Augusta de Mist Country Retreat, Swellendam

Ordinary Miracle

I was beginning to feel a bit bored with luxury accommodation – spoilt by too much of a good thing I guess. I was on the search for something exceptional. I needed art. The moment I opened the delightful website of Augusta de Mist Country Retreat in Swellendam I knew I had found it. In fact, don’t even bother reading the rest of this review – really, I won’t be offended at all – just click straight on www.augustademist.co.za.

A sense of humour and creative flair pervades every aspect of this beautiful 1802 manor house. Augusta de Mist was named after diary-writing teenager Augusta de Mist, who travelled through Swellendam with her father, a Dutch commissioner. This is one of the oldest buildings in one of the oldest towns in South Africa.

The gardens are lush, with lots of secret hideaways and paths to discover. There is a pool with elegant handmade loungers made by a local company from used wine barrels. The gardens are quiet and one feels far out in the country, even though the guesthouse is right in the centre of Swellendam, near the Drostdy Museum. It is within easy and safe walking to excellent local restaurants, even at night.

The integrity of the original homestead has been beautifully preserved, with original Yellowwood doors and beams. And now each room has been turned into a living art installation, with dramatic décor and gorgeous furniture. Sage and soft blues meld against the meter-thick walls. A show-stopping silver couch and feminist South African art work draw the eye in the lounge.

Apart from your own indoor and outdoor seating areas, there are at least 3 different dining areas inside the main lodge – one off the kitchen, out front on the “stoep” (verandah) and at the back patio – such that one may follow the sun around the building at all times of the day.

After much nail-biting deliberation (and a few backwards and forward emails), I choose to stay in the Buchu Suite, a freestanding cottage at the top of the garden and edge of the forest. It has large sash windows, a stable door as well as another set of double doors facing out onto the woods. In the lounge there are two funky upholstered armchairs and a fireplace.

I would be hard pressed to choose between my favourite room in this cottage – the lounge, bedroom or bath. The heavenly bed has white linen, a quilt and cushions of Dutch settler Jan van Riebeek. It is one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in. There is a deep, shuttered window at the head of the bed.

A glorious bespoke Livingstone bath is set up against a high window. There is a spacious shower and double basin. Cool screed floors and reed-and-open-beam ceilings bring the modern fittings perfectly back into context.

Accommodation Experience

Discovering this place feels like one of Sarah McLachlan’s “ordinary miracles”, bringing hope and creative inspiration at a time when I need it. I have a fun afternoon bounding around taking photographs of the main lodge and my loveliest of suites, enjoying the textures and colours which come with good decorating and an historic building. 

Finally I settle into an armchair, doors on both sides of my lounge opened wide to let in the breeze. As I enjoy a richly flavoured coffee, admiring the artistic room and the way the light comes in from the forest views, I realise that what is at the end of the rainbow is so much more than what one expected to find, if we are open and awake to the ordinary miracles of life. 

The White House, Mthatha

It’s all about balance

A lovely definition for the verb of balance is “to offset the value of one thing with another”. Things brings about a state of equilibrium, or more simply put, “to enable someone or something to remain upright and steady” (Google web).

This is what I find at The White House in Mthatha. I was involved in visits to community projects in the extreme heat, dust and busyness of the urban streets and surrounding townships of Mthatha. I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity and vibrance of the work, but needed to counter-foil this experience with calm, clean, minimalist repose. The serene interiors really are all white, with white walls, white windows and doors, white furniture and crisp white linen. After washing the dust off in a spacious, modern shower, I found balance by collapsing into this little haven at the end of each day.

There are rooms squeezed into every corner of this property, but once inside, they create a cell of calm contentment. Rooms are air-conditioned, with glass doors, lined curtains, desks, plentiful pretty lamps, complimentary tea and coffee.

The public spaces are elegantly decorated with landscape and Nguni scenes, together with country clocks and blue and white checked table cloths. An outdoor pool and conservatory-style dining area is a gathering point for guests in the evening. Staff are helpful and always on hand, and there is a restaurant at the lodge such that you needn’t leave your little oasis except to head out again into the texture and life of the city and beyond onto the beauty of the Eastern Cape wild coast.

Stoneybrook Farm, Kokstad, Eastern Cape

Flintstones go luxury

You will find no annoying leafblowers here – this is a real industrial working farm, not a faux country boutique. Set just outside Kokstad amongst green hills and lakes aplenty, you will experience a warm welcome and open heartedness at Stoneybrook Farm.

I drive past enormous earthmoving equipment and a traditional homestead, down to the Dam Cottage, a spacious 4 bedroom house sprawled out overlooking a lush dam where ducks move in formation with their ducklings through the reeds. One looks out through solid glass windows from almost every aspect of the house, down to the dam, Matatiele road and hills beyond. Natural stone walls add character to every room and bathroom, and the ochre stone has been creatively used to create circular shower enclosures and shelves. It’s like the Flintstones went luxury without losing their sense of who they are.

Every one of the four bedrooms has an en-suite bathroom, two with fabulous baths overlooking the dam. The rustic feel has been well balanced with modern, light curtains and linen. African-inspired décor matches well with the chunky all wooden furniture and natural screed floor. A full kitchen and 12-seater dining table opens onto a bright scarlet set of antique velvet couches which face onto the fireplace and wide verandah.

Accommodation Experience:

There is nothing cold or unwelcoming about a lakeside stone cottage set on a working farm and I need this earthy warmth tonight. I have just left an unwell partner and ageing ill dog for a week’s work in the Eastern Cape. I break my journey in Kokstad, feeling homesick and a circling despair about the week’s work ahead in rural Eastern Cape and busy Mthatha. I am very glad to have chosen a farm stay and as I enter this homely place my spirits lift instantly. I explore every room, silently “oohing” and “aahing” at each surprising discovery. I choose the best bathroom for the later evening’s entertainment and take my sorry little takeaways out onto the verandah to enjoy with the setting sun. The “it is what it is” acceptance turns into a grateful appreciation of this place and my life, thanks to the warmth and groundedness of this lovely characterful stay.

Waterbessiebos Cottage, Tzaneen

Following the light through the trees

I could happily spend a week in this treehouse style cottage, doing little other than watching the light move through the trees. This is a surprisingly comfortable spot from which to do so, with a spacious open-plan structure and unique architecture. The house on stilts is made up of interesting shapes, with a bow-like deck jutting out into the forest garden. Sitting at the pretty round table and chairs on the deck one may enjoy warm tea and buttery toast as you sink into a simpler way of being.

Inside Waterbessiebos Cottage, there is no treehouse grunge here – the fittings are modern, with a well designed kitchen. Zig-zag cupboard handles in brushed silver contrast with the rich grain of the wood. The floors have a laminate wood finish and the walls all end in glass skylights. An artistic eye has combined grey and red in the corner lounge which makes the most of the forest views with full height windows.

In the en-suite bathroom there is a wide, deep stone bath, with matching basin and tiles. A pair of luscious, thick, soft grey gowns hang behind the door.

Accommodation Experience

It is night and an owl hoots softly outside. It is hard not to feel blessed when and owl chooses your home for the evening, and it is especially hard not to feel blessed when you are retreating in such a calm and beautiful space as this. After the busy excitement and travel of the past few days, this place is like a coming home to myself in silence and solitude. 

There is a satisfying circularity to the idea of leaving home to come home to oneself, and this is the mystery offered by a particularly characterful stay like this treehouse.

I feel a gentle unwinding and I look forward to a long night’s sleep in the soft bed as much as I look forward to watching the morning light move through the trees.

Phelwana Game Lodge, Hoedspruit

High Tea with Hippos

Put me next to a waterhole in a game reserve and I am happy. Put me next to a waterhole in a game reserve in a luxury tent and I am a supremely ecstatic little camper. I sit drinking my coffee on my deck overlooking a dam where mother and baby hippos splash about. I may soon join them for an afternoon wallow in my own plunge pool - there is a certain permissive sloth and appreciation for life that they impart. 

Phelwana Game Lodge has been taken over by enthusiastic new owners who understand a girl like me. Creamy floors, white linen and cream curtains are perfectly balanced with wooden and leather safari style chairs and an old travelling trunk. The waxy green central wall adds flair to this calm and spacious tent.

This is glamping in true style, with airconditioning and a spacious glossy bathroom with double basin and vanity, indoor and outdoor shower and modern fittings. 

Meals may be taken at one’s own tent, complete with white table cloth, silver service and romantic oil lit lamps and candles. The main lodge has a large dining area and freshly upholstered lounge looking onto a fireplace.

Accommodation Experience

High tea at Phelwana is a sumptuous affair. A layered cake stand is brought out to the lapa overlooking the dam, and is filled with freshly baked scones, carrot cake (with the good icing), koeksisters, tartlets, sandwiches and deviled eggs. While I am eyeing out the lavish spread, two hippos come closer for a look – not 10 meters from the lapa in the water below. I have never been so close to hippos within such safety and decadence. I can almost count the chin hairs on the hippo’s broad jaw as he yawns. This is a high tea I will always remember with excitement, as a great serendipitous privilege.

Royal Malewane Luxury Game Reserve, Limpopo

Soulful Luxury

One of the open lounges at the main lodge

What is your definition of luxury? For me, it is close contact with nature from a bed of fine white linen or a deep bubble bath – where the contrast between the natural and the finessed somehow enhances each experience. It is about a balancing act of creative décor and an earthy respect for the environment, a celebration of all that is quintessentially local. However you choose to experience luxury, you will find it here at Royal Malewane Safari Lodge in Limpopo, South Africa (www.royalmalewane.com).

Literally host to royalty and A-list celebrities, it doesn’t get better than this. Individual thatched open-plan suites, more like private villas, overlook the African bushveld. With infinity edge swimming pools, indoor and outdoor showers and Victorian baths it is easy to stay cool even in the summer heat. Usually a prude, even I walk freely between these aquatic pleasures in my natural state, so discretely designed and well placed are these villas. There are three outdoor seating areas on my deck – sun loungers, an al fresco dining area where private dinners may be served, as well as a thatched shaded lapa.

Private heaven

Colonial Afro-Zen fusion is expertly achieved with antique furniture, Persian carpets and the finest fabrics. My suite has a cream couch and a fern-print armchair facing a bank of glass doors outwards and an indoor fireplace. A grand four-poster bed is draped in a white mosquito net and said silky white linen.

The main lodge overlooks a water hole, with beautiful indigenous reeds back-lit by the setting sun. The safari-style lodge is a vast open-plan structure with four different lounge areas, each decorated with Liz Biden’s dramatic flair. She manages to make creamy white couches, oversized regal arm chairs, ornate vases and rich carpets somehow work seamlessly in this open-air bushveld setting.

Waterhole overlooked by the main lodge

I say it again – the Royal Collection deserves its own 6-star rating from the South African Tourism Board. The enthusiasm to please goes well beyond tick-box duty. Around every corner there are thoughtful touches, and every day reveals a surprise of some unique African bushveld experience in which the staff take genuine delight in their guests’ reaction.

All luxury aside, one also wants to have close encounters with diverse game when on an African safari. Set in a Big 5 game reserve bordering Timbavati and Kruger National Park, your chances of seeing interesting game are greatly increased here by the private game reserve setting and the guides who are as passionate about their Royal Malewane animal family as they are about pleasing their guests. Genuine naturalists, each one is plotting their own personal wildlife expeditions, including gorilla trekking in Rwanda and tiger safaris to India. They have become international consultants on how to coordinate game viewing experiences in a way that fulfills their guests’ hopes while respecting the animals’ safety and comfort.

Morning munch at Royal Malewane

Accommodation Experience:

I find myself a little above my usual station in life at Royal Malewane, and so I decide to drink everything, even this humble juice, from the beautiful crystal champagne glass I find in my suite. I do this as I lie in a deep bubble bath overlooking my private infinity edge plunge pool, onto African bushveld. A family of monkeys is using my day spa bed in the thatched lapa, the babies cuddling up to mom for a nap, while the teenagers fight. Clearly they are used to this level of luxury.

I feel a little silly about my indulgence and have a twinge of guilt at my lazy appreciation of the afternoon, but I am learning to recognize this as a defence against sinking into a realness of presence. Remember how impressed and intimidated we were with that New York style frenzied busyness and assertiveness? Already, that aggressive lifestyle has become “so 90’s” and we have seen through the emperor’s clothing of bluster and bragging to the insecure vulnerability it masked. A new brand of post postmodern soulfulness is emerging, where we recognize real luxury to be about the gift of free time, connectedness with self, family and friends and the privilege of being able to contribute to the protection of our natural heritage. A restlessness of spirit, combined with a deep love for the environment draws us increasingly to stillness and mindful appreciation of the natural world. Kindness to self, others and our environment is replacing the currency of domination and competition.

Good hair day at Royal Malewane

And this is what I find at Royal Malewane – a soulful rootedness in their pristine game reserve setting, dedication to preserving their unique, unspoilt corner of the earth, a warmth and humility in their service, an openness in the architecture and a softness in their décor. While lavishly generous, there is no ostentation here, only a shared enthusiasm for the outdoors, rare game sightings and all that Africa has to offer its privileged guests.

Another tough day in Africa

Hluhluwe River Lodge

Life worth living

A game ranger I once met in a different part of the world once confessed how much he misses the bushveld of Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The sights, sounds and smells are uniquely rural African and you are instantly transported into a different world. We are travelling North and as we turn into Hluhluwe River Lodge’s game park we instantly feel what he is talking about. This is wild country, with a soulful depth to it that is difficult to describe.

The perfect African safari style thatched huts of Hluhluwe River Lodge amplify the bushveld effect. There are two decks facing indigenous forest and birds call from every height of the bush. No effort has been spared in connecting one to nature, with full glass walls reaching right into the apex of the roof on two sides. Exposed beams and high ceilings make the hut feel cool and light.

The suite is enormous, with glossy floors and natural furniture. A wooden headboard, chunky railings and fittings complement the theme. Even the lamps are made of buck horn. A white mosquito net over the bed completes the look.

However the real reason I chose this lodge is obvious – the inviting wide bath set against glass doors overlooking a private area of the natural forest. Lying back in the bath, all doors folded right back, I look up and out into the trees. Lying quietly in this state of bliss, more and more shy birds and buck come closer and reveal themselves, unaware of my presence.

The main lodge is a lapa style thatched open structure over a wide wooden deck. There is a cool bar area and indoor and outdoor seating areas with comfortable couches with cushions covered in golden African fabrics. The dining area is vibrant with a bright red wooden wall. Its deck has far-reaching views down to False Bay where hippos graze.

Accommodation Experience:

It is our first night on our holiday travelling North and this space is so different from our usual lives – the bushveld thatch, the romantic suite and open-air bath – that we relax instantly. It is like a burden is shed and the life energy comes flowing out of us. We find ourselves joking and laughing uncontrollably about the silliest things. The contrast shows how tense we are in everyday life – tight packages held together with stress and duty. And when unwound, even in the space of a day, our life energy and a sense of fun bursts forth unbidden, unstifled. This is the great gift of even a weekend away in a characterful place and once again we vow to do this more often.

Askari Game Lodge, Magaliesburg, Gauteng

Natural perspective

As we drive into the Askari game reserve, some primal instinct takes over and we become alert to every sound, sight and smell. There’s nothing quite like that feeling, which instantly dispels any other worries one may have packed in one’s suitcase. 

This Big Five game reserve is a short drive from Johannesburg or Pretoria, set in the picturesque Magaliesburg mountains. There are exciting game drives on offer, or one may let the game come to you with the backdrop of the beautiful views from the stoep of one’s own thatched cottage. Askari Game Lodge’s row of cottages overlook waterholes where Waterbuck and Kudu come and go in their gentle and dignified manner.

The Lodge has one of the most comprehensive ox wagon collections, and the beautifully preserved wagons of different types are on display in the grounds.

Fully catered, we enjoy an impressive buffet dinner and breakfast during our stay. There are several indoor and outdoor eating and lounge areas with fireplaces and we find a delightful reading lounge upstairs in the thatched attic.

The suites are spacious, with king or twin beds with upholstered headboards. Clever use has been made of matching fabrics, which feel both modern and traditional – toile de jouy, florals, dragon fly patterns and stripes. The bathroom has a Victorian-style slipper bath and a shower with a view down to the waterhole.

Accommodation Experience:

Having recently come through a patch of despair myself, I am pleased to be able to take my despairing cousin out for a retreat at Askari Game Lodge. All the key ingredients are there for a heart-to-heart on our girls’ night out – views of the sun setting over the dam while buck drink peacefully, a fireplace with a cosy couch in our room, complimentary sherry and later we each take a long and mindful bath by candlelight.

My dear cousin is suffering intensely and asks the most difficult and painful questions about life. Of course I don’t have any answers, but later as I lie back in the bath and reflect on our conversation, I feel the cool air coming off the dam as it blows gently over my face, and I look up and out at the stars, I simply know that her soul is being tended in the most brutal and tender of ways. This is what a stay in a beautiful natural context brings – a certain perspective that is truthful, integrated and hopeful. And, as only one who has herself recently come through a period of despair can Know, I have a deep certainty that “all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well”. 

Windmill House, Gauteng

Rare Find

I almost did not write a review of this place. It is simply too lovely and I want to keep it to myself. It’s ours – our Precious. It is so difficult to find the tri-factor of success in Gauteng accommodation – conveniently located, cost effective, and above all, beautiful. Windmill House in central Parkhurst ticks all these boxes – and then some. Styled as a country farmhouse, French- and African-themed art, furniture and fittings bring a rare combination of elegance and groundedness. Every room is thoughtfully and tastefully decorated.

I choose to stay in the Blue Room, decorated in the loveliest blues and whites, with dark wooden furniture, including a King-size bed and a single sleigh day bed and a grand wardrobe. There is commitment to the theme without overdone fussiness. A black and white Nguni rug and covered coffee table bring African flair. Two artistic paintings of our late father, Nelson Mandela, grace the walls.

The open-plan bedroom-lounge has high ceilings and exposed white beams. There are two high sash windows. The bathroom is tiled in soft matt black and white checks, while fitted with a deep, modern bath and spacious glass shower. There is another sash window, and from the bath one looks out onto trees and a dappled sunset.

Accommodation Experience:

While staying at Windmill House for work, I have agreed to meet with a friend of mine’s daughter-in-distress. Her boyfriend of 3 years broke up with her suddenly, unexpectedly and of course, via sms. I am moved by her plight, but still it is hard for me to leave my haven of tranquility. We go out for dinner, and, as most of us do, she simply needs someone to listen empathically and to be given the freedom to speak out loud the thoughts and unanswerable questions that have been plaguing her since the cruel break-up.

As I return early to my loveliest of rooms, I feel enveloped by its elegant warmth. I am both privileged to have been able to offer a simple ear to a young person in a state of extreme sadness, and grateful to be back in such a serene space of beauty. I am not sure if a room can really make one a better and more caring version of oneself, but I believe that this one did. And I am almost ready to share it with others who need a kind and pretty space in which to rest and be inspired to be a better version of themselves.

Thonga Beach Lodge, Mabibi

Robinson-Crusoe Style:

Robinson-Crusoe-goes-percale in these chic beach huts – think thatched roofs, mosquito nets and King-size white beds. Situated as close as it gets to the beach in Mabibi, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Thonga Beach Lodge is the ideal escape from everyday worries. Here barefoot luxury literally means walking casually between the beach, bed and gourmet meals. The only stress you will experience is choosing amongst the many exciting activities on offer at Thonga – including snorkeling, deep sea diving, open ocean whale excursions, sunset cruises at Sibaya Lake, bird watching and guided walks, turtle tracking and being pampered at the local spa. 

Island style architecture, using organic materials, is perfectly blended with modern conveniences. Our thatched hut has indigenous forest and sea views through wrap-around windows and double doors and a private deck. The wooden walls are covered in grass mats, giving a plush-but-rustic feel. The bed is sublime, with cool white linen and a wide, square, suspended mosquito net. A palm mat is on the floor and ocean-blue painted wooden furniture complement the maritime theme. Behind the bed is a double basin with large mirrors and next to that a deep, curved bath. A separately enclosed toilet and a spacious shower with windows completes the room.

The sounds of the sea call to one’s soul from every part of the open lodge. The huts are connected with a raised wooden walkway, which leads to the spa hut, a beautiful lounge (shown above) with free wifi, an open bar area and the open-air deck dining space. There is a swimming pool with upholstered cushioned loungers. There are two walkways down to the beach, and one has a deck with views to open the heart.

The warm North Coast means that even in winter one can feel like one is cheating the seasons to enjoy a sunny beach escape. Thonga Beach Lodge is part of the wonderful Isibindi Africa collection, which celebrates the best of what South Africa has to offer. Bookings may be made through www.isibindiafrica.com.   

Accommodation Experience:

My partner is rather … discerning when it comes to accommodation. We live in a beautiful part of the country and we both travel a lot for work, so if it is to be tempting enough to leave home, a holiday location must be spectacular. The stay should preferably be in a natural setting, organic and yet not too rustic – or the alternative is me being dragged kicking and screaming to a campsite. So I am highly motivated to find the perfect spot, which of course I do, at Thonga Beach Lodge.

We enjoy a short and not at all harrowing 4 X 4 drive, which instantly takes our minds off work. We arrive to a healthy and delicious lunch and have fun exploring the lodge and surrounds. With so much to choose from, we declare our pleasure majors (as Elizabeth Gilbert calls them) - snorkeling, reading and beach walking. 

Walking on the beach later that same day, my heart skips a beat as I see the most carefree and relaxed version of my partner walking towards me from a distance, happily bringing back only 3 sea-weathered pieces of litter after several miles of walking, giving the rare approval “You can just walk and walk and it’s still natural. I am so glad that places like this still exist in the world.” 

You know the cliches - it takes all types to make the world go round, and opposites really do often attract. And so it is very inspiring to find a place which pleases both Robinson Crusoe and Little Miss Muppet - where each of us can appreciate our own passionate interests and take delight in one another's pleasure.

That all said, despite my valiant effort, I still finally receive one complaint about the holiday – “You should have booked for longer.” We are already planning our return next winter.