Wildspan Guest Farm, Campbell, Northern Cape

Release that Inner Cowgirl

Set free your inner cowgirl at this Kudu ranch in the middle of nowhere, complete with windmills, royal blue skies and golden grasses. Restless of spirit, I come across this place while traversing the Northern Cape one dark winter’s night.

We travel too late and feel unsettled to arrive in this unusual environment. The owner meets us on the road with a torch and points out the white stoney ground, which he says is lit up by a full moon such that you can see without torchlight. He says we need not lock doors and should not fear the sounds of hooves around the cottage as the Kudu roam freely about.

He leads us into the stone cottage, where a large open fireplace in the kitchen, cozy bedrooms and warm wooden furniture complement the ranch setting. We light the fire, make strong cups of tea and the cottage feels instantly our home even though the landscape is as different as one could imagine.

Accommodation Experience:

I sleep deeply and wake feeling unusually peaceful. It is quiet here, with a stillness that softens even my dragon-slaying edges. 

I head out in the chilly dawn, blanket wrapped, to take photographs of the windmill, cacti, Kudu horns and stone walls. The golden morning light is kindly and blesses my efforts. The sky paradoxically turns from bright blue to a pale powder light as the sun rises higher.

The urgent questions I came here with have fallen away and I even struggle to remember what they are. This otherworldly landscape has drawn me into its time warp and confuses my restlessness such that I may find myself staying, becoming ever more peaceful and restful until I relinquish my searching to find what I was looking for all along, right here and now.

Oysterbox Hotel, Umhlanga

Oceans of kindness and spaciousness

With summer arriving in full force in South Africa, I have a hankering to go down to the sea again – not as some distant blue blob on the horizon – I want to be right up against the sea, the sight, sound and smell of the surf hitting me as I wake and look up from my bed. And I know exactly where to find this along KwaZulu-Natal’s spectacular coastline – the Oysterbox Hotel, one of South Africa’s premier beachfront hotels.

Indeed, this beachfront cabana is the perfect place from which to appreciate the ocean. The double doors face full out onto the sea, and my cabana is right near the pathway leading down into the vast swimming beach. However, I plan to hardly leave my suite in order to fully experience this place, with its elegant plantation-style white shutters, cool, cream floors, a colonial-style paddle fan and airconditioning. There is a grand four-poster bed from which to appreciate the sounds of the sea and the thread count of the bed linen reaches new highs from which I suspect there is no return. I am temporarily distracted from the view by a careful search for the label on the linen, without mussing up the sleek bed. The deep bath in the marbled bathroom provides another temptation away from the view, as does the integrated lighting, such that even when you open the cupboards, recessed, soft downlights come on.

The hotel has multiple dining options which also make the most of the prime waterfront location. Timeless architecture of royalty, cool tiled floors connect the vast indoor and outdoor spaces and one feels like a princess of a bygone era wafting through the interesting spaces of the hotel.

Indeed the hotel has withstood the toughest test of time and I find here a kind of solemn elegance to the regal architecture and décor. There is no pandering to the latest trends of bling or brash and the hotel stands dignified, confident in its superior location, superb luxury, unruffled history and inimitable class.

Accommodation experience:

There are many reasons to stay at the Oysterbox Hotel – great access to the beautiful Umhlanga beach, Durban city and surrounds, plentiful hotel facilities to satisfy every whim, including a world class spa, and every luxury imaginable. My choice is perhaps more unusual – I wish for a quiet retreat as close as possible to the ocean, such that it may do its work on my psyche. My ‘meditation cave’ is rather more luxurious than the traditional hermitage, though there be plenty of white, dark and light inside. The privacy of the suite impresses me and I enjoy a private, low hedge-walled garden in which to escape from the world. Yet there will be no ascetic False Self boosting here and I fall upon the gifted pink macaroons, finally understanding what the fuss is all about as they simultaneously melt and explode with flavour in my mouth. My complimentary Umhlanga Schling cocktail is already telling me I am lovely and belong. I have a luxurious bath, don a red silk and toweling gown and sit up in the high bed to gaze upon the sea and wait.

It is dusk and the light turns blue, at first pale and haunting, deepening into a Prussian blue, purple then black. The lights are on in a ship far out on the horizon and I send out good thoughts to them from my position of great privilege and comfort, as I send out good thoughts to my friends who are struggling and also lost at sea, unable to have this type of luxurious respite which I am currently enjoying.

The sea is rough tonight and crashes into my room just as I had hoped, the bass notes reverberating in the headboard. I need the freshness of this ocean to buffet my mind and I am reminded of Jeff Foster’s sense of self and emotions joining into the vastness of a spacious ocean self.

There is a cleansing and calming which happens when we dare to take the time out in solitude and silence to reconnect with nature and ourselves in the present. Contemplative psychologist James Finley encourages us to “Become the kind of person who is not a stranger to reflecting in a quiet and open way on the infrastructure of our heart and relationships.” And somehow the solid elegance of this hotel, along with the delightful treats and luxuries make this a compassionate and beautiful place from which to do so right up against the ocean of kindness and spaciousness itself.

The Loft, Old Oak Manor, above Café Felix, Riebeek-Kasteel

Escape Fantasy

This is the kind of place where you find yourself spending much of your time imagining some series of (un)fortunate events which of course leave nobody any worse off, but where you are somehow trapped here for days on end in this loveliest of spaces, unable to return to your everyday hectic life. In this very particular and unrealistic fantasy of ‘circumstances beyond your control’ you are nonetheless nourished throughout your stay by the delicious meals from Café Felix below.

This is The Loft, at The Old Oak Manor, above Café Felix in the small one-street South African town of Riebeek-Kasteel. It is a surprisingly stylish space in which to indulge your escape fantasies, well designed by a kindred spirit who appreciates good design and décor. An open plan suite, one enters through double French wooden doors into a spacious lounge with couch and wingback chairs. There are pale grey walls, French antiques and wooden furniture throughout. 

The lounge is divided from the bedroom by a creative screen of white painted window frames. On either side there are more seating and writing areas, with coffee and tea facilities and an antique desk. A wooden slipper single bed and another wrought iron bed with teddy are available could you bear to share this place with anyone else. The bathroom is ever-so-lovely, with a French style freestanding bath, painted wooden floors and louvre screens on wheels.

Accommodation Experience:

I have always wanted to sleep above a restaurant, the idea of having a fabulous meal and then simply walking upstairs to a silky white bed somehow capturing my imagination. I sit in a corner of the Loft, listening to the sounds of life and smelling the enticing aromas from the restaurant below, but feeling hidden away from the world. 

Instead of joining the warm buzz of the restaurant below, I decide to continue my solitude and order dinner at the deck of my pretty suite which overlooks an autumnal vine and mountain. The universe responds, sending a Prussian blue sky, full bright moon and softly hooting owl as accompaniment. As opera music and a sweet local port drifts up from the restaurant below I drink in this moment and am able to extend it, seemingly forever, with no-one else any the worse off, and myself completely fulfilled and restored.

Daberas Farm, Augrabies, Northern Cape

Soulsoaring

This is true luxury – a spacious desert wilderness alive with texture and colour and movement of creatures, without another human being in sound or sight. Photographer’s paradise, this is a place of Kokerboom trees, boulders of Rose Quartz strewn casually about, thick golden grasses and rust-coloured rock. 

Daberas Farm is a 10 000 hectare protected conservation area which borders on the Augrabies National Park. You may choose to stay in the campground, surrounded by Dassie-filled cliffs and remote from any other habitation. Accessible only with 4 X 4, the campsite is nevertheless well equipped with two full bathrooms, fire pits and a slatted roof dining area. There is no electricity at the campsite, which is part of the charm, though one may hire a portable trailer with gas and utensils, stretchers for sleeping outdoors, along with elegant wooden tables and chairs for alfresco dining.

The softer alternative is a traditional cottage with wrap-around verandah, set up against one of the most beautiful Kokerboom trees I have ever seen. A farm-style kitchen and lounge feels part of the setting, and the cottage has 3 bedrooms, a shower and toilet off the verandah. A large fire pit will still draw you outdoors into the spacious openness.

And this place is all about that great outdoors. Despite how much there is to do and see in this vast wilderness, we spend an inordinate amount of time sitting around this open fire, watching the colours of the dawn change in layers from black to purple to orange to pink to blue in the sky and again later gazing as the process reverses as the sun slowly sets.

Accommodation Experience:

While mindful of the local leopard which moves through the campground on its way to the watering hole, we decide to sleep out in the open so that we may look up into the stars. It is winter and we light a fire and sleep close to it, with the shared instruction that if anyone wakes up in the night, that person should reach over and toss a fresh log on the fire.

The night is crisp clear. I open my eyes soon after midnight to see the Southern Cross right above me and as I roll over I see Hair of Berenice with my naked eyes (a constellation named after another goddess, while my own hat-head hair is well concealed under a beanie). I feel happy – as happy as happy can be – happy as only a child can usually feel. And this moment of happiness seems to stretch to forever, such that I can even draw on it now as I sit here and write.

Mark Nepo proposes “The soul’s only interest is for us to be as alive as possible. The aliveness of our soul is our career.”

It is all I can do to plot my return to this spacious rocky desert of Kokerboom trees, boulders of Rose Quartz strewn casually about, thick golden grasses, rust-coloured rock and starry nights so clear your soul soars with the not-quite-forgotten happiness of a child.

Lake Naverone, Drakensberg

Healing Waters

There is something about being close to water which is good for the soul, and these stone cottages are about as close as it gets to the waters of Lake Naverone in KwaZulu-Natal. Three of the cottages even have decks which reach out over the lake, underneath which eerily enormous Grass Carp silently pass.

The cottages have everything one requires for a stay in the Drakensberg – thatched roofs, textured stone walls, fireplaces and wing-back chairs. The open plan design allows for a flow between indoor catering, sitting at the fire in the lounge and outdoor braaing.

This place is all about those vast and spectacular views and from every aspect of the cottages one looks onto that magical combination of mountains and waters. They will call to your soul and you will find your blanket-wrapped, coffee-carrying self heading out at first light even on the frostiest of mornings.

Accommodation Experience:

We stay at Lake Naverone with a grieving friend and it is a good place for it. We spend our time alternating between looking through old photographs, going for walks around the lake, reading our lost beloved’s poems, floating on the boats and gazing at the ever-changing view. Sometimes it is dark and brooding as the intense Drakensberg storms roll in with their purple cloaks and zap their lightening fingers part randomly and other times seeming to target specific locations with unconcerned malice. However they quickly pass and other times we are spellbound by the irreconcilably delicate rainbows. In the early mornings the water is as still as a mirror and the frosted jettys look treacherously beautiful.

It’s a lot to take in and my heart feels strained but very alive, especially now as I look across at my grieving friend rhythmically fly-fishing at the edge of the lake, at the end of an era and at the beginning of something new.

Fever Tree Cottage, Houtboschhoek, Mpumalanga

Alignment of all things

These are a few of my favourite things – views down a valley, stone farm cottages next to a dam, Black Crakes (I know!), white décor and linen, freestanding deep baths and generous farm hosting. The stars have aligned and I find all these and much more at Fever Tree Cottage, Houtboschhoek in Mpumalanga. The perfect stopover, 10km off the N4 on my way to the Kruger National Park, I rather wished I had booked to stay here a week or more.

I arrive on an unusually cold, wet and misty night after a long day’s travel. A fire is lit in the gorgeous white open-plan cottage, warming the lounge, kitchen and pretty bedroom. Roasted pecan nuts, fresh milk, tea, filter coffee and fruit juice are provided in the cottage – rural hospitality at its best.

Someone with a keen eye for décor and texture has had a hand in the creation of this little haven, with the natural stone exterior of the cottage offset with whitewashed interior walls. A puffy white bed mirrors the uneven walls. Modern and stylish upholstery in the lounge references the rich bird and plant life outside the cottage, which has a private deck and overlooks the dam and valley beyond.

There is nothing dark or dingy about this cottage, and the open-plan design works well to give a fresh and modern feel in such a traditional cottage. Deep-set windows highlight the thick and lumpy stone walls in every room. The well equipped kitchen has also been done by a soul sister, with a butler’s sink, good coffee-making equipment and country style implements.

Accommodation Experience:

After a soft and cozy night’s sleep, I wander out early in the mist, walking around the cottage dam. I come across my said favourite waterbird, the shy Black Crake, swimming in the reeds. With an impossibly lime-green, elongated beak and neon pink legs, he is unaware of my presence. I have never before encountered one so happy and free as he splashes about, chortling and squeaking in delight. It quite takes my breath away and it feels like a rare privilege of belonging in this place. As soon as he becomes aware of me, he disappears in an instant into the reeds and the moment is past.

Amidst the stress and issues of life, this counts as a time in which everything in the world felt right and exactly as it should be. I hope you also have many moments like these where you can feel that rare alignment of all things, where life comes full circle back at you to give a glimpse of its beauty and imperfect perfection.

Thula Thula Exclusive Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

Hlonipha – Respect

At Thula Thula we were wooed by the same gentleness that calmed the elephants, as described in Lawrence Anthony’s ‘The Elephant Whisperer’. Even the name Thula Thula refers to a quietening or calming, usually spoken or sung as a lullaby to quieten a baby. A deep respect is shown here for all things natural and these people are serious about conservation.

Elephant and rhino are allowed to wander right into the lodge grounds, and it is remarkable to witness them going about their feeding and interactions from the deep baths overlooking the open bush. The accommodation is African style, with French verve. Zebra stripes, thatch, cool screed floors and wafty white mosquito nets let you know you are in the heart of Zululand, Africa.

The lodge owner and the late Lawrence Anthony’s elegant wife Francine joins us at the bar and it is a privilege to meet her and ask her about her life. She is passionate about Africa, conservation and delicious food and the effects of her care are everywhere. The lodge is famed for its gourmet meals and we enjoy a superb 4-course meal, once again a creative fushion of French and African inspiration.

Accommodation Experience:

On an afternoon safari game drive we spend a happy two hours driving around the well protected game reserve. It is a thrill which is hard to explain to get close to the very elephants described in the book and each one is named and has an interesting story about its personality or past. They become four dimensional beings as we hear more about their interesting quirks and history. I have a sense that one can stay here for weeks and keep learning more about each one and developing a relationship with them.

Our guide is one of the best I have ever enjoyed being out with, and he is clearly passionate about the conservation of this natural heritage, as well as offering lively stories and fresh information. We stop for drinks at a watering hole and appreciate the privilege of being out in the African bushveld. We move on, passing a ‘tall horse’ (giraffe), silhouetted against the setting sun.

However it is on our way back that I have my heart-stopping moment. We round a corner and come across the two local rhino of the reserve. We stop and discuss their habits and history, and as we do so, one comes right up to the vehicle. He keeps coming and stops, not 20cm from my door and it is all I can do to stop myself from reaching out and touching his precious head. It is an experience I will never forget, made more poignant by the plight of these endangered great beasts. This pair of rhinos have their own private bodyguards, a 24 hour security detail to ensure that they are not poached for their horns. We are excited to hear that there is a newly opened Rhino Orphanage awaiting its first two orphaned baby rhinos in the coming week. It is yet another significant contribution to the conservation of this beautiful animal by the lovely people of this priceless safari lodge and game reserve.

Smalkloof Guest Farm, Volksrust

Golden Light

I am increasingly drawn to simplicity, and a farm stay brings a certain groundedness to a work travel trip which I really appreciate. Smalkloof Guest Farm, just outside Volksrust, is the perfect antidote to business stress. This is a place of golden hay bales, sheep and big skies. I drive up the long drive and stop to admire a large herd of sheep. It is dinner time and they come closer, stop, stare and then I can see one of the sheep saying to the others “Play it cool, guys, but I don’t think she’s the one who usually brings us our supper.” This is of course followed by collective panic as they all run bleating away as fast as there little legs can carry them. As I said, it’s good to be on a farm, where things are simple and real.

It seems that most of the rooms have entrances out to the beautiful farm, with plentiful outdoor seating areas. The room in which I choose to stay has its own verandah with table and chairs. Inside it is warm – with glowing orange art and cushions and an indoor fireplace. It is a cold night and I am pleased to settle in front of the fire. The en-suite bathroom is well equipped and I leave the bedroom door open to enjoy both bath and fire.

Accommodation Experience

Even the richest person on earth can’t do much better than warm, buttery toast and tea, appreciated outdoors with sunny skies and a view. I make a mindful cuppa and take it outside to the table under the big tree to enjoy. I am joined by all 5 the Jack Russel dogs, who share my enthusiasm for tea and the great outdoors.

I catch myself gulping big breaths of fresh air as my eye keeps being drawn to the open skies and golden fields with awe and gratitude.

Nselweni Bush Lodge, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve

Halala Ezemvelo!

So here’s the thing – we have always loved Ezemvelo (KZN Wildlife) for their unerring commitment to conservation and community upliftment, but now we have a new reason to celebrate their pioneering spirit – the creation of beautiful bush lodges in the form of Nselweni eco-villas in Hlhulhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. These spacious “tents” are a design success. Each little freestanding lodge faces out onto the bush, with folding back glass doors and windows across the full front of the kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. From your twin beds you look straight out over your own verandah onto natural African bushveld. It is a twitcher’s paradise, surrounded by the sounds of Emerald-Spotted Wood Doves, Trumpeter Hornbills and African Wood Hoopoe. At night you hear lions mating, hyena whoop and elephants trumpet.

The compact, yet open design of the lodges allows you to feel connected with the bushveld beyond, even while cooking indoors. The gorgeous kitchenette has a vaulted ceiling with stylish cutlery, crockery, pots and utensils. A gas powered fridge, stove and oven compliment the safari feel. Glamping this is none-the-less, with smooth cream screed floors, a swish Nguni patchwork rug and a leather armchair. 

The bathroom is calm and spacious, with a creamy tiled shower more than a meter wide, opening full onto the bush. Brushed silver handrails, wide doorways and seamless ramps make the units wheelchair accessible. 

Nselweni is luxurious, combining both style and substance. And it is good to know that your contribution is to Ezemvelo, and speifically to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve which is widely credited to having saved the white rhino from extinction, thanks to the foresight and dedication of people such as the late Ian Player and Magquba Ntombela. Even today, you need not drive far out of the camp gates of Nselweni to encounter a crash of the great, gentle beasts.

Accommodation Experience

Being in a Big 5 game reserve, we slip easily into our very different daily rhythm, waking early for a dawn game drive, having breakfast at a picnic spot with a view, napping after lunch, going out again for an evening drive with sundowners and braaing outdoors in the evenings. The first morning I wake at 4am, too excited to sleep. We have left the curtains of the front of the villa open and the moon spills in over the bed.

As our new year resolution, now lasting well into spring, we took a decision that we do not need more “things” in our life and we came to the conclusion that what the environment needs least is increased productivity. So we pledged to take more time off work, and instead of giving one another products for birthdays and Christmas, we give the gift of experiences in beautiful and natural parts of the country.

And so, at my 4am waking, I decide to participate in this creation of a memory, instead of falling back to sleep, and I head out to my private deck. It is a quiet dawn by African bushveld standards, the lions finally having stopped their cavorting. Then I hear what sounds like a rhino snorting beyond the fence and I see a hyena glide eerily past in the half dark.

I smile in appreciation and send up a silent prayer of thanks for the many people who contributed to the conservation of the vast reserve and the creation of this beautiful space from which to enjoy it.