2022

My family and I stayed at this beautiful lakefront property for a week and had an amazing time. You really couldn’t ask for a better lake, so clean and beautiful. We travelled with 3 kids from ages 5-13 and all had a blast! The host left a nice bottle of white wine for our arrival which was a very thoughtful touch. So much to do in a short drive, movie theatre, go karts and cute free museum in Fenelon Falls that is perfect for children with free play and activities. I highly recommend this property.

2021

What a great family cottage with a lovely sense of charm and character. We had a very nice week, canoeing, biking, reading, swimming, and of course hanging out on the dock. We had the opportunity to use the outside fire area and the inside fireplace which is a show piece unto itself. Hostess was easy to communicate with and she left us a lovely local strawberry and rhubarb pie upon our arrival - it was delicious! Thanks again!

2020

We really enjoyed our stay at Balsam Lake this fall! The cottage is very warm and homey, with an amazing indoor fireplace for cooler nights. The grounds were really well kept, with a big dock, clear water and a beautiful sunrise view. Would definitely come and stay again - had a great week away. The hosts were really responsive and answered all of our questions. Thanks for sharing your space with us!

2019

We loved staying at Scandinav. The cottage is well laid out, stylish, and very comfortable. It’s location on Balsam Lake was perfect with great swimming and canoeing. The hosts were welcoming and very responsive to our inquiries. This is a perfect family-oriented cottage.

2018

For our summer holiday, three generations spent a week together at Scandinav and loved it.  The cottage is large and family-friendly, with lots of light, an ample dining table and quiet spaces to retreat to.  The lake is clean and clear, full of fish and crayfish, and the dock provides safe access for both adults and children.  There is even a little canal leading up to the cottage, making it easy to get into the canoe, particularly on blustery days.  The site also has a campfire area surrounded with natural seats and a hammock strung between two shady trees. Lots of activities for day trips in the surrounding area – the liftlock at Kirkfield and the locks, splashpad, playground and beach in Fenelon Falls, not to mention the headquarters of Kawartha Dairy in Bobcaygeon.  

We really enjoyed our stay at your cottage. It was a great way to end the summer. It's a beautiful space and really nicely laid out, with different zones to chill out in despite being one big common room. Also, the kitchen was well supplied, equipment-wise. We cooked lots! You were very generous with allowing us to enjoy the space beyond the listed check in/check-out times, which we fully appreciated, and sharing your "pantry" of items. Lastly, you were super communicative with questions and concerns. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

2017

"Balsam Scandinav was the perfect location for a family holiday!  
The cottage is so beautiful and fully stocked with everything you can imagine you might need for good old fashioned family fun!  Clean and ready for our arrival there was plenty of room for all 6 of us. 
Almost each early morning was spent sitting in peaceful quiet on the dock, enjoying the sunrise, the still lake, a coffee and the sound of calling loons...it was exactly what we needed to rejuvenate our city spirits!

She is the most generous hostess, providing everything (and more!) that we needed for the perfect, relaxing holiday.   Thank-you! xo" 

2016

"My husband, 11 month old daughter, mother-in-law and cat visited Scandinav from June 18th to the 25th and had an amazing time. The cottage had enough space for us all to be comfortable in our own rooms and the main living area provided ample room for lounging and playing. We had a range of temperatures that week but there were many fans and space heaters provided and we even made a fire in the fireplace one morning. The large, open, main living space was beautiful with the floor to ceiling windows on the east and west ends, so even when you were inside, you felt like you were out in nature. We had lots of fun feeding the very friendly chipmunks with the nuts that were provided and they even crawled up to my husband's shoulder! The host had worked hard to get the dock installed before our arrival and it was a great addition. We spent a lot of time looking out over the gorgeous Balsam Lake and cooling off in the clean, weed free water. Our video baby monitor didn't quite reach to the dock, so I would recommend bringing a sound only monitor if you have little ones. Spending her nap time reading in the hammock wasn't a bad place to be either though! The host was so great leading up to our arrival as I had a lot of questions about what was and was not at the cottage. Arranging the rental agreement and payment was also super easy. We have many great memories of our time at Scandinav and I am really hoping that we can make it an annual trip! Thanks so much for sharing your family cottage with us!"

"The week my family spent at Scandinav was truly wonderful. It is such a special place. The interior of the cottage is beautiful and flooded with light from the large windows - even on a rainy day the it feels bright and spacious and you can enjoy sitting with a book and watching the rain fall through the trees. It never felt cramped or dark. On the sunny days (we had great weather and almost every day was warm and sunny) we enjoyed swimming, hanging out on the dock, playing on the large lawn, or napping in the hammock. Everything was perfect. It was clean when we arrived. The beds were comfortable and the sheets were soft. We all slept peacefully each night. As a fan of mid century design, I think the interior has been decorated with great thought and care, and the Scandinavian aesthetic only adds to an already peaceful and serene environment. We haven't had such a wonderful time in a long while! We will definitely be going back."

2015

This is our first year renting out the cottage (renovations done last year) but here's some love from our friends and visitors who stayed at Scandinav in 2015:

"I'm super excited to be spending a week this July at Scandinav!  I've visited before on my own and can't wait to bring my 4 year old daughter with me;  we'll be busy catching crayfish in the canal, jumping off the dock, canoeing and then roasting marshmallows on the bonfire.  There's so much to do and I love being able to disconnect from e-mail so I can fully relax and enjoy my vacation."

"A magical place. We felt fully rejuvenated after a long weekend relaxing in the calm surroundings, playing on the water, exploring the area and long evenings by the fire. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Scandinav and hope to return soon."

"I really enjoyed my stay at Scandinav last summer! The cottage itself has been tastefully updated, but it still feels cozy and rustic. I love the themed bedrooms and the way the owners have incorporated elements of their Latvian heritage as well as the cottage's history into the decor. This place is perfect for families because kids can stay on one side of the cottage and parents can stay on the other. The swimming is lovely and the kitchen looks out over a little canal. I definitely plan on returning in the future and highly recommend it to anyone looking to rent a summer cottage near Toronto."

"I spent a few magical weekends at this amazing location. Easy to find from Toronto or the surrounding area - well marked streets. The local towns have all the required stores (grocery, LCBO, etc). The cottage itself has been modernized and designed well for a large or small group. The view out the front and on the deck overlooks the water and the swimming is great; the fire pit good for a warm night time fire. I will visit this cottage again as soon as I can."