Guest User
August 12, 2023
What a great vacation on Hondoo Island with three teens! The cottage is spectacular - with lake vistas from every room. Lying in bed at night, you can hear the water lapping on the shore and the loons calling. Rooms are nicely decorated and very lake luxurious. I haven't slept so well in months! The high vaulted ceilings mean you can see the sky from in the cottage which we loved. Perfect for a family or a gang of friends - ample room for everyone to find a cozy place to read. The dining room with screened windows was also the site of a few family board games, one indoor dinner when it was raining and some work calls - internet was perfect for video calls - but this is to be discouraged given the beautiful environment to relax (a few of the rooms have desks - for those wanting to work from home for a week - this is the place to do it - you won't want to return to your bricks and cement views!!) The deck has a couch to curl up on while watching the sunset (if you're not on the dock roasting marshmallows on the fire pit) and we ate as many meals as possible on the large outdoor table, fit with candles and an awning. The sunsets are spectacular. The lake is quiet - people here mostly like the SUP, canoeing and sailing - you are not in the middle of a motor parade at all - only a few jet-skis on the lake; mostly pontoon boats for quiet evening cruising. We appreciate this and it makes it worth the extra hour north of Muskoka. Those who like to fish will love the island as this is where the bass were hanging out when we were there! Literally at the water's edge. Lots of excitement when there was something on the line. Kids used the SUP, kayak, and canoes. They also went for a hike (Moose Mountain - one of many Forgotten Trails Association hikes within 15 minutes of the parking lot where you leave your car) . The trails are well marked. The owners made the floating sauna across the bay available to us which was a bonus. A nice paddle over, jump in the lake and then sweat in the sauna! We had a morning swim every day we were there - swimming from the dock in this lake is divine. The water is clear and clean. The kitchen was very well equipped - home made pizzas, breakfast muffins, BBQs, morning coffees on the dock, and microwave popcorn were on the menu. While we didn't use the washing machine, it was nice to be able to dry the towels in the dryer on the 1 rainy day we had. But the sun and breeze on the lake nicely dried everything on the line most days. We spent most of the time outside enjoying beautiful summer days but decided this would be a fabulous place to gather in the fall to watch the seasons change! Tom Thomson apparently liked to paint on this lake. I'm not surprised. The skies here are expressive and expansive, frequently dotted with herons and hawks! It feels miles and miles from the city. But in reality, its an easy drive straight north from Toronto. Staff are very helpful. Worried about solar power? don't be - if you fo