The 11 best parks and gardens in Howick

The Ablution Blocks desperately need an upgrade. Only one toilet working, one with no toilet seat and one where you have to balance on the seat, and drains are overflowing. Roads need repair. The campsite is magnificent, the views, the tranquility are incredible. Come on, Ezemvelo, just a bit more effort can make this a world-class site.

The maintenance is poor as far as the road and grass cutting are concerned. The toilets are reasonably clean for public toilets, and the clarity of the dams water looked good to swim in. This was a well-kept place when it was properly managed. This time of the year, the place should be looking at its best in order to impress the visitors, but the trees that were uprooted months ago were just left, and some are obstructing the entrances and the picnic areas . The playground for the children is a skeleton of its former glory. It makes you wonder how the change of management can result in such a pathetic state of affairs. Is it again the result of employing and promoting the wrong people who have no idea of nature conservation?

15 December 2024 While visiting my uncle in Howick, I got invited to a church family day at the Midmar Dam. Putting my trepidation aside of being amongst strangers, we ended up have an unforgettable awesome day at the dam with the Temple of Glory church. After a sensible, thought provoking talk by Pastor Carl Naicker , the potjie competition amongst the church teams was on. A total of 10 potjies were done while other family members enjoyed each others company, played in the water or threw a line in the dam while waiting for the food to be done. It was quiet a get - together of approx. 100 people.The smells from the different pots and the friendly banter between the teams showed what an amazing bunch of people these are(even I felt like family ).The food was judged by a real chef that the Church Apostle brought but unfortunately there could be only 1 winner. More churches/communities should follow the lead by these guys especially in times of today as these kind of events bring the rainbow nation together.

Very neat an tidy with the chalets an roads being upgraded Only snag is at the entrance whereby they record every car entering whilst we have modern technology

We took a trip down to the Midlands over the Weekend ,an came through to see the Midmar dam ,was a good experience ,i think we chose a good time as we where the only people there,have loaded some pics ,if you have come down for camping lovely set up also ,self catering apartments available . . Only thing i found strange if you come before 12 Midday it cost R 40 per person ,after 12 Midday cost is R 20 per person??

Peaceful and multiple spots to choose from to enjoy a day outside.

It is a stuning dam. Lots of water sports and fishing spots. Looks nice at winter with all the trees.

Very nice setting, we didnt stay over or had food. But the drinks was cold. Atmosphere was good, would love to visit when the place is busseling. The smell of the wood fired pizza oven was very inviting though ...

Great views. Lots of parking. Our food did take quite some time to be prepared and perhaps that's because it was a whole chicken. Portions are wee bit small when compared to other places. They had no drinking water and we had to purchase it by the can which was a bit new to us... I would like it to be noted that I am not dissing the place or putting it down by any means, these were just the circumstances when I visited and I'm willing to give it a second chance. I would definitely recommend you check it out though as your experience may differ to mine.

Such a great place to enjoy a meal or drink. On our visit, we only had drinks. The views are fantastic overlooking a lovely dam where the ducks were enjoying their day. You can choose to sit indoors or undercover on the deck. The venue is wheelchair accessible but certain areas may be a little uneven

An amazing atmosphere, relaxed. Live music , self service, great food and near water. Very tranquil. Amazing sticky ribs and burgers!!!

Food and beverages are very good, I enjoyed the chicken wings. You have to place your order at the bar and then collect but very reasonable pricing. Activities for the kids while you eat. Clean toilets and a stunning view. Great alternative if Piggly Wiggly is packed.

Absolutely amazing place to take the family. Not as busy as nearby places and has the most phenomenal view. A children's paradise with zip line, trampoline and play place, which does not cost a cent. You order your meal and the kids get to have fun. Amazing milkshakes!!! Oh, and you get to see ducks, buck and some other animals roaming around freely.

This is absolutely one of my favourite places on the planet! I love St Ives. Whenever I drive past, I love to admire the sprawling lawns, the magnificent trees and the site of game or livestock grazing lazily on the plains. The place is simply MAJESTIC! It oozes serenity, joy and peace. Looking at St Ives always transports me to a mystical place in my mind that I don’t want to return from. It’s beauty is out of this world, it’s design and layout, a thing of the most blessed inspiration. Then there’s the Boma - the eatery and drinking hole. Always an obligatory stop for me when I’m on the Midlands Meander. It’s location on the very edge of a dam makes it fit perfectly with the idyll of its surroundings. The menu is a typical bar menu, and because it is usually packed with patrons, you may have to wait a bit for your order. But that merely gives you more time to take in the surrounds either on the deck or by taking a stroll. Everything about St Ives is beautiful. It’s a place to be experienced at least once in one’s lifetime. Hearty congratulations to the owners 👏🏾👏🏾

Excellent views, ample parking spots. The roads were being rebuilt when I last visited which makes things great.

Very clean and neat. Will definitely visit here again. ONLY problem is that the security at the gate need to do a proper check and ensure the NO PETS ALLOWED rule is adhered to as there were dogs on the premises.

Cheap to get in - plenty driving involved - hard fishing conditions, but toilets were spotless. No paper but, clean. We found a quarry and walked about, more chance of catching a cold then a fish. 🎣

Absolutely beautiful... clean... facilities are well taken care of. A great place to visit and have a fun time.

Fantastic! Very affordable, clean bathrooms, steaming hot water and the best views! Very present and friendly security 24/7. We initially had and issue with the electricity but some one came out immediately and sorted it out.

We go for the midmar mile and even though there is thousands of people, there is always parking. The reserve itself is very neat and tidy with clean toilets. Staff is very friendly and helpful with enough staff available to assist everyone in a timely manner.

Nice place for hanging out with friends and family, would recommend bringing your own braai stands and gear for a great lunch/dinner.

There is no access at present to the waterfall. Hopefully this beautiful landmark will be back for the publics and tourists attractions. It’s been a while. Here’s hoping. Lots of new plans and some development. We wait to see…

5 stars for the views at the bottom of falls. Zero for the actual hike. Overgrown bush , human feces at start due to vagrants. I would say unsafe if you are not in a larger group. No maintenance for years by municipality, parking closed off. Parking in neighboring block. We paid for guide to have safe hike. Was charged R200 per person.

It's a big pity that our municipality has done nothing at all to improve the area. Whatever the reasons, I'm sure the entire town of Howick would love to know what is been done (if anything at all) to clean up their act.

A breathtaking waterfall. I didn't get a chance to go on the gorge walk, definitely going back for the walk.

Really enjoyed the evening, grand children loved the lights. Great support from the people of Howick.

Market held here awesome over 3000 people attended for a very festive time

Was at howick falls. The George walk is not working at the moment. But I had a nice time at the falls

First time visit for a day hike, the staff was friendly and we enjoyed the walk. It is R35 entrance fee, but sadly no dogs allowed. Will definitely return to try the other trails.

Top notch. Clean and pristine. Plenty of animals to see. Great braai facilities. Trails are marked well, and great fun.

Visited for a day hike, and it was a delight. Great scenery and viewpoints along the trail, way. We stopped at 3 waterfalls, lots of options to fill our water bottles. It also has a nice spot to camp. The zebra sightings were a bonus.

Was a great walk with friends to the view point. Really nice views and picnic sites.

We did the shelter hike with my son and it was the perfect distance for us. Beautiful hike with lovely facilities. Staff were very friendly and professional. Will definitely be back to try out the other trails.

Went up for a team building and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Nice hike that ended with a slide into the river which was fun. Group activities and educational talks about the area. The instructors were always happy to help and were enthusiastic in the activities. The food was delicious and had fun looking for the different animals. Only thing that wasn't great was there was a little variety the local goods. Overall a splendid adventure!

I loved the beauty of nature: waterfalls, hills, rivers, animals etc Reception was friendly and very informative with accuracy. There's unexpected adventure trails at every nook and cranny...you might miss it if you're not observant

If you are just looking for an over priced warm bed and a hot shower this is the place to go to. We booked a room with 3 beds for 3 people. We had 2 tiny "bath towels", not even a hand towel. We had to share cutlery and crockery, one electic blanket that worked, the fridge froze all our food, on arrival we were met by the most unwelcoming person. I've never been to a b&b/self catering place like this. Most certainly not a self catering unit. It had nothing much. Not even a cutting board. And it looked like the toilet paper was eaten by some sort of animal.

Appreciated the electric blankets and hot shower as the weather was very cold. Was a long trek from the car to the room and took the bare minimum into the room to avoid having to take it all back in the morning. I felt that charging R100 for my very small dog (min. daschund size) to stay for the night was a bit steep and would probably be the reason I wouldn't stay here again.

Very cozy rooms on historical grounds. Safe parking on site..

Very clean and neat room, with all the needed basics like microwave, fridge, sink, TV with DSTV. Lovely clean pool a bonus, my son enjoyed it. being able to go in and out with no hassle also a plus.

Beautiful course. Greens are really good.

What an amazing stay I had. Arrived from New Zealand to visit my mom nearby. Beautiful room, everything I needed, in a gorgeous and safe environment. Thank you to Peter and his staff for looking after me so well. Lovely to meet Tim and Ashlyn and chat with them, made me feel so welcome. I would love to visit here again. Carolyn

Stayed at Nutmeg during a work trip. Rooms are spacious and well lit, clean bedding and serviced once a day. Nice little kitchen nook in my room with enough cutlery and crockery. Decent tv with a dstv decoder offering a limited number of channels. Breakfast is a good english breakfast prepared to your liking. The dinner I had was tasty as well. Property is neat and tidy with beautiful gardens. Some traffic in the streetearly morning which can make exiting the property interesting. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The only issue that cost one star is that the owner tends to hover around while your are having dinner or breakfast and it creates the feeling that he wants you to finish up quickly and leave. Also, no info booklet in the room with tv channel names/numbers, the wifi password or info about restaurants or places surrounding the town. Emergency numbers are hidden on little posters inside the closet and not close at hand.

My sister and I booked this accommodation on booking dot com for 3 nights in mid May 2022 and found the accommodation to be superb in relation to what was offered in Howick, considering the cost. As far as Howick accommodation goes on booking dot com, The Little Cottages is well into budget territory, and for those who don't have the Ritz as a benchmark, this accommodation was super. Goldilocks and scrooge would, I am sure, agree. The price is good if you don't have "high-end needs" and everything was just right. The beds are neither too hard nor soft. There are two settees, one of which is hard but the other is soft. Everything is well presented and clean. The cottage has 2 bedrooms, one having a nice double/queen bed and the other two singles. There is a pull-out bed in the sitting room. The kitchen is well equipped with a decent fridge, kettle, microwave and stove. Utensils/crockery/cutlery are adequate. The owners are friendly as are their dogs. Howick town is around 4km away if you want to get into the "hub". The Spar is a few hundred metres down the road. Traffic noise, while evident, is not intrusive as the main road is around 800 metres away. The shower has good pressure and works well. Linen and towels supplied are of good quality as is the bedding. I believe an elderly parent has an attached cottage (locked adjoining door to the double bed room)) so one needs to be mindful of making a noise, especially late at night (we closed the bathroom and bedroom door off from the sitting room to limit sound travel as we chatted until the early hours). Some things are a little worn and dated (like the hand basin) and the single ply toilet paper was a failure (practically and economically), but at this price one cannot expect the very best in things. The reason I didn't give 5 stars is due to the w-ifi which was odd and a bit frustrating.... YouTube worked fine but Rumble failed. I tried to do some google searches regarding the Midlands Meander and they either failed to load or took so long I moved on, but if you are not an internet hog with complicated needs, this wasn't the end of the world (perhaps the owners have limited up and downloads and certain sites for some reason). The yard has a few fruit trees which attract a number of birds which make a lovely racket throughout the day, and overall the atmosphere is calm and tranquil. To be sure, every time I have a need to go to Howick, The Little Cottages will be my number one stop. Cost effective simplicity. For some reason I was unable to find The Little Cottages on Google Maps to give it a review, so, being a Google Guide, I had Google load the venue on Google and here I am giving it the first review. I hope the owners are not upset at this in that they removed themselves from Google for some reason, but here we are.

Thank you Richard and Rosline for the lovely cottages and excellent service. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Thanks also for the use of the pool. We had a great time at Little cottages. All the very best into the future xoxo

You get everything you pay for. This is a very peacefull and quite place and perfect to use as a stop over when traveling from Gauteng to South coast. Stop a bit longer and explore the surrounding area. More too do than you can think.

A hearty welcome always awaits one at the Little Cottages. I love the tranquil garden with large avo tree, guava, fig and a ckear pool for cooling down on hot summer days.

I was visiting to Empendle, so I got place to sleep at the little cottages, was nice place to stay

Beautiful experience.

Very friendly own - always clean

A very beautiful farming area and the bird hides are so well maintained. It’s a pleasure to be able to sit quietly watching the water birds at the dam.

Great place. Very educational. Got to see two Ground Hornbillls.

Beautiful birding spot. 2 hides at the 2 ponds. If you get lucky, you will see cranes (crowned, blue). Lots of waterfowl including coots, dabchicks, yellowbilled ducks, spurwing geese, Egyptian geese,.... Picnic spot too.

Karkloof Conservation Centre is a beautiful place. The mountains form a background, with an abundance of birdlife at the little dams. There are also hides for viewing. Overall the place is well maintained and clean. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone at reception nor were any of our calls answered. Aside from that it's still a great place to visit.

We always enjoy popping in to do some birdwatching here. The birdlife is abundant and one can see all three Cranes species here. The ablutions are always clean and the hides are well-maintained and comfortable. Thank you for sharing your farm with the public. Please make sure you pay your entry fee.

Awesome wetlands conservation. Perfect hide out buildings for visitors. Don't forget to bring your binoculars

Love the beauty of this area We walked as a group to Yarrow Falls, easy to book, easy to walk, a gorgeous morning out!

What a stunning park! We camped in tents, but plenty of people arrived with caravans. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, with dams to fish in, hiking trails to enjoy, and plenty of space to ride bicycles and enjoy a peaceful holiday with your family.

An absolute hidden gem 🏕️ My family and I spent the father’s day long weekend here camping and LOVED it. Beautifully kept grass sites with lovely views. The ablutions were always clean and the showers were hot. There are some lovely trail runs / walks surrounding the caravan park. We will definitely be back.

Lovely views with grassy stands and garden were full of flowers that you could pick for a fee. The tents were not on top of each other. I would camp there again.

Peaceful, beautiful and filled with birdlife. This is such a stunning campsite, endless manicured lawns to camp on under big indigenious trees. All nicely spaced so that if you feel like seclusion, its easy to find a small corner. I camped here for 5nights, 3nights of these I had the place to myself. As a single female not once did I feel unsafe. The hiking trails are amazing, 3 large dams are perfect for birding - saw a bush blackcap amoungst loads of other species and I also cycled everyday as there are numerous gravel routes from there. The owners were the kindest, nicest people - leaving you to just enjoy your holiday but always friendly and willing to answer questions. I will definately return!

Spending a couple of nights at Bushwillow Caravan Park was nothing short of magical. Nestled within the breathtaking Karkloof range, which boasts one of the largest privately owned indigenous forests, this spot offers a true escape into nature. The Shaw family has cared for this land since 1852, and their deep connection to its beauty is evident in every detail. Whether you’re a hiker, birder, or simply someone who loves the outdoors, you’ll find yourself enchanted by the towering trees and the rich diversity of flora and fauna. There’s something truly special about wandering among these “giants,” feeling completely removed from the rush of everyday life. Owners Irvine and Angela have done a remarkable job of making this hidden paradise more accessible, ensuring that visitors can experience the wonder that has been their family’s pride and joy for generations. The park is aptly named after the Bushwillow (Combretum kraussii), a tree that flourishes here, putting on a spectacular show as the seasons change. From peaceful mornings filled with birdsong to evenings around a crackling fire under a starlit sky, Bushwillow Caravan Park is the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave. If you’re looking for a place to reconnect with nature, this is it.

Birds, bumble bees, butterflies 🦋 what an amazing spot. Quiet, clean, beautiful. Couldn't ask for more.

This is one of the most beautiful venue's for functions and campsites