Manzanilla Ridge

It was very relaxing.

Beautiful place, very private, amazing views from the hot tub. Good breakfast provided - we loved to make our own bread :)

As others have said, the spa is a highlight. We spent a lot of time in it, enjoying the warm bubbles and the beautiful views. We also really appreciated the goodies left in the fridge. There were plenty of eggs, tomatoes, bacon, bread, jams and even milk and juice. We didn’t use the bread maker, but thought it was a really cool addition. The bed was one of the most comfortable beds I have stayed in, and I’ve travelled quite a bit. My husband and I both slept very well there. We appreciated the little bits of entertainment left in the cabin, especially since internet is pretty much non-existent out there. There was a scrabble board with dictionary, monopoly, and some dvd’s. We quite enjoyed going “old school” and having a game of scrabble over a few drinks. We had a minor issue where there was no hot water, but I texted the owner and he came immediately to fix it. Apparently they had an electrician in to do some work and he had left the heat off. It heated up immediately when addressed so was no big deal. We loved the privacy. All the cabins are so far apart you’d barely know they were there. You’ll get more privacy here than in your own home! The sense of space and freedom is lovely and something my husband and I are not accustomed to as people who live right in suburbia. It was delightful to feel cut off from the world. Overall I would say it is a lovely place for a romantic getaway.

It could have been cleaner. There were spiderwebs in obvious places like doorways, the ropes on the blinds felt sticky and most of what we used in the kitchen needed to be washed before use. To be fair, there is a sign asking guests to put used items in the dishwasher when they leave, so it is possible that previous guests may have skipped that and just did a poor hand wash job. The other thing you should know is it is an expensive taxi ride if you want to go to restaurants etc and have a few drinks. The first place we went to cost us $65 to be dropped back to the cabin (from the restaurant at the Rydges), and the second place was $85 (from Pokolbin) and the taxi driver abandoned us halfway up the dirt road as he was afraid of getting bogged so we had to trek the rest of the way ourselves. We were in the last cabin which is at the end of an approx 1.5km dirt road/track and we stayed on a rainy weekend, so the track became almost undriveable in parts. Leaving was tricky but we were lucky to have an SUV that could switch to off-road mode. Smaller cars like hatchbacks would be unsuitable for driving on this track during or after rainy weather.

Everything!

Fabulous cottage in a secluded bush spot close to all Hunter Valley attractions.

Private and secluded cottage in the picturesque Lovedale wine region in the Hunter Valley. The perfect setting for a relaxed Australia Day long weekend.

Wildlife and isolation. Roos and echidna.

I liked how cozy and intimate it was surrounded by beautiful nature and just a nice clean villa / cottage for a perfect relaxing weekend getaway. Loved the service the outdoor spa and a big shoutout to the hosts Dominic and Jane, super helpful and nice people. All in all 5 stars couldn’t have been any better :)

It was just excellent. I cant say anything that I didn’t like.