Remote wilderness island with comforts of home

Sun loungers, beach towels
1 bedroom, desk, free WiFi, bed sheets
Towels, soap, shampoo, toilet paper
1 bedroom, desk, free WiFi, bed sheets
1 bedroom, desk, free WiFi, bed sheets

About this cottage rental

Located in Kenora, this charming cottage for £287 per night is a fantastic option for your next vacation. Beautiful 2.2 acre Westshore Island is a place to escape the modern world, set 20 miles by boat amidst a vast maze of wilderness islands between Kenora and Sioux Narrows, Ontario. There’s a buoyed track leading from either town but once you’re out there, you’re totally on your own, with a cozy off-the-grid cabin and many of the comforts of home, surrounded by prime fishing waters, wildlife and a magnificent landscape filled with countless things to do: canoeing, camping, photography, painting, swimming, water sports and more. Aside from a few scattered neighbors and periodic passing boats, it offers profound solitude, a place for a respite where you can become one with the flow of nature around you. You need some navigation and boating skills to reach Westshore Island, but once you get there, we have you covered. Our rustic, but comfortable cabin boasts hot water, shower, composting toilet, generator-backed solar power, gas fridge, stove and oven, cell service and satellite Internet/WiFi. The more primitive boathouse has no AC power or running water, but has beds for four people (just above the waves) and a bathroom with a composting toilet. There is enough dock space for several boats and a generator cords to recharge trolling batteries. Overall, the sleeping accommodations include three bedrooms with seven beds: a king in the cabin master bedroom, a futon in the living room, a queen and two twins in the boathouse bedroom and two twins in the boathouse bunk room. There are also beautiful tent sites scattered across the island and the facilities are big enough to feed and serve up to ten people, including a well-provisioned kitchen, spacious living room with a hearty wood stove, generator-powered AC power outlets, outdoor fire pit & big screened porch. We try to have the cabin turnkey ready but there isn’t an onsite person to warm things up and you might have to re-ignite pilot lights or troubleshoot something else. We make it easy with a detailed user’s guide that walks you through all of the systems in use on the island and you can always reach out to us with questions. We also have a handyman standing by in Kenora if you need him. We hope you’ll come and stay awhile. It takes time to unwind and you’ll have more fun if you stay at least two weeks, a month or even the whole summer. We prefer longer visits, too, and offer big discounts and preferential early booking for more extended stays. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY - Westshore Island is not for Everyone. A visit to our island is a rare opportunity to stay in a genuine wilderness environment with many of the comforts of home. Time here can be relaxing, peaceful and adventurous, with little evidence of the modern world except for occasional passing boats. However, it's very remote and important to be well-prepared, self-reliant and know exactly what you are getting into before you embark. We provide guests with a detailed users guide but a few things to be aware of before you book: The island is very remote and accessible only by water! You must have or rent your own boat and be comfortable navigating a buoyed track through a maze of islands. Even if you are familiar with the area, detailed marine charts are essential and GPS is recommended. We highly recommend that visitors have previous experience with camping and backcountry safety. Guests need to be well-prepared, self-reliant and recognize that they will be on their own with no on-site caretaker standing by to help if things break or something else goes wrong. Please don’t come if you are afraid of seeing a bear. Although it has seldom happened, there is a possibility that severe weather, waves and wind could temporarily make it dangerous to return to town. Come prepared for the possibility that you might not be able to get home on schedule. Tap water is filtered after being pumped up from the lake but it is not treated and must be boiled before drinking. We provide several 5-gallon jugs of commercially bottled water to each group. The camp is swept and stocked after each group, but it is a family-built wilderness cabin that’s 50 years old. There is some ground-in dirt from years of use. Camp internet is a satellite connection that can be very slow at times and stop working entirely during bad weather. It is intended for basic communications, reading the news and other simple online chores like booking travel plans but it doesn’t have the bandwidth for video streaming, gaming or large file transfers. There is also workable cell service on the island and we highly recommend you use your mobile phone as a hot spot if possible. It's both faster and more reliable. There is AC power and running water in the cabin but NOT in the boathouse bedroom, bunk room or bath. We do provide a collection of solar and battery lanterns for use there, as well as pitchers and basins for simple washing up.

Amenities

Pets allowed
Kitchen / Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Balcony / Patio
Family friendly

Map of Kenora

Reviews

4.8/5.0
Outstanding(5 Reviews)
5.0
Aug 2019
Our stay was wonderful! This is a beautiful island. Also a lot of local wildlife which was great. The fishing is the best. We had fresh walleye for dinner every night. And the absolute best part was that you could catch your dinner right off the island.
5.0
Jun 2019
Property as described, not for everyone. But if you want adventure it’s definitely worth the extra effort. Owners great to work with, very detailed manual even for troubleshooting. Caught lots of fish, screened in porch was definitely the most popular area to relax!
4.0
star 5 empty
Aug 2018
We had a wonderful time.
5.0
Aug 2018
This is a great place if you want to be in a very remote, boat-in only area (about 1 hour boat ride from Kenora). The cabin is well set up, with conveniences like hot water and a fridge, and beautiful big windows. The island is a great spot for nature lovers. We really enjoyed our stay and the owners provided us with a lot of useful information to help us plan for our trip. I'd highly recommend it.
5.0
Jul 2017
We spent a week on the island and absolutely loved it! This place is incredible! It's gorgeous and serene out so far on the lake, and the fishing is ubeatable. It's a totally off-the-grid cabin on a remote small, forested island with an additional large room above the boathouse. The cabin is well stocked and has nice fireplace, hammock, propane appliances, solar power, hot running water, shower and satellite internet with a grill and firepit just outside along the water. The room above the boathouse is basic. Comfortable with a large balcony, there is an additional composting toilet but there is no power or running water (only in the cabin itself). The docks are sheltered, sunny and relaxing to hang out. The surrounding area has a lot to explore, including several beaches on the nearest island, forested islands, wildlife and endless varied fishing terrain. It's truly a unique experience. However it's not the place for everyone, for many of the same reasons that make it such a unique place. It's remote - far away from town - (about 20 miles by boat from Kenora) with very few if any other people or boats around. It requires you to be self-reliant, well-prepared and comfortable by yourselves in the remote location. A trip to town for additional groceries, supplies or gas could take 1/2 a day. It also requires decent marine navigational skills to get out there, even following the buoys can be tricky at times. It would be best to be familiar with the area and experienced at reading marine charts. I would recommend a marine gps if possible. It really is a remote wilderness experience with a comfortable backcountry cabin to separate you from the elements. The cabin is clean as far as cabins go, but there is some dirt and wear from years of use - which we expected. The cabin is well-equipped for being so remote, but everything is limited, the solar power is mainly for lights and charging small devices, the internet is through a satellite, usable but slow at times and can stop working during storms. We had decent phone service and usually used our phones instead. The water is filtered lake water and the toilets are composting units. Overall we had an incredible experience and wish we had spent longer out there!

FAQs

How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Kenora?

The average price for a rental in Kenora is £115 per night. This rental is £172 above the average.

Is parking included with this cottage?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Remote wilderness island with comforts of home. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this cottage?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is Remote wilderness island with comforts of home pet friendly?

Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at Remote wilderness island with comforts of home?

We found 7 amenities for this rental. This includes pets allowed, kitchen / kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.

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