Oyster Creek Lodge

Best location with amazing views. The rooms are lovely, some of the ensuites could use a little upgrading though - the showers specifically. The beds were super comfy with decent quality pillows and bedding. The kitchen equipment desperately needs to be upgraded though. The fridges are really old and had a bit of a smell. The cooking utensils, knives and cutting boards are also really old and should have been replaced a while ago. A few simple upgrades could make this lodge exceptional. Overall a very enjoyable stay, just be sure to book the entire place or you might have to share the house with strangers. Esther was very friendly and welcoming, and although she lives on the premises we never felt that our privacy was invaded. Perfect for a large family getaway.

Wonderful huge wooden house with 6 bedrooms including a separate unit downstairs. Huge common room and kitchen. Beautiful view on the lagoon. Thanks to our hist, Esther

Our holiday experience was marred by a complete disregard for privacy at the house. To our dismay, wifi technicians were on the premises , invading our personal space and disrupting our vacation. The lack of communication regarding this intrusion was unacceptable, leaving us feeling like our privacy was an afterthought. Our peaceful retreat turned into a constant state of discomfort, as the technicians moved about the property for two consecutive days, the landlord said that they will be back on the second day at 10am but they pulled up 9am , we went out for the day to experience Knysna for the first time for 6hrs from 9am till 3pm , when we got back they were still busy , she also mentioned that they weren’t gonna be long before we left the morning , they were there since the time of our arrival ,seemingly oblivious to the inconvenience they caused. The landlord was also staying on the premises with her room right underneath us ,she even mentioned in an email that they were just going to be in and out “instead they were on vaccination with us for free” and with the wooden floors cracking while walking making one very conscience about moving around ,knowing that she’s right under us . I understand that it’s a wooden building , but what bothered me is the fact that the luxury room is directly on top of her personal space. She was constantly walking around the villa as if we can’t be trusted ,all the rooms inside were open and unlocked when we arrived , as soon as we went to the shop to get a few things when we got back all the rooms were locked except our room and the main door was left wide open, she even walked in without knocking, she knocked the very first time , when I opened the door for her she removed her key out the door as if she was ready to just unlock the door herself and walk in. The management's failure to inform us of such major disruptions has left a lasting negative impression on what should have been a private and relaxing getaway. I hate to be the one giving a negative review on this beautiful place, we didn’t want to be confrontational because we weren’t there to upset our spirits and out of respect for the lady we kept our cool, but I had to give feedback because we paid proper money for our privacy as we came from Cape Town.

This place is now called Oyster Creek Lodge, and looks terrific on the web, with a gallery of photos that sadly no longer reflect the lodge as it is today. The original owner has sold it to a Cape Town company, who have no hands-on interest in its upkeep and/or maintenance. The lodge is located well, outside Knysna, but needs a general upgrade to keep it at the top of the star gradings. As a self catering lodge, it contains most of what one is accustomed to finding in such an establishment, but not top of the range equipment. It is totally dependent on mains power, so the load shedding schedule affects your ability to eat in. Fortunately we had our own load shedding lamp, as only one was available in the room. No gas cooker, no aircon, no overhead fan, no cushions on the outside chairs, no shelf in the bathroom for toiletries and toothbrushes, and only a very uncomfortable and low couch inside for relaxing on. What had promised to be a great stay, ended up being a bit of a disappointment. We are unlikely to return for another visit.

Needs some maintenance and some backup power solution for load shedding. Location is excellent and the breeze over the deck keeps one cool in the hot summer. Concerning that if you do not book all the rooms that you may share with strangers.

We spent 3 days in the lodge and as we were mostly out for seeing the area around, we hardly were in the lodge itself. The room was fine - only thing is the shower, which should be upgraded a bit. The view from the room itself is wonderful, you can see different kind of birds around and the silence, especially in the early mornings. The lodge itself has a place where you can make your own meals - actually, we did not take usage of this, so no feedback here. But for sure an interesting option for families. We were just a bit confused as we thought (from the pictures) that there are different smaller lodges available, and not just one building with different rooms and a bigger living room to share. Anyway, the stay was fine for us and we had a nice talk to Esther, who takes care of guests. Thanks for that!