Cottages are a fun and unique way to enjoy a relaxing holiday experience in Ontario. Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, a fun family adventure or family experience gift, or a quiet family retreat, there's something for everyone at a Haliburton cottage rental. However, when planning for a family holiday, you want to be sure that the cottage and location will be perfectly suited to your families needs. Keep on reading to learn how!

Look for A Haliburton Cottage that has Great Amenities and is also Close to Local Attractions. 

If you're planning a trip with kids or family members who like adventure, make sure to choose a location that is close to interesting local attractions and also supplies fun amenities such as canoes, kayaks, paddle boards. Even indoor fun such as boardgames for the odd rainy day are a welcome treat. At H2H cottages we also supply a few outdoor fun options, games such as ladder ball and ring tosses so that you can enjoy them outdoors on a gorgeous sunny Haliburton day and even snowshoes in the wintertime. This will help keep your family entertained while you relax, unless of course you are up for some fun as well! 

Haliburton cottage country is full of great activities and experiences to explore. In fact, Haliburton may just be Ontario’s best kept secret. Some popular local attractions include the famous Haliburton Forest which is only 10 minutes' drive from H2H Cottages and has activities such as a canopy tour ‘through the clouds’, star gazing, concerts, and mountain biking. The family can enjoy their trails for hiking in the summer and for snowmobiling in wintertime. The kids and grown kids too will be enamored with their wolf museum and indoor viewing platform where you can watch and become acquainted with their own resident pack of wolves.  There are also art museums, nature tours, enchanted forest trails, skiing, white water kayaking to discover. All around the area you will find restaurants and breweries, there are also so many dog friendly options, all just a few minutes' drive away from your Haliburton Rental cottage. 

Ask About Amenities Before You Book. 

Look for amenities such as good deep water swimming off the dock like at H2H Kennisis Lake cottage, and canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards when choosing a cottage. Also, ask about pet policies and whether there's solid and reliable Wi-Fi access. This can be a scarcity in cottage country and so we are quite fortunate at our H2H cottages to have fast and reliable internet. One of our recent guests at H2H Bitter Lake cottage was thrilled to find his wifi speed was so fast this far north in cottage country. He was able to work from ‘home office’ seamlessly and even take video calls. This can be important for the modern cottage goer to find.

It's easy to overlook some of the small details when booking a cottage, so make sure to ask questions about amenities before you book. Are there any attractions near by? Is there drinkable water? Are linens provided? Spices? Firewood? Do you need to bring anything special along? 

Look For A Property That Fits Your Needs. 

If you're looking for a place with plenty of space for everyone to spread out, consider a larger cottage or a property with a large lot. You'll also need to think about how much privacy you want. Do you prefer a quiet retreat, or do you enjoy being able to hear people outside? Some lakes are busier than others and it’s good to know what to expect beforehand. 

You might also want to look for a property with a fireplace so you can curl up next to it while watching a movie. 

You'll find cottages with everything from full kitchens to no kitchen at all, so make sure to consider what you need before you start looking. If you're planning on cooking meals while you're away, then you should probably look for a property with a fully equipped kitchen such as at KEnnisis Lake and at Bitter Lake cottages.  

Check Out Private Cottage Rentals. 

There are several ways to find private cottages for rent. One choice is to use an online rental service with an agency. These services allow you to search for properties based on location, price range, and amenities. However, they often pass on large fees to the cottage owner and also to the guests and are sometimes a little less personalized due to the volume cottages they manage and of guests they are hosting at any one time. A more personal approach is to book directly from the actual cottage owner.

When booking directly from the cottage owner they will know their rental cottage better than anyone else would and they can let you know exactly what to expect and how to manage if anything goes wrong. At H2H cottage rentals we even have a welcome guide that the guest receives after booking and an online cottage rental FAQ sheet available for guests to help out with this. They will care about your experience and about the cottage, have in depth knowledge of the area and the best places to visit and tips that a first time visitor will want to know. Also, you know that you are helping out a small local business when you rent directly from the cottage owner. You are not just another number, but a welcome cottage guest. To find direct rentals from the cottage owner you can look on rental sites such as Airbnb or VRBO, look on Facebook or on Instagram or you can reach out directly using the cottage owner’s private website such as H2H Cottage Co. 

Consider Discovering a New Location 

You might not think of yourself as an adventurous traveler, but there are lots of ways you can still explore new areas to rent a cottage in, while knowing you will be in good hands with the cottage owner and have lots of fun activities to enjoy.  

If you’re looking for a new place to stay during your next vacation, consider discovering a new location that you have not travelled to before. You might not realize how much you enjoy exploring and learning new things until you try something different. Plus, there are plenty of places to go that aren’t well known such as Haliburton cottage country. Many people think of Muskoka first when looking for a place to rent a cottage, but there are so many more cottage areas in Ontario to explore as well. Haliburton, for example is a hidden gem full of stunning pristine lakes and natural wonders backing onto Algonquin Park. Haliburton just may be one of Canada’s best kept secrets. 

If you're looking for a new place to stay during your next vacation, consider discovering a new location. You might find something completely different than what you expected. 

Ready to Plan Your Next Family Adventure in Haliburton? 

Once you find the cottage and location that will be suited to you families needs this is when the fun part begins. The planning, packing, the anticipation! There are so many options to explore in Haliburton Cottage country, you can find so many great ideas online on local Haliburton websites or you can let your cottage host help you with tips to plan for this important event. We are excited for you!!! And we look forward to seeing you at the lake!