Milford Sound — dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World” — truly is a sight to see! Surely, it’s never enough time just to do a day trip out here, so we decided to take our time, relax a little and spend some quality time in ‘zen mode’ in the midst of this gorgeous fiord! There are only a handful of accommodations available in the Milford Sound area, and we ended up choosing to stay at the beautiful Milford Sound Lodge! 😉
With less than 5 minutes away from the main area of Milford Sound, this was the perfect spot to explore the area! Our lodge was nestled beneath the towering peaks of the Darran Mountains, sitting beside the Cleddau River, which made it the most amazing backyard scenery! The mountain view & riverside chalets were recently completed in beautiful contemporary style. You will automatically feel like in vacation and relaxation mode the moment you open the door to your chalet! For those with a tighter budget, the lodge also offers shared accommodations, which are perfect for backpackers and also campervan sites at a more economical costs.
There is currently no cellphone reception in the area, but there is internet is available for purchase! But do keep in mind that it is a satellite system because of Milford Sound’s wilderness location, so speed/data is limited. However the good news is that when you book a private chalet (whether it’s a mountain view or riverside), they actually do give you a few free 100mb internet vouchers to use! But be warned — 100mb runs out pretty quick! So if you need a quick social media fix, try to stick to a few apps on your phone/tablet (ie. Instagram or Facebook are pretty good with light browsing) and AVOID checking any email, as that tends to drain the data super quick! — especially if you haven’t checked your email in days! We learned that the hard way! 😑 But, you can always purchase more (100mb for $10) but I don’t feel you need to, as you will simply be there to enjoy the scenery and each other of course.
One IMPORTANT side note: Fuel for a return trip from Te Anau! (which is the closest town from Milford Sound) — If you are driving yourself into Milford Sound please ensure you have enough fuel to get here and back to Te Anau, since there is currently no fuel available in Milford Sound.
The lodge also has dining options available, as well as a guest kitchen facility if you wish to cook your own food. As most parents know, kids can get hungry at a moment’s notice and emotions can run high if you don’t have any food available. So having the PIO PIO CAFE surely was awesome to have for convenience! Their menu options for breakfast, lunch and dinner are all different and prepared with all fresh ingredients daily, and they also kid-friendly options. Everything we tried was simply delicious, as you could see from our photos! 😊 If you also need that caffeine fix, they have an ample selection of coffee, tea, or even some fancy latte’s and espresso’s available any time of the day! We also thought prices were fair and pretty decent, especially considering your in a remote location with limited food options in the Milford Sound area.
All in all, our stay at this lodge was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Surrounded by those majestic mountains and the sound of water running through the rocks…we were all in ‘zen mode’ and never wanted to leave! If anything, our night at Milford Sound Lodge simply elevated our stay here in New Zealand! After all, we only had a week to explore (CLICK HERE to read more about our week in Southern New Zealand), so why not live it up and get your experiences to the next level!
5 stars ★★★★★ in our books!! 😊