggest just taking “Sandile” your Gillie with on the boat, he’ll have a feel for the river. But, if you just stick to the center of the river, in general you’ll be fine. Its also best just to go slow and ease your way down river so that you get used to the depths etc. The river is very tidal and vastly different at high tide, the best time in my opinion. At low tide, you’ll get a very good visual feel for the sand banks and shallow parts.
3. Mooring; I’ve asked Sandile to show you the two spots we use. We all try work together down here, because the jetty’s are a limited number and we share were we can. When mooring, leave enough slack in ropes for ebb and flow of tides ok. Your Gillie (if you’ve hired one), can also just check on your boats during the day, when he cleans them etc.
4. River to Ocean launch; ok, this is an important one! Mngazana launch is not the easiest launch, it is tight and you have to keep your head. I never race out, I take my time and wait for my break. You can turn left, but it does get tight with a large sand bank, depending on tides. There’s a current that tends to flatten waves quite a bit for the first part, then you get exposed to the bigger surf as you move further out, but by then, you’ve got a lot of room to turn and move. Pic below of mouth of river, for launching guide.
NB , coming back into the river mouth on a low tide is not a good idea, its very shallow and you can hit down very easily. Below is a river mouth pic. Note the reef ridge that runs right out to the mouth exit, and the sand spit that is on the others side. The yellow line is approximate run line thru the mouth. Its best to take a walk there at low tide and witness the features I’m mentioning here ok. Be aware of two large blind rocks on your right, a bit further out about 150 meters from the mouth entrance, they’re an extension of the rock line from the bank.
Of course, there are days where you can literally idle out the mouth with no waves and challenges, accept the sand, reef and such, but really easy.
Medical support –
we are remote and quite isolated here, but the closest support is Isilimela Hosital, 047 564 2805 , its about 12 kilometers away from the Lodge. It’s your first and best call in this area. There are Doctors and Physios surviving their Community Service years here, so you’ll get good support. The cues can be lengthy, but emergencies are prioritized. Its best just to go there directly for help. Here are the directions; https://maps.app.goo.gl/BM5qSuTrYRgyxKPLA
Shopping –
it is best to shop in Port St Johns at either Spar, Boxer, or U Save stores. You can get most things you need there. The are Chemists there, also Doctors, and most basic infrastructure. They stock bait, some tackle, and you can buy your alcohol needs near the Shell service station, called “ Undercliff bottle store, its just before you enter the Town, opposite The Spotted Grunter Resort, on your right.
The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge -
**Please note, the Lodge is approximately 75 years old, built by our late Grand Father, it is humble, charming, functional, cozy, characterful, and a offers a classic and authentic Wild Coast experience for you to create memories and enjoy with your friends and family. The Lodge location is perfect for all spontaneous activities both for Ocean and River use. Mngazana River is the feature, and certainly a paradise.
The Aloes Lodge is a self-catering experience; however we will endeavor to make your stay comfortable and relaxed. In the event of any unforeseen issues and challenges you may or may not experience during your visit, we Thank you for your patience in advance, and please, ENJOY your Holiday at Mngazana River!
Any questions, please drop me a WhatsApp or email message, and I’ll reply as soon as I possibly can.
Andrew Klette - Owner
The Aloes Wild Coast Lodge
081 773 8041 WhatsApp
*Note: Summary of Consumer’s Rights
Travel Insurance
Please note it is advisable to protect the investment in your trip or vacation by means of travel insurance.