Cottage Pie Self Catering Accommodation, Clarens

Cottage Pie is a thatched self-catering property at 89 Malherbe Street in Clarens, in the Free State. Its own website calls it a 'Clarens Hideaway' at the foot of the sandstone Maluti Mountains. On LekkeSlaap the host is Karen, who has listed the property there for 11 years. There are four separate en-suite units on the property. Each has its own entrance, and all of them are cleaned daily except on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday.

The units are set in an English country garden with indigenous trees and old-fashioned roses. A stream trickles through it, there are lots of birds, and a buck sometimes wanders through. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is 17 km away. There are hiking trails through the Clarens Conservancy, and the property sits on the Free State Highlands Route, about 3 hours' drive from Gauteng and Bloemfontein.

Each unit is different. The Bedsitter sleeps three and has a braai patio and a privately fenced garden. Upstairs Under Thatch is a room for two, reached by an outside wooden staircase, with a bath. The Rustic Wooden Cabin stands on its own beside the seasonal stream, with a deck, a braai and no TV. The Family Unit sleeps four and has an anthracite stove, a wood-burning fireplace and a wood-fired hot tub. Every bed has white percale linen, down duvets and electric blankets. In LekkeSlaap reviews, guests often mention the good value, the peace and quiet, and the decor.