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.

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.

Babylonstoren, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch

Artistic Contrast

I arrived at Babylonstoren wondering if I might be the luckiest person on earth. I left certain I was.

Style meets substance at this chic, eco-conscious haven of good taste. Here they understand the art of contrast, where old style Cape Dutch thatched buildings are perfectly balanced with crisp glass and white, modern furniture.

I love the thick whitewashed walls, with their deep, shuttered windows. There are wide stable doors with exposed timber lintels. The interiors are serene – all white, with a four-poster bed and silky pale linen, offset by high ceilings with exposed trusses. Modern glass conservatory dining areas create a flow between the indoors with the outdoors.

Truly beautiful bathrooms, each have clever designs and deep, freestanding baths. There are heated towel rails, thick white towels and bathrobes.

Each suite has air-conditioning, a flatscreen TV with DSTV, a bar fridge, and complementary bottles of locally produced Babylonstoren red and white wine and olive oil. Treats arrive in the evening from the acclaimed local restaurant, Babel.

Accommodation Experience:

Aside from the famed restaurant, and cutting edge spa, the feature gardens are one of the main attractions at Babylonstoren. Not being much of a gardener myself, I force myself out of my beautifully decorated suite to take a dutiful tour of the grounds. I am instantly drawn into the natural, organic gardens which are both curvy and styled, the heady growth contrasted with artistic mosaic inlays and sculptures. I make my way towards an interesting looking tunnel in a quiet corner of the gardens. As I enter the tunnel and round a corner, I come upon a multitude of hessian bags, hung on elegant ropes at different heights. They are bursting forth with plants – strawberries and other fresh green growth. It is a ridiculously marvelous sight, which at first stops me dead in my tracks. Then it takes me down a tunnel of insight where I suddenly see a glimpse of the passionate dedication and artistic release with which the gardens were developed. I am overcome with a sense of appreciation, drawn into a mystical portal of awe and wonder. Here there was no pandering or second guessing – just a bold vision of creative expression. You can feel the imperative. This is true art – where someone has given freedom of expression to their creative instincts and unique personality, which moves us into a space from which we can be inspired to be daring and excessive and to excel beyond all imposed traditional boundaries.

Umngazi River Bungalows, Port St Johns

“Your one wild and precious life”

I love winter beach stays, where the days are clear and the sun warm and inviting. One can walk for many miles and feel energized and alive. In the evenings there is the enjoyment of sherry by the fire and the nights are just cool enough to sleep under cosy covers. Umngazi River Bungalows (www.umngazi.co.za) are the perfect place for a warm winter beach escape, as there are beautiful long beach walks, and much to do including canoeing, fishing, tennis, darts, snooker and a fabulous spa.  

The setting is spectacular – as riverside and beachside as it gets, with cottages facing the river, indigenous forest or ocean. Not called “the Wild Coast” for nothing, the coastline is pristine, with dramatic gorges, river crossings and cliffs.

The luxury you will find here is not the usual imported, urban, angular modernist kind. It is soft, curved, natural and intensely local. The rounded thatched Pondo huts are finished with timber and stone, and even the door handles and towel rails are smooth, curved, natural timber. The bungalows all have wide glass doors, with little separating one from the beach other than a stretch of green lawn. Outdoor showers, generous baths with sea views and fine linen elevate this stay well above the usual beach bungalow standards. This is barefoot luxury at its best.

At Umngazi there are plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas – lounges decorated in bright colours by someone with a great love of fabrics, recliners, dining areas and decks facing all directions.

I like Pondo hospitality – there is no simpering or gushing, only dignified generosity. With a distrust of insincere “quick smiles” as they say here, you are more likely to receive an approving grunt when you make the most of their ample catering. The caregiving arrangements are excellent and I saw several children enthusiastically greet their hosts. I have heard of many rest-deprived parents of tiny tots travel to Umngazi just for the amazing baby-sitting service.

By contrast, I am in the Eastern Cape to visit a worthy project of incredibly dedicated women who care for the sick in their community. Having not visited this area often, I had a hankering to discover more of this pristine wild coast and found Umngazi River Bungalows one of the more accessible beachside locations. However I had worried that the contrast between the stories of these women and a luxury stay might unhinge me. But the women in this project are now being paid by the government for their work, and supported by a local NGO with debriefing and training. They are assertive and professional. And at Umngazi, the evident respect for local culture, the plentiful employment created by the resort for the surrounding community, and the multiple local income generating projects made possible by this place leaves me feeling inspired and hopeful. True development is not about patronizing charity or handouts, but about inclusivity, ownership and employment which allows people the satisfaction to raise their own families well, and this is one of the best examples of that I have seen in a luxury holiday hotel. Both the women’s project and the Umngazi community support make me want to be a better person, to enjoy life to its fullest, while supporting others. As usual when I do community development work, I thought I was coming to give something, but find myself learning and gaining more than it was possible to offer.

Accommodation Experience:

And so I thoroughly enjoy my work and find I am able to have an energizing stay. My favourite time of day at Umngazi River Bungalows, it turns out, is the evening walk to and from supper. I stay in the furthest cottage from the restaurant and love the mindful stroll along the river. Schools of fish swim past me, catching the silvery light as they jump in unison. A cool breeze comes off the water. The skies are full of stars and it feels like I can touch the Milky Way. I swing my scarf to and fro as I walk and throw my head back to drink in the night sky. I feel wild and free and I am reminded of Mary Oliver’s questions:

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Porcupine Hills Farm, Near Grabouw

Country Connections

  

Porcupine Hills Guest Farm and Conservancy epitomises all things country – old painted biscuit tins stacked high on a kitchen shelf, tongue-in-groove ceilings, wooden furniture, gingham and floral fabrics and double cottage pane doors opening out from every room onto wide verandahs and pergola patios. This is big sky country, where outdoor living is a natural part of life. 

There is a choice of accommodation, and we stay in the Farmhouse, a classic two bedroom cottage with a long verandah and an attic bedroom upstairs. The lounge has a sprawling couch and fireplace, and there are additional seating areas outside. The kitchen is pretty, with butler sink, wooden table and white painted cupboards. Soft sage bedrooms have white linen and floral curtains and cushions, and white painted cottage pane doors open out from both rooms onto private patios. The bathrooms are surprisingly glamorous and each has a box skylight through which one can see stars at night.

Outside the cottage there is a braai area with benches and reclining loungers. There is a natural style, curved swimming pool with views to forever. Set in the Diepklowe private nature reserve, we are surrounded by high rock cliffs, where Black Eagles soar.

Accommodation Experience

In true country weekend style, we wake early to the sound of birdsong, but fall back asleep and lie in ‘til late. We emerge from our bedrooms at different times during the day, tousled and well rested. Finally we are brought together by the smell of warm flapjacks from the kitchen.

This is the real country magic – a space to rest and become the most natural version of oneself, from which vantage point one can connect with family and friends. In a recent survey, I asked young people “When is your family most peaceful?” The majority of the replies were about holidays, weekends and times when everyone is together. The replies show how stressed and disconnected we are much of the time, and that the recipe for harmony is so simple and achievable. Our stay at Porcupine Hills was precious respite and a lovely memory of family connectedness which we will draw on for many years to come.